Poverty

Andersen’s exploration of the theme of poverty serves to demonstrate the difficult lives of underprivileged people, and it serves to show the misfortune that they experience on a daily basis. Andersen uses various techniques, such as descriptive language, symbolism, and character development to exemplify these ideas.

Andersen uses descriptive language at the beginning of the story encapsulate the extent of the little girl’s poverty. One of the first descriptions of the little girl is that she is “bareheaded and barefoot” (4). Since it is a freezing winter night in this scene, the fact that the girl has no headwear or footwear shows that she does not have basic things needed to survive in the winter. The lack of fundamental protection from the elements shows that the girl is in a state of extreme poverty.

Another example of Andersen’s narration highlighting the girl’s poverty...