Faerie and Reason in "The Snow Queen"
In Andersen's "The Snow Queen," the world of faerie, surprisingly,
is almost synonymous with the world of reason. When Kay is struck
by the shards of glass he becomes cold and unfeeling. The Snow Queen
captures him and kisses him, and makes him even colder. This coldness
is not merely a physical lack of heat, but an absence of emotion.
When first captured, he tries to say a prayer but "[can] only remember
his multiplication table." While living in the Snow Queen's palace,
he becomes almost completely frozen, and instead of playing imaginative
games, he plays at "the icy game of reason." Therefore, although
those who embrace logic and reason would scoff at the idea of the Snow
Queen, in Andersen she is representative of them.
- J.G., December 1997
Page designed and maintained by:
A. Waller Hastings
Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Last updated: April 17, 2001