SCAND 232A: Hans Christian Andersen and the Fairy Tale (5 credits, A&H)
with GLITS 252B: Introduction to Global Literatures: Literary Genres Across Time and Place
Professor and Department Chair: Marianne Stecher-Hansen (marianne@uw.edu)
Department of Scandinavian Studies: (206)-543-0645
318 Raitt Hall: Professor's office hours: Tuesdays 2:30 – 4:30 pm or by appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Amy Swanson King (swanson@uw.edu)
305Q Raitt Hall: Teaching Assistant's Office Hours: Thursdays 2:30 - 3:20pm or by appointment.
The Fairy Tale and Hans Christian Andersen. This course explores the fairy tale genre in a range of cultural, historical and literary contexts, while focusing on the celebrated tales of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875). This Spring quarter 2026, we will consider how fairy tales have "made sense of the world" over the centuries in various political and historical climates. Two tales by Hans Christian Andersen, namely "The Emperor's New Clothes,” a parable about a vain and ineffectual ruler surrounded by loyal courtiers, and "The Wicked Prince," a story about a powerful tyrant who is felled by a flea, exemplify on of the main themes of the class. The quarter begins with an investigation of globally recognized fairy tales, such as “The Little Red Riding Hood,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.” The class engages various critical approaches to interpreting these fairy tales. Students explore the origins and authorship of the folk fairy tale and the variants of some of the most ancient and well-known tales; for example, a Cinderella tale from ancient China (“Yeh-hsien”) are studied alongside modern variants attributed to Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. The course also explores the Grimms’ version of “Snow White” in relation to Disney’s cinematic production (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” 1937) and the new adaptation released in 2025.
In the second half of the quarter, we engage a closer study of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales in relation to history, literary trends and modern adaptations. To what extent do Hans Christian Andersen’s tales constitute "children's literature"? How did a pedagogical concept of children’s literature develop in the 19th century? We'll delve further into readings of tales, such as “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” "The Wicked Prince," “The Snow Queen,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Red Shoes,” “The Shadow” and “The Little Match Girl” and consider the historical and cultural contexts of these original tales written by H.C. Andersen as well as some of the contemporary adaptations. This course is an opportunity to study fairy tales in relation to literary history, social-economic contexts, and cultural politics and to explore the continued relevancy and popularity of Andersen’s celebrated tales and fairy tales in general.
Required Books to purchase (University Bookstore - or used copies available on Amazon or with other vendors):
- Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales, trans. Tiina Nunnally (Penguin, 2005). ISBN: 0 14 30.3952 0
- Maria Tatar, ed., The Classic Fairy Tales. Second Norton Critical Edition (Norton, 2017). ISBN: 0-393-97277-1
Student Learning Objectives:
- To practice the skill of daily deep reading (i.e. 30 minutes of uninterrupted reading of printed text – without electronic devices; highlighting in pen or pencil).
- To improve in-person skills for discussing and writing about literary genres and other media.
- To develop skills for critical thinking, cultural competencies and global citizenship.
- To optimize life-long learning and build inclusive community at UW.
Evaluation: Grades will be based on two exams (including objective and essay questions), two short essays or assignments, regular online "discussions” and in-person contributions to class discussions.
20% Four online Discussions (ca. 150 words each; worth 5+ points each)
15% Assignment #1 (April 20th)
15% Assignment #2 (May 25th)
20% Midterm quiz (multiple-choice/short blue-book essay): May 7th
30% Final Test (multiple-choice/short blue-book essay): June 4th
Writing Assignments: SCAND 232 is not a W (Writing) course, although student writing is important. Ad Hoc W (Writing) credit is not available for this course.
AI generated writing, Plagiarism, and Academic Misconduct: The assignments in this class are designed to challenge you to develop creativity and critical-thinking and to encourage you to articulate your own 'voice' in writing. Using AI generated writing limits your voice and will hinder you from reaching the learning goals of this course.
Additional Resources: H.C. Andersen’s Fairy Tales:
- The entire collection H.C. Andersen's tales and stories, translated by John Irons, is available here: https://hcams.andersen.sdu.dk/exist/apps/andersen-irons/index.html Links to an external site.(Note: this is not the translation required for this course). We will refer to a few these tales on this site.
- Here is a research guide for online sources and relevant scholarship on H.C. Andersen: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/hca
Religious Accommodations Policy: Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) Links to an external site.. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (/students/religious-accommodations-request/) Links to an external site..”
Reading and Lecture Schedule: Spring 2026. The lecture schedule and reading assignment for each class meeting is listed at the bottom of this Syllabus page on Canvas. In addition to the two required books (print copies), you will find any additional reading assignments posted in the weekly Modules
Assigned Reading to be read in advance of class!
FT = Fairy Tales by H.C. Andersen, translated by Tiina Nunnally.
CFT = The Classic Fairy Tales, ed. Maria Tatar.
Reading and Lecture Schedule: Spring 2026 (subject to minor changes)
Week #1: Introduction – Fairy Tales and Cultural Politics
Tues. 31 March:
Read FT (Fairy Tales): HCA, “The Princess on the Pea” and “The Little Match Girl”
Read (Canvas): Short biography of H.C. Andersen (Canvas)
READ: CFT (Classic Fairy Tales): Maria Tatar “Introduction: Hans Christian Andersen” (278-283);
Thurs. 2 April: H.C. Andersen’s birthday (April 2, 1805)
Read FT: HCA, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (1837)
Read (Canvas): “The Invisible Cloth” (Spain) and “What Happened to the King and the Tricksters Who Made Cloth.”
