Religious motifs : Overview. Search. About religious motifs
Description of this motif: Sin is a violation of religious rules. Sin sticks to the sinner as impurity or guilt. Absolution or another kind of purification is necessary in order to become "clean" or not guilty again. In Andersen's universe sin isn't unforgivable. Sinners may be forgiven and achieve salvation. In some tales, e.g. Something and The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf, sinners are given a chance to regret and improve – sometimes in several attempts, which either lead to continued condemnation or to salvation, e.g. in The Garden of Paradise.
Example :
The tale has not been translated (by Hersholt) and is therefore quoted in Danish. Further information and links.
Det seer i Grunden ængsteligt ud med den Sjæle-Hukommelse; hver Synd, hver ond Tanke vil den jo kunde repetere, da vil det komme an paa, om vi kunne gjøre Regnskab for hvert utilbørligt Ord i Hjertet og paa Læben.
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