The Issue Of Realizing One'S Own Mistakes In Literature

Bruce Lee once said, “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them”. In the stories “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” and “The Red Shoes” written by Hans Christian Andersen, and “The Selfish Giant” written by Oscar Wilde, all the antagonists in the stories realize their mistakes and admit their wrongs.

“The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” was about a girl who was always prideful and haughty, she didn’t even realize this until one day she had been sent to hell and had to live a terrible, lonely life until she had repented for her sins and went to heaven. “The Red Shoes” was about a girl who had been in love with red shoes and would wear them against her guardian’s will, she had become addicted to them and was overcome by temptation. She realized her mistakes only after her guardian had died and began a journey of redemption until eventually she is forgiven and goes to heaven. “The Selfish Giant” is about a giant who would not let children into his beautiful garden. Due to his greed, he was very lonely and had no friends. His garden became covered in snow, never blossoming and looking beautiful as it once did. One day, he realized his garden was no longer beautiful as the children were not there, so he opened his garden to the children and watched/played with them until he passed away and went to heaven.

“The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf”, “The Red Shoes”, and “The Selfish Giant” all share a common theme of being able to make up for mistakes you have done as they all touch upon the antagonist understanding their wrongdoings, seeking redemption, and eventually being forgiven for their actions. The stories written by Andersen and Wilde shared a common theme of righting one’s wrongs as they all had someone who did wrong and didn’t realize it until they were punished for their wrongdoings. All three of these stories had characters in which they were making mistakes in their own way without knowing what they were doing wrong.

In “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf”, Inger, the main character was always prideful and vain, she never knew of the way she acted until she had sent to hell and was a statue who could not eat or drink but felt hunger. She was able to hear what people thought about her but could never talk back to them. Although it took her a while, she was able to find out why she was suffering so much and acknowledged her sins as it says, “the tormented soul thought back on every deed she had performed during her life on earth … Inger was filled with sorrow for herself”. Inger began to realize her wrongs after she had spent time and thought about why he had been sent to hell. The same can be said for Karen, the main character of “The Red Shoes”, who disobeyed her guardian’s orders to not wear the red shoes as they were a temptation that would consume Karen. She didn’t listen and would wear them as she felt as if she was so beautiful and as they made her feel so great about herself. Eventually, she was so consumed that she cared about them more than her guardian who had done everything for her. She then began to realize her sins when she had come before an angel who cursed her into dancing forever as it said ‘Dance you shall … until you turn pale and cold, and your skin shrivels up like a mummy’.

The selfish giant was sort of different from the rest: he had a garden that children loved to play in. However, he scared them away from his beautiful garden and warned them not to trespass again. Eventually, he realized that the children were the ones who made the garden beautiful and that without them he was lonely as he said, ‘How selfish I have been…now I know why the Spring would not come here’. All the characters realize their mistakes after they face the consequences for their actions. At that moment, they decide to make up for their wrongs and make things right. All the stories have a common theme of making up for one’s wrongs as all the main characters in each story sought out redemption for the mistakes that they had committed. Each of the characters had realized what they had done and decided that it was time make up for what they had done. Inger had sought out for redemption and was given a chance as she had been turned into a bird and would help and give to other birds out of the goodness of her heart and to help others for once in her life. She would “eat but a single grain of corn and then alert the other famished birds so that they too could find food”. She had learned her lesson and looked to be a better person and learn from her mistakes. Karen had also sought out redemption upon her realization of her mistakes. Knowing her mistakes and wanting to redeem herself she told an executioner to “go ahead and chop the red shoes off my feet”. She was willing to cut her temptation out of her life and sacrifice her feet to get redemption for her sins. She then goes to church to repent her sins but is unsuccessful for two weeks and finally cries out to God in a last attempt and is answered.

“The Selfish Giant” also relates to the theme as the giant realizes why his garden no longer blossoms and why summer and spring no longer come. He realizes that his greed is why he is lonely, and his garden is no longer beautiful. Looking to right his wrongs, he opens his garden to the children as he says, ‘I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children’s playground for ever and ever’. The Giant realizing what he had done wrong, knew that he had to share his garden and so he opened his garden up to the children. At first, they are frightened of the giant, but he soon gains their trust and decides to play with them and watch over them to make up for his greed and evil in his past. The Giant did this until he passed away in his garden. All the characters who were once evil and only thought of themselves had changed and wanted to be better once they had realized what they had been doing wrong. They proved themselves through actions and redeemed themselves, eventually being forgiven for their sins and no longer living miserable lives.

The theme of one being able to make up for their mistakes can be seen in the three stories as they all have a character who is forgiven for their sins. In all the stories, the main character made a mistake that resulted in a consequence. After the characters had been punished, they realized their mistakes and redeemed themselves, eventually being forgiven for what they had done. After Inger had sought out redemption, she proved to be a changed person and was forgiven and rewarded as the story says, “The bird’s wings glittered so brightly into the air that it was impossible to see where it was flying. They say it flew straight into the sun”. Inger who had been transformed into a bird in a last attempt to redeem herself, had shown her change and worthiness and was therefore forgiven, being allowed to enter to Heaven. Karen had got rid of her temptation and made up for her mistakes. Although it did not come right away, she was forgiven by “an angel in white robes… the one that she had seen at night in the church doorway”. Karen had repented for her sins and meant her sorrow, which is why she was forgiven and was taken to heaven where nobody asked or judged her for her red shoes. The Giant realized his greed and understood what it had cost him; he decided to share his garden and make it available to the children. However, there was one child who had stuck out from the rest and had not been afraid of the giant. The Giant had helped the child climb on top of a tree and liked this child the most. That child later appears with holes in his hands and feet and says to the giant, ‘You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise’. This child can be seen as Jesus Christ and the paradise can be seen as heaven. The Giant had realized what he had done wrong and had made up for it; he was forgiven for his actions and Jesus took him to heaven. The three stories all had a similar result in the end which was the reward of being able to go to heaven because they were able to receive forgiveness.

All of the stories mentioned had characters go through a series of events to correct mistakes that had been made in their life. They all had a stage of acknowledging their mistakes, redeeming themselves, and finally being forgiven. One can learn from reading this essay, as everyone makes mistakes but not everyone acknowledges them and try to make up for their own problems; it can help to self-reflect and right your wrongs to become a better person and to sometimes be rewarded for your efforts just as it is shown in all three stories.