Dubliner and Dane: Joyce and Hans Christian Andersen

This chapter’s argument is twofold: first, the focus is on Hans Christian Andersen’s short stories and their connections to two stories in Dubliners, claiming that Joyce’s “The Dead” is heavily influenced by Andersen’s “The Goloshes of Fortune.” It examines Joyce’s distinctive use of allusion in his work before concentrating on core texts, “The Dead” and “An Encounter,” noting the high correlation Joyce’s texts have with Andersen’s and suggesting that this discovery of new source material offers a unique perspective on an established Irish setting. Second, it details Joyce’s 1936 Copenhagen visit and examines further parallels with Andersen’s writing. In particular, regarding the Ondine or mermaid motif in Andersen’s “The Little Sea Maid” and Joyce’s “Eveline.” “Eveline,” like “An Encounter,” shares similarities with Andersen’s sea maid, incorporating, as it does, folkloric and fairy tale figures.