Analysis of the theme in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier".
Written in 2003; 1,367 words; 0 sources; MLA; $ 45.95
Paper Summary:
This paper discusses the theme in "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" through a character analysis of the tin soldier. The paper points out that, while the theme of the story seems to be about true love conquering all, the underlying theme is about manliness and the suggestion that love seems to feminize men while they are in pursuit of their beloved, transforming them into an acceptable love object. The paper also examines an additional theme that suggests that those who are too sensitive cannot live through the harshness of the world.
From the Paper:
"At the beginning of the story, the tin Soldier is "different from all the others because he was missing one leg. He has been the last one to be cast and there had not been enough tin" (112). In this way, the Tin Soldier can either be viewed as disabled, having only one leg, or as symbolically emasculated. Soldiers, weapons and perpetrators of destruction, are often viewed as one of the highest forms of masculinity. Violent by nature and protective of their countries, the tin soldier symbolizes the opposite of love and romance, even if they are all "handsome [in] red and blue uniforms" and stand "with rifles sticking up over their shoulders" (112). Soldiers are deadly in their masculine beauty. However, the Tin Soldier in Andersen's tale is far from perfect and is less than a warrior. Andersen reveals the tin soldier's love constant love for the ballerina throughout the story. However, the tin soldier is unable to demonstrate through his bravery that he is worthy of this love. Moreover, the lacking leg may be equated with missing biological parts of masculinity. This Steadfast Soldier cannot procreate and therefore, must be less than a man. The reader might ask why Andersen would want to portray his protagonist as less than a hero. The response is that soldiers, in their courage and readiness to fight, are not true candidates for romantic love. The Tin Soldier, lacking a leg cannot approach his beloved ballerina to declare his love for her. He is afraid that the ballerina will not accept him because of his disability. Symbolically, he is distanced from the ballerina by their placement in the boy's room. Additionally, the troll who possibly "caused the window to open suddenly and the soldier to fall out of it" may represent nature's cruelty to those who are different."
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