The Snow Queen Vs Kay
Written by Hans Christian Andersen in December of 1844 and published in 1845 in the second collection of the New Fairy Tales, “The Snow Queen” has been a very popular and well-known children’s story for over 150 years. This fairy tale is one of Andersen’s longer pieces and, additionally, is one of his highest praised works. Just like many of Andersen’s other works, there are strong moral values that are clearly evident throughout the fairy tale. In the case of “The Snow Queen,” the moral of the story is that good triumphs over evil and love is able to overcome all. 2013 brought the arrival of the movie inspired from Andersen’s ageless story, Frozen. Walt Disney Animation Studios produced this highly acclaimed computer-animated movie with several
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interesting changes. Now Disney’s changes to the story are easy to see even at first glance, but the overall moral, of love being the solution, remains the same. Overall, the stories share two main character who have a connection, a struggle between good and evil, and an overall theme of redemption which allow the two different stories to maintain a shared overall moral.
In Andersen’s tale, the sprite drives pieces of an evil mirror down to Earth where some of it lands in Kay’s heart causing his heart to turn into a lump of ice as well as transforming his eye allowing him to be aware of all of the world’s inadequacies and causing him to see everything as worthless. As it is winter, the snow soon starts to falls and the Snow Queen visits Kay and steals him away. Gerda spends most of the story on an extraordinary journey to find Kay and when she finally does he is cold as ice and dying, but she is able to save him with her tears by melting his ice heart and causing the mirror to come out of his eye.
Disney’s adaptation is written as a more emotional tale of two sisters, Anna and Elsa. When they were small children Elsa almost killed Anna as a result of striking her head with her ice powers that she is unable to control and, then similarly, when Elsa, the oldest daughter, takes the throne she inadvertently exposes her powers by setting off an eternal winter in Arendelle. When Elsa runs away, Anna embarks on a journey to find her and have her return home and bring summer back which will only be able to happen through true love.
Between the two stories the first major similarity is the two main characters and the connection they have. Andersen has Gerda and Kay who have grown up next to each other as best friends who share the experience of growing up in a big city as playmates, and later as lovers. As a result of living in a large town they have the connection of sharing a garden, as explained by Anderson:
In a large town, where there are so many houses, and so many people, that there is no roof left for everybody to have a little garden;…there lived two little children, who had a garden somewhat larger than a flower-pot. They were not brother and sister; but they cared for each other as much as if they were. (Anderson 1)
This connection allows the story to develop as it opens with a conversion with Kay’s grandmother about the largest of all snowflakes, the Snow Queen. Now, in Disney’s 2013 version the connection that the main characters have is no longer one about childhood friendship and, later, love but a bond that exists between two sisters. As Anna says, “Just let me in. We only have each other. It's just you and me” (Frozen 2013). This change in the role of the childhood friends to sisters allowed the Snow Queen to transition from a neutral role in Andersen’s original fairytale to one that has been greatly changed over the numerous adaptations of the story. Rather than Elsa having a truly evil disposition similar to Kay as the result of the sprite’s mirror, she is simply misunderstood, compassionate, and deeply confused.
Furthermore, a constant struggle between good and evil is seen in both works.
Kay’s character in the original version can simply be called evil with very little debate. Now on the other hand, the current version of the character, Elsa, is muddling through the life that has been thrust upon her while showing how terrified she truly is. However, in their case it is the strength of having a deep commitment and devotion to one’s sister that drives the love instead of romantic attachment. In Andersen’s original version the struggles that Gerda goes through to eventually save Kay shows the commitment they have for each other and a strength that is expressed throughout, including the reflecting the two of them are able to do at the end of the …show more content…
tale:
Kay and Gerda took each other's hand: it was lovely spring weather, with abundance of flowers and of verdure. The church-bells rang, and the children recognized the high towers, and the large town; it was that in which they dwelt. They entered and hastened up to their grandmother's room, where everything was standing as formerly. …There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet children; children at least in heart; and it was summer-time; summer, glorious summer! (Andersen, 1)
The end of their journey brings them full circle to where they started in their shared garden as well as completing the adventure that Gerda has been on for the majority of the fairytale. Additionally, it allows the love for each other that they both knew existed as children to be developed and furthered as adults.
