Touring the Wilderness and Claiming our Services from The Wild

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I am an environmental science major, and one of the first things we learn about the ecosystems we seek to protect are the “services” they can provide us––because how can we make non-environmentalists care about the planet without coaxing them with what the planet can give them in return? These categories of services include provisioning services, regulating services, supporting services, and cultural services. Cultural services are, as defined by the National Wildlife Federation, a “non-material benefit that contributes to the development and cultural advancement of people…the building of knowledge and the spreading of ideas; creativity born from interactions with nature (music, art, architecture); and recreation.” (nwf.org, N.D). The “recreation” they reference is tourism. “Cultural services” are exactly what William Colton is addressing in his paper, “The Trouble with Wilderness”. The sublime beauty and innate inhumanity early explorers like Thoreau and Wordsworth described in the texts they made public is what the National Wildlife Foundation is referencing now as a “service”. Something “serving” of us, not untamed and terrifying like what Thoreau and Wordsworth described. The foundation is actively encouraging more human presence in the natural world as a way of furthering our intellectual discoveries and creativities, while also making the income they rely on to maintain the preserve with the influx of tourism to these places, as people seek out this “service” they are promised. Colton mentions this attitude at its birth, as following these popular works by explorers featuring The Sublime, “more and more tourists sought out the wilderness as a spectacle to be looked at and enjoyed for its great beauty, [and] the sublime in effect became domesticated.” (12). Just like some best-selling new book on the shelf at Barnes and Nobles or blockbuster movie everyone is talking about, the “wilderness” became a commodity to come get a look at for yourself, diminishing it’s obscurity and turning it into an anthropocentric novelty. Who wouldn’t want to get a taste of the novel Unknown (or rather, freshly broken in “Unknown”)? And in this mentality of everyone wanting to be an explorer, the unknown becomes known and we take hold of it. It is there where we claim nature but label it “other”, label it “wilderness”, though, since our invasion, it is anything but. It now exists in the maps made from clear-cut trees bunched up tightly in the fists of visitors that will inevitably end up on the ground of the trails they claim this “service” from. It exists in our hands, yet we comfort ourselves by naming it “wild” and clutching onto the idea that it is our escape. But there is no escape now; we are everywhere.

the construction of ‘wilderness’ in relation to indigenous people

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In the essay, “The Trouble With Wilderness,” Cronon’s main gripe with the modern interpretation of wilderness is that it is seen as separate from humanity which assigns it a type of fetishistic purity. The problem with this modern interpretation is that people, particularly indigenous people, have actively lived in these ‘wild’ spaces for generations. All across areas of wilderness, people hunted for sustenance and not for sport. They also built homes and other living spaces out of the materials that they could get their hands on. For example, native people in northern California used fallen redwoods for their homes and canoes. This more modern construction of wilderness disregards the existence of indigenous people within these lands and actively erases them. This is seen in the language that American settlers held with the word frontier and the myths associated with it.  The author of the essay stated that the removal of indigenous people shows how constructed the American wilderness is (Cronon pg. 16) The use of the word constructed is important in this instance because it shows the human, particularly Western influence, that led to our modern interpretation of wilderness. Constructed also brings to mind the image of boundaries that are made to bar specific people from these areas. Although these boundaries are made to keep certain people like the natives separate from nature, European Americans have the freedom to cross the boundaries and indulge in a glorified past that has also been constructed. Because ‘wilderness’ as a title has been placed on national parks and other protected areas, indiegnous people struggle maintain their previous connection to the land.

Week 8: The Trouble With Wilderness

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I have noticed a common theme with the association of nature and the environment to the Christian religion. In past weeks we have read stories that have told the Christian belief and role in stories surrounding mythical creatures and the environment. It is clear to me now how much of an impact nature had on the Christian religion, causing those followers to tell such tales. Going back 250 years in history, the wilderness was seen as a scary, savage, and deserted place. “The wilderness was where Christ had struggled with the devil and endured his temptations” (Cronon, 8). The wilderness was seen as a place where people, or Christ, would go fight in a way because of its dangerous nature. This can be connected to mermaid depictions by the Christian religion near this time. At a time when the wilderness was an unknown place that was filled with risks and temptations, it makes sense that stories about merpeople or sirens trying to tempt humans to come to them were being told.

As time went on, the views and ideas of the wilderness and nature changed. Nature was beginning to be appreciated as one of God’s creations. The wilderness shifted from an undiscovered mysterious land to a land of freedom. “It is a place of freedom in which we can recover the true selves we have lost to the corrupting influences of our artificial lives. Most of all, it is the ultimate landscape of authenticity. Combining the sacred grandeur of the sublime with
the primitive simplicity of the frontier, it is the place where we can see the world as it
really is, and so know ourselves as we really are-or ought to be” (Cronon, 16). This change of heart about the wilderness can be correlated with the change of heart about merpeople in the Christian religion. Christians began to depict mermaids through beautiful artwork and texts, showing them in a more positive light. It is interesting to me how much nature contributes to the beliefs and ideals of a religion.

The connection between the “wilderness” and humans

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According to Cranon the term “wilderness” has shifted throughout the years and always need to be seen as human constructions that are shaped through e.g. historical events. Cranon therefore introduces us to the idea that the “wilderness