Essay The Ugly Duckling

Words: 1207
Pages: 5
Open Document
Brittany Wiegreff
Professor Eichler
English 102 B16
10/18/2011
Essay 2

The Ugly Duckling Analysis
The tale of “The Ugly Duckling” has been told for many generations. It is the story of a little swan that is mistakenly hatched in a duck’s nest and because of his strange and different appearance he is teased and ridiculed. Even his mother can’t understand how this “ugly duckling” could be one of her own. The ugly duckling goes through many hardships and a long, lonely winter. Then upon seeing his reflection in the pond he realizes that he has become a beautiful swan and happily swims off, joining a group of nearby swans.
At first glance, many may perceive this as a cut and dry fairy tale. Sending the message that without outward …show more content…
He is accepted by them and is proclaimed, “The most beautiful of all.” It’s true that, “he is so young and pretty.”, because the acceptance in society has told him what he really is. He is a beautiful baby swan.
In real life the story, “The Ugly Duckling”, has many “cliques” within it. The ducks at the pond and where he was born are two cliques that he first has contact with. Along his journey he meets three more cliques that are all judgmental and all treat him differently. The animals that he ends up meeting at the old woman’s house treat him different because he does not act like they do. At the lake the humans are a clique because they acknowledge his beauty and they are different from him as well. Finally the last clique is the swans that he is now a part of. He is treated like he belongs and he does belong with his true family.
Authors mostly relate stories to themselves and what they grew up with. The author of this story, Hans Christan Andersen relates what the duck is based on from his own experiences. Andersen was born as a peasant and he was excluded out of society. Just as the ugly duckling was, Hans had to journey on his own through life and learn the ways of the world on his own. He finally found his place in his writing where he could express himself freely. He makes us look more sharply at daily life through the window of his imagination through his own experience. Hans expressed his emotions, flashes of humor, and
Show More

Related Documents: Essay The Ugly Duckling

Socialization In The Ugly Duckling, Rudy, And Siddhartha

from because of their fear of accepting the person they truly are. The overall internal development and constant desire to have a positive relationship with one’s self is a challenging and almost seemingly endless journey. Protagonists within The Ugly Duckling, Rudy, and Siddhartha have demonstrated this ruminating expedition to embrace their genuine individuality unapologetically. The literature titled The Cycle of Socialization attributed to an outsiders’ perspective on the continuous theme implementing…

Words 2078 - Pages 9

Essay on "The Ugly Duckling" and Standards of Beauty Today

“The Ugly Duckling” and Standards of Beauty Today Jennifer Murrish Kaplan University HU300-01RP682 “The Ugly Duckling” and Standards of Beauty Today Of all the stories I have heard throughout the years there is one that I can think of which really stands out in my mind. The story I chose is, “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Anderson, first published in Denmark, November 11, 1843. This story has an amazing moral and always tends to make me emotional every time I hear it, and has touched…

Words 1510 - Pages 7

The Ugly Duckling: My Journey to Self Confidence Essay

less than dirt: they called me fatty, ugly, loser, weirdo, and useless. Yet these same people came to me when they needed help. I maintained my loyalty to them expecting my situation to change,but it did not. Whoever came up with “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was obviously a liar. By me continuing to be around individuals who made me feel like a nonentity, I confirmed that those words were true. I got used to fatty, ugly, loser, weirdo, and useless because the…

Words 792 - Pages 4

Essay on Amazing greɪs

Grace is not flamboyance. Grace is not political. Grace is not a hindrance. Grace is not unforgiving. Grace is mercy, finnese, and beauty. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell[a] in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalms 23:6) Grace is mercy because it was nothing but God that allowed me to get accepted into Hampton University. After taking the SAT four times and only boosting my score by maybe three or four points everytime, I was beginning…

Words 410 - Pages 2

Strictly Ballroom Directed by Baz Luhrmann Essays

in the community. In the film “Strictly Ballroom” directed by Baz Luhrman 1992, shows the concept of belonging and not belonging through the contrast of characters, cultures and the use of a variety of genre. Similarly the children’s book “The Ugly Duckling” published by Hans Christian Anderson shows the concept of belonging and not belonging through language techniques, characters and the use of imagery. Strictly Ballroom is a film which explores the problems which arise when belonging is forced…

Words 449 - Pages 2

Bullying and Baz Lurhmann Essay

them to do bad things and makes them think that he’s the god guy. In strictly ballroom Barry is the giant and Scott is the boy. He lies to get what he wants, not thinking about others and how it affects them. In this movie Fran is the ugly duckling. The Ugly Duckling is a theme that almost everyone can relate to at some time throughout their lives. Beauty is so important in this century and many people try and change themselves to look better, so they get procedures to change themselves in ways like…

Words 597 - Pages 3

Personal Narrative: She's Throw

with a motorcycle and buried it, then dug it back up and tried to call it cute. The inside is a petite ugly little hushed house with a old mildew smell. Somehow we made it out alive with no harm done (except a little shortness of breath). After we got Izzy we went down to my house to get ready of trick or treat.…

Words 619 - Pages 3

Ratifying The Constitution Dbq Essay

After gaining independence from England, America was seen as the “World’s Ugly Duckling,” countries refused to interact with America. They were ridiculed for being insolvent and for essentially not knowing how to manage a country and its government. Americans initiated a government with the Articles of Confederation was an utter and total failure, which supported the other nation’s theory that America was a joke. A few years later, the Constitutional Convention was held in 1787, asking to ratify…

Words 1020 - Pages 5

Chinese Cinderella Themes

and uglier as Adeline aged, showed her “true colors”. “Niang turned to Father, and said in a loud register, that I was looking uglier and uglier as I grew older and taller”(Page 187). Calling anyone ugly is low, calling someone in your family ugly is even lower, but calling someone in your family ugly while at a funeral is as low as you can get. Niang added “salt to the wound”. “I felt as I had been skinned alive”(Page 187). Adeline losing Ye-Ye was hard enough, without Niang making it even worse…

Words 460 - Pages 2

Adeline Yen Mah's Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella, a disheartening autobiography of an unwanted and unloved daughter, written by Adeline Yen Mah. The author of this saddening tale explores the effects that our families can have on us. In Adeline’s case without her family mistreating her, she wouldn’t have risen above diversity or even became the individual she is today. She shows that due to her family’s resentment she begins to find herself worthless and nothing. Even while dealing with her family feuds she still yearns for…

Words 550 - Pages 3