Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: I Belong to the World"In 1836, when Xavier Marmier (1808-1892), a prominent French journalist and a prolific traveler, visited Copenhagen to explore Danish literature and culture, Hans Christian Andersen, "had the good fortune" to meet with him (Bredsdorff, Hans Christian Andersen: A Biography 134).Impressed not just with Andersen's literary output but also with the story of his life, Marmier published a biographical sketch of Andersen titled "Une vie d'un poète" ("The Life of a Poet") in the Revue de Paris (Paris Review).1 Andersen recalled his meeting with Marmier in a letter to Henriette Hanck dated 20 September 1837.Marmier had asked Andersen if he wanted all of Europe to know about the story of his life to which Andersen replied, "I belong to the world!Let everyone know what I think and feel!" (Andersen, "Letter to Henriette Hanck").In hindsight, Andersen's assertion -full of self-assurance -could well be called a prophecy because belong to the world he would.And still does.The 2023 Disney adaptation of his famous
Source: Journal of World Literature
Authors: Mushtaq Bilal, Torsten Bøgh Thomsen
Institution: University of Southern Denmark
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4411393936