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Posted

This is the thread where I will respond to reviews and discuss my little drabble "Striking Out," which is based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl."

Here is the story link:

http://books.adult-f...hp?no=600095501

Posted

The first review is in -- and it's a rave! Yay! :dance:

BronxWench says:

BronxWench 2015-06-21 id # 3000043569 You are very good at incorporating all three prompt words in one neat little package. It's always pleasantly bloodthirsty, too, and this one was rather spot on, given the events in recent episodes of our beloved GoT.Excellent work! :D

:think: Thank you so much for appreciating the economy of words. I think that's what I most like about doing drabbles: I'm forced to really focus the narrative into something understandable in 100 words -- while having three of those precious words dictated to me! It takes a lot of thought, and I try to get the essence of the story all down in my head before writing anything onscreen. As a result, my first draft is usually within 10 words of the limit.

I like the description "pleasantly bloodthirsty."

Of course it was Hans Christian Andersen's idea to kill the Match Girl. He considered it "a happy ending" because she went to heaven and thus was freed of her harsh living conditions! :balloon:

-NecroNOMNOMicon "Pleasantly Bloodthirsty" :Eye:

Posted

Look, another review! Writers rock!

JayDee 2015-06-27 id # 3000043573 The Little Match Girl story always kind've pissed me off. I think Terry Pratchett's go at it in the book Hogfather was pretty much on the money. She basically dies so everyone else can feel good about their Christmas, instead of "Shit! We oughta do something 'bout helping the orphans!". Taking this route on it she's at least choosing her own destiny. S'like a buddhist monk protest, with pretty much the same reaction from the passersby.

The story is an uncomfortable one, calling to mind thoughts of the "inconvenience" of the homeless. The crowds feel sorry for her after she's dead, but nobody thought to help her while she was still alive. As Andersen writes:

"Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing."

However, Andersen himself thought the story had a happy ending because the little girl went to heaven:

"No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year."

-NecroNOMNOMicon :Eye:

Posted

Yeah, but the logical conclusion of Andersen's thought process is everyone needs to die so everyone can be in heaven! He's up there with Judge Death's "All crime is committed by the living so life itself is a crime!"

It's values dissonance I guess :)

Posted
  On 6/28/2015 at 11:44 AM, JayDee said:

Yeah, but the logical conclusion of Andersen's thought process is everyone needs to die so everyone can be in heaven! He's up there with Judge Death's "All crime is committed by the living so life itself is a crime!"

It's values dissonance I guess :)

Readers of Andersen's day didn't agree with him either. From what I understand, the story was not greeted with holiday good cheer and he was confused and non-plussed by the cold reception. He didn't understand why no one else saw it as a happy ending. :eyebrow:

For what it's worth, I don't see it as a happy ending, either. (My version is just more obvious and less elegant.)

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