THE FALSE COLLAR

The story “The False Collar” from Andersen’s Fairy Tales presents the humorous and somewhat pitiful tale of a collar who fancies himself a fine gentleman. Despite owning nothing but a bootjack and a hair-comb—which, in truth, belong to his master—the collar boasts about his possessions and attempts to engage with other garments in a flirtatious manner. His first object of affection is a garter, whom he finds delicate and attractive, but the garter rebuffs his advances, leading to a series of unsuccessful romantic encounters.

The collar tries to woo the garter by complimenting its appearance and subtly inquiring about its personal details, only to be met with disdain and accusations of being too forward, similar to “those men-folks.” The collar’s arrogance and lack of self-awareness are highlighted as he boasts to the garter about his non-existent belongings, only to be rejected as the garter is not accustomed to such attention.

Following this rejection, the collar is taken from the wash, starched, and ironed, during which it makes vain attempts to woo the iron, convinced of its own desirability and greatness. The iron, identifying as a steam-engine, dismisses the collar as a mere “rag,” underscoring the collar’s inflated self-importance and the gap between his self-perception and reality. The scissors, which trim the collar, further deflate his ego by rejecting his advances with a cutting response, literally and figuratively.

The story reaches its comedic climax when the collar, in desperation, turns to the hair-comb, only to find out it is “betrothed” to the boot-jack. The theme of unrequited love is explored humorously through the collar’s series of romantic rejections, ending with the collar’s realization that he is left with no prospects, leading him to give up on pursuing any further romantic endeavors.

Ultimately, the collar ends up in a rag chest at the paper mill, where, amidst a “large company of rags,” he continues to boast about his imagined amorous adventures, never acknowledging his true state. The false collar’s delusions of grandeur and unrequited pursuits serve as a satirical commentary on vanity, self-importance, and the folly of basing one’s self-worth on superficial attributes or belongings. Through the anthropomorphism of the collar and other objects, Andersen humorously explores themes of love, rejection, and the consequences of delusion.