This story serves as a reminder that there is a constant struggle in each individual’s life that love can help to solve.
In the situation of Elsa and Anna, nothing else can melt the ice that has encased Elsa’s frightened heart except for Anna’s love. Even many of the other characters in Frozen do not understand this, but one who truly shows an understanding of loving others before yourself is Olaf, the snowman. He notes, “An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart” (Frozen 2013). He further exemplifies this through his support of Anna’s expedition to save Elsa even though the end of winter and warmer temperatures will also signify the end of his life. Looking backwards, at the beginning of the movie Elsa sacrifices being with Anna to the detriment of her own happiness in order to keep Anna safe as she possesses the beautiful, but yet highly dangerous, ability of creating ice and snow. On the other hand, Anna is willing to step out and sacrifice her life if necessary to save her
sister.
Finally, the overall theme of redemption is key in allowing the moral of both versions to remain the same. In both the original story and the movie, one of the main characters must complete a long and arduous journey to save their friend (or sister) even through it will require great sacrifice on their part. Although the Snow Queen is not actually redeemed in Andersen’s version, redemption is still very evident throughout. While Kay begins the story as an innocent child who truly loves his friend the glass hits him and turns his heart to ice and ruins his vision of the world. This causes Kay to transform into a foul version of himself who sees Gerda in a different light which eventually leads to him being captured by the Snow Queen. Nevertheless, Gerda is able to save Kay through her love for him as evidenced by his reaction upon waking up in the palace of the Snow Queen, “Hereupon Kay burst into tears; he wept so much that the splinter rolled out of his eye, and he recognized her, and shouted, "Gerda, sweet little Gerda! Where have you been so long? And where have I been?” (Andersen 1). Similarly, Elsa is unable to save herself or fix her problems that arose from her abilities that she is unable to control. However, the love that her sister has for her allows Elsa’s heart to be defrosted as a result of the sacrifices that Anna made for her.
Overall, the Disney film changed many key points that would make Frozen more closely resemble Andersen’s 1845 original version. Nonetheless, there are still aspects of the story that allows the original moral to remain the same, even over 150 years later. Maintaining the important aspect of love saving one of the main characters allows for the connection from “The Snow Queen” to remain relevant in an animated movie created this decade. The major similarities of two main characters with a vital connection to each other, a consistent struggle between good and evil, as well as an overarching theme of redemption permit these two stories to sustain a shared moral code. Regardless of the individual views of the viewers, it can easily be agreed upon that love is important is each of our lives and even more so in a movie designed for children.
interesting changes. Now Disney’s changes to the story are easy to see even at first glance, but the overall moral, of love being the solution, remains the same. Overall, the stories share two main character who have a connection, a struggle between good and evil, and an overall theme of redemption which allow the two different stories to maintain a shared overall moral.
In Andersen’s tale, the sprite drives pieces of an evil mirror down to Earth where some of it lands in Kay’s heart causing his heart to turn into a lump of ice as well as transforming his eye allowing him to be aware of all of the world’s inadequacies and causing him to see everything as worthless. As it is winter, the snow soon starts to falls and the Snow Queen visits Kay and steals him away. Gerda spends most of the story on an extraordinary journey to find Kay and when she finally does he is cold as ice and dying, but she is able to save him with her tears by melting his ice heart and causing the mirror to come out of his eye.
Disney’s adaptation is written as a more emotional tale of two sisters, Anna and Elsa. When they were small children Elsa almost killed Anna as a result of striking her head with her ice powers that she is unable to control and, then similarly, when Elsa, the oldest daughter, takes the throne she inadvertently exposes her powers by setting off an eternal winter in Arendelle. When Elsa runs away, Anna embarks on a journey to find her and have her return home and bring summer back which will only be able to happen through true love.