Read (Canvas): HCA, “The Wicked Prince” (1840)
Week #2: Fairy tales for Children? – “The Little Red Riding Hood” and “Hansel and Gretel”
Tues. 7 April:
READ (CFT): “Introduction, Little Red Riding Hood (5 – 14); “The Story of Grandmother” (14 – 16); Charles Perrault, “Little Red Riding Hood” and Brothers Grimm, “Little Red Cap” (16 – 21).
READ (CFT): Jack Zipes, “Breaking the Disney Spell” (414 – 420) [first part of article].
READ (Canvas): Shavit, “The Concept of Childhood – The case of Little Red Riding Hood” (317 – 323).
Thus. 9 April:
READ CFT: Grimm brothers, “Hansel and Gretel” (236 – 241);
READ CFT: Donald Haase, “Yours, mine, or ours? Perrault, The Brothers Grimm, and Ownership of Fairy Tales” (435 – 46).
READ (Canvas): Danish folk-tale, “The Pancake House.”
READ (CFT): "Fulano de Tal and His Children (242-244)
Online Discussion #1 (Canvas)
Week #3: Cinderella tales – Ancient and Modern
Tues. 14 April:
READ CFT: “Introduction: Cinderella” (139-145); Brothers Grimm, “Cinderella” (148-153);
READ (on Canvas): Charles Perrault, Cinderillla, or The Little Glass Slipper.”
READ (CFT): Hans-Jorg Uther, from "The Types of International folk tales" (491-497)
Thurs. 16 April:
READ CFT: Charles Perrault, “Donkey-skin” (154-162).
READ CFT: “Yeh-hsien” (146- 148) and “Lin Lan” [Cinderella] (171-175);
Optional READ (Canvas): Jameson, “Cinderella in China.”
WATCH (in-class): Walt Disney flip clips: “Cinderella” (1950) and “The Ugly Stepsister” (2025, Den Stygge Stesøsteren)
Assignment #1 DUE (Sunday April 19th)
Week #4: From “Snow White” to Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
Tues. 21 April:
READ CFT: “Introduction: Snow White” (84 – 92); Grimm, “Snow White” (95 -102);
READ CFT: Susan Gubar & Sandra Gilbert, “Snow White and Her Wicked Stepmother” (387 – 393).
READ CFT: Jack Zipes: “Casting the Commodity Spell with Snow White,” (427 – 435)
Thurs. 23 April: (guest moderator)
WATCH clips: Walt Disney animation, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937). Clips from Disney’s Live-Action “Snow White” (2025)
Online Discussion #2
Week #5 From Folktales to Literary Tales – Fairy Tale Authorship
Tues. 28 April
TBA: Guest-lecture by Prof. Guntis Smidchens
READ (CFT): Aarne, Thompson "Types of the Folktale." p. 491 -497.
READ (CFT): Vladimir Propp, "From Folklore and Literature" p. 498 – 502, and "Morphology of the Folktale," 502 -507.
READ (FT): H.C. Andersen, “The Wild Swans”
Thurs. 30 April:
READ (Canvas): H.C. Andersen, “Clod Hans – An Old Folktale Retold”
READ (Canvas): Asbjørnsen & Moe, “The Princess who always had to have the Last World.
READ (FT): H.C. Andersen, "The Traveling Companion,"(1835)
READ (Canvas): Asbjørnsen & Moe, "The Companion.”
Midterm study guide and review questions
Week #6 The Little Mermaid and the Mermaid Cycle
Tues. 5 May: (“Femte mai”)
READ (FT): H.C. Andersen, “The Little Mermaid”
READ (Canvas): Jens Andersen, “The Men of Romanticism"
READ (TBA Canvas): Mermaid folktale from Danish ballad and legend
Thurs. 7 May:
Midterm. (in class) – bring Blue Book and ScanTron
READ (Canvas): Oscar Wilde, “The Fisherman and his Soul (1888).”
READ (Canvas): Anni Swan, “The Secret of the Waves” (1901) & Karlis Skalbe, “Varava of the Sea” (1912)
Online Discussion #3
Week #7 – Romanticism- Art Tales and Other Worlds
Tues 12 May:
READ (FT): H.C. Andersen, “The Nightingale” and “The Snow Queen.”
Thurs. 14 May
READ (FT): Andersen, “The Snow Queen” and Disney’s Frozen
Week #8 – “Thing-tales" and the Agency of Things
Tues. 19 May:
READ (FT) “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “The Collar”
Thurs 21 May:
READ (Canvas): “The Pen and Inkwell,” “The Two Maidens,” “The Darning Needle” and "Court Cards"
DUE: Assignment #2 (Monday, May 25)
Week #9: The Gothic and the “Uncanny” in H.C. Andersen’s tales
Tues. 26 May
READ: (FT): Andersen, “The Shadow”
READ: (FT): READ (FT) - "The Story of a Mother"
Thurs. 28 May
READ (FT): Andersen, “The Red Shoes”
READ (CFT): Andersen, “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf"
Online discussion #4
Week #10: Looking Glass into the Future: Andersen’s ‘Science Fiction’
Tues. 2 June:
READ (FT): “The Wood Nymph”
READ (On Canvas): “In a Thousand Years’ Time" & "The Wicked Prince"
Thurs. 4 June:
12:30 pm Final Test (in person, in class); Bring Blue Book & ScanTron. Course Evaluations.