Resumo de The Emperor's New Clothes - As Retold and Illustrated by S. T. Mendelson based on work by Hans Christian Andersen

The Emperor's New Clothes As Retold and Illustrated by S.T. Mendelson. New York: Stewart, Tabori and Chang. Copyright 1992.

The Emperor's New Clothes is displayed in this work with the use of animals. The emperor is depicted as some kind of primate-perhaps a gorilla or chimpanzee. The tailor is depicted as a mouse. The traditional story of Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen describes an emperor who is dressed too gaudily, but his citizens still applaud his dress and attire. Then, the emperor searches for a tailor who sews clothes that only those who are worthy can see. The emperor's various ministers go to see the outfit, and, in order to not be bizarre or unworthy, see an outfit that is not really there .

I suspect there were earlier versions of this story. It possibly has ancient origins like many fairy tales do. Encyclopedias of fairy tales could be consulted for more insight into this question.

Finally the emperor puts on the mouse's tailored outfit. A child notices that the emperor is not wearing any clothes. The emperor then goes away.

Traditionally the story is used to discuss how we believe and accept the stories we are told. We want so much that what we do is worthwhile or important that we believe the stories we are told. This is actually discussed in psychological theory. If one does something, one is more likely to enjoy it. One wants to believe that what one does is worthwhile and enjoyable. Therefore, we come to believe that what we do is worthwhile and enjoyable.

During the reading of this book, I thought about how much of what I think is worthwhile might just be the result of marketing and promotion. People tell me that my degrees mean something, my work means something, my publications mean something. Still, these accomplishments might have no real worth.

Then, later I thought about how the story might really be an attempt to say that those who see the emperor in his nakedness might be worthy as emperors or worthy as people.

The author might have chosen the ape, gorilla or chimpanzee intentionally in order to make a point that we are really dressed up relatives of primates or apes. We are worthy when we see ourselves as naked or relatives of apes who dressed up in clothes when we needed to stay warm during this current ice age. Of course, some sources (Field Museum website for example) say we (primates and humans) descended from a common ancestor over 8 million years ago.

S.T. Mendelson and Hans Christian Andersen would have to be consulted to understand what their purposes were. In literature, we do not really know all intended purposes. Still the children's book was helpful for me to understand the double meaning of the fairy tale.

Andersen was a fairy tale author from Denmark in the 19th century. S.T. Mendelson is a Chicago political artist and illustrator. His work has appeared in many sources and some of work is published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang of New York.

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