April 14, 2019

"[Hans Christian] Andersen's manuscript was at the printer's when he was suddenly inspired to change the original climax of the tale from the emperor's subjects admiring his invisible clothes to that of the child's cry."

"There are many unconfirmed theories about why he made this change. Most scholars agree that from his earliest years in Copenhagen, Andersen presented himself to the Danish bourgeoisie as the naïvely precocious child not usually admitted to the adult salon. 'The Emperor's New Clothes' became his exposé of the hypocrisy and snobbery he found there when he finally gained admission. Andersen's decision to change the ending may have occurred after he read the manuscript tale to a child, or its inspiration may have been one of Andersen's own childhood incidents which was similar to that in the tale: he once recalled standing in a crowd with his mother, waiting to see King Frederick VI, and when the king made his appearance, Andersen cried out, 'Oh, he's nothing more than a human being!' His mother then tried to silence him saying, 'Have you gone mad, child?' Whatever the reason, Andersen thought the change would prove more satirical."

From "The Emperor's New Clothes" (Wikipedia), which I'm reading about because it came up in a conversation about the previous post, which discusses public exposure and embarrassment.

Here's that "nothing more than a human being" Frederick VI:

19 comments:

David Begley said...

When I saw Queen Hillary, her so-called husband and idiot daughter on the campaign trail, I saw grifters and criminals. Hillary still needs to go to jail.

rhhardin said...

The hidden message of the Emperor's New Clothes is that the truth is hidden.

mccullough said...

The original ending sounds better.

But some writers like to hit you over the head with the message.

daskol said...

The original ending is much more cynical. It may be more accurate, but it is not nearly as heartening.

Darrell said...

The elite Media admires Hillary's Mao outfits.

Howard said...

Please don't see the Hapsburg Jaw

Big Mike said...

Frederick seems to have the famous Hapsburg chin. Did he have the cognitive difficulties we associate with it?

Big Mike said...

@Howard, why not?

Mr. Groovington said...

Looks like Frederick VI was actually Caroline or something.

William said...

He doesn't have the look of someone you'd trust to manage the family business. I looked at his wiki entry. His father was crazy. He looks like a chip off the old block, but he was never overtly insane and managed to rule for fifty years. He married his first cousin, but sadly his children didn't live to maturity and his line ended with him.

JAORE said...

The ending he really wanted to publish:

Look mommy his pee-pee is TINY!

livermoron said...

It doesn't appear that the Oldenburg line has any Hapsburgs origins. Perhaps that prognathism is just a general sign of inbreeding.

tcrosse said...

This wasn't covered in the Danny Kaye 1952 version, although Zizi Jeanmaire got to show a lotta leg.

Wince said...

It looks in that painting like they were trying to hide Frederick VI's pencil neck.

Bill Peschel said...

In a recent book about genetics, it mentioned that one of the Kings of Spain was the product of generations of in-breeding. He was basically a drooling idiot, but they kept him on the throne because, you know, king.

At a time when any animal breeder could have told them what happens if you keep fucking your cousins.

Sort of like today.

Anonymous said...

When I was young I never had any sympathy for the people pretending to see the clothes. Now I understand the real point of the story. In a world where you can loose your job, you friends, and many other things by pointing out obvious facts, only a child, or another person with nothing to loose, can speak the truth without fear.

~ Gordon Pasha said...

Graves opthalmopathy is my guess

Hagar said...

Frederik VI was the sorriest of a long row of sorry Danish kings.

BJM said...

Frederick VI certainly inherited the "Habsburg Jaw".