The history behind Andersen's motifs

Author	Comment
like2bwise4 Unregistered User (5/27/02 12:36:43 pm)	The history behind Andersen's motifs I am trying to write a paper that discusses the meaning behind motifs that Andersen employs in his tales (such as red shoes, rose bushes, and bells). I haven't been able to find any resources on such material so I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help or knows any web pages, books, or resources I can use.
Jane Yolen Unregistered User (5/27/02 4:18:55 pm)	Andersen There are more major books on Andersen than one can shake a stick at. (A big heavy cudgel!) And there are his letters and his autobiography. And a Danish critic said: “Andersen wrote more self-portraits than Rembrandt ever painted.” So I bet if you search his biography, you will find the answer to his choice of "motifs." His mother was an illiterate and superstitious washerwoman who told him folk tales all of his young life. Another place to start--Danish folklore. Jane