Question

The author shows death as a relief from a harsh life. Justify with reference to the story.

Answer 1

In the snowy streets of the city a pitiable young girl is selling matches on New Years Eve in a desperate attempt to appease her father’s violent anger. Alone with her matches and their accompanying visions the girl passes on and is found later the next day, dead and with a smile playing across her face. The plot of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian

Anderson is meant to inspire a charity of tears for this young girl and her untimely death. However not in all instances should such a death be so unfortunate In the little match girls case death would not be the worst of all evils but an alleviation to mortals who are worn out with sufferings. Thus death can come as a relief to those whose toils and cares overcome the will to live and when a better life can only be satisfied by fate. Firstly, for some, peace and comfort can only be obtained in death. The little match girl seeks such comfort in the streets but obviously finds none in the bitter bleak night. Once she is quite numb with cold, she thinks that a little match would be a comfort. So light here represents the comfort of heat. For example when she does light the match it blazes into a clear warm flame, which transforms with a little help from her imagination into a warm friendly fire. When the match goes out the stove vanishes and she is left again to suffer the icy night. So peace and contentment cannot always be found in this life but the one after death. Therefore death need not be viewed as the ultimate evil as for many it can be a release into a better life.