Abstract
The individualism of the protagonists of Andersen's fairy tales often results in their isolation or alienation. It is noteworthy that the disintegration of community in Andersen's fairy tales seems to be accompanied by the loss of confidence in the communicative power of language.
The protagonists' particular codes of communication are mutually incompatible; the communication is abortive or nonsensical: the porcelain ballerina does not comprehend the tin soldier, there is merely infinitesimal understanding between the shepherdess and the chimney sweep, and the world perceives the two maidens from the paving business as 'stamps' in absolute breach of their own self-esteem. Participation in a community requires meaningful communication, but what actually happens to communication in Andersen's fairy tales? My paper seeks, among other things, to answer that question.