Between the two stories the first major similarity is the two main characters and the connection they have. Andersen has Gerda and Kay who have grown up next to each other as best friends who share the experience of growing up in a big city as playmates, and later as lovers. As a result of living in a large town they have the connection of sharing a garden, as explained by Anderson:
In a large town, where there are so many houses, and so many people, that there is no roof left for everybody to have a little garden;…there lived two little children, who had a garden somewhat larger than a flower-pot. They were not brother and sister; but they cared for each other as much as if they were. (Anderson 1)
This connection allows the story to develop as it opens with a conversion with Kay’s grandmother about the largest of all snowflakes, the Snow Queen. Now, in Disney’s 2013 version the connection that the main characters have is no longer one about childhood friendship and, later, love but a bond that exists between two sisters. As Anna says, “Just let me in. We only have each other. It's just you and me” (Frozen 2013). This change in the role of the childhood friends to sisters allowed the Snow Queen to transition from a neutral role in Andersen’s original fairytale to one that has been greatly changed over the numerous adaptations of the story. Rather than Elsa having a truly evil disposition similar to Kay as the result of the sprite’s mirror, she is simply misunderstood, compassionate, and deeply confused.
Furthermore, a constant struggle between good and evil is seen in both works.
Kay’s character in the original version can simply be called evil with very little debate. Now on the other hand, the current version of the character, Elsa, is muddling through the life that has been thrust upon her while showing how terrified she truly is. However, in their case it is the strength of having a deep commitment and devotion to one’s sister that drives the love instead of romantic attachment. In Andersen’s original version the struggles that Gerda goes through to eventually save Kay shows the commitment they have for each other and a strength that is expressed throughout, including the reflecting the two of them are able to do at the end of the …show more content…
tale:
Kay and Gerda took each other's hand: it was lovely spring weather, with abundance of flowers and of verdure. The church-bells rang, and the children recognized the high towers, and the large town; it was that in which they dwelt. They entered and hastened up to their grandmother's room, where everything was standing as formerly. …There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet children; children at least in heart; and it was summer-time; summer, glorious summer! (Andersen, 1)
The end of their journey brings them full circle to where they started in their shared garden as well as completing the adventure that Gerda has been on for the majority of the fairytale. Additionally, it allows the love for each other that they both knew existed as children to be developed and furthered as adults.
This story serves as a reminder that there is a constant struggle in each individual’s life that love can help to solve.
In the situation of Elsa and Anna, nothing else can melt the ice that has encased Elsa’s frightened heart except for Anna’s love. Even many of the other characters in Frozen do not understand this, but one who truly shows an understanding of loving others before yourself is Olaf, the snowman. He notes, “An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart” (Frozen 2013). He further exemplifies this through his support of Anna’s expedition to save Elsa even though the end of winter and warmer temperatures will also signify the end of his life. Looking backwards, at the beginning of the movie Elsa sacrifices being with Anna to the detriment of her own happiness in order to keep Anna safe as she possesses the beautiful, but yet highly dangerous, ability of creating ice and snow. On the other hand, Anna is willing to step out and sacrifice her life if necessary to save her
sister.
Finally, the overall theme of redemption is key in allowing the moral of both versions to remain the same. In both the original story and the movie, one of the main characters must complete a long and arduous journey to save their friend (or sister) even through it will require great sacrifice on their part. Although the Snow Queen is not actually redeemed in Andersen’s version, redemption is still very evident throughout. While Kay begins the story as an innocent child who truly loves his friend the glass hits him and turns his heart to ice and ruins his vision of the world. This causes Kay to transform into a foul version of himself who sees Gerda in a different light which eventually leads to him being captured by the Snow Queen. Nevertheless, Gerda is able to save Kay through her love for him as evidenced by his reaction upon waking up in the palace of the Snow Queen, “Hereupon Kay burst into tears; he wept so much that the splinter rolled out of his eye, and he recognized her, and shouted, "Gerda, sweet little Gerda! Where have you been so long? And where have I been?” (Andersen 1). Similarly, Elsa is unable to save herself or fix her problems that arose from her abilities that she is unable to control. However, the love that her sister has for her allows Elsa’s heart to be defrosted as a result of the sacrifices that Anna made for her.
Overall, the Disney film changed many key points that would make Frozen more closely resemble Andersen’s 1845 original version. Nonetheless, there are still aspects of the story that allows the original moral to remain the same, even over 150 years later. Maintaining the important aspect of love saving one of the main characters allows for the connection from “The Snow Queen” to remain relevant in an animated movie created this decade. The major similarities of two main characters with a vital connection to each other, a consistent struggle between good and evil, as well as an overarching theme of redemption permit these two stories to sustain a shared moral code. Regardless of the individual views of the viewers, it can easily be agreed upon that love is important is each of our lives and even more so in a movie designed for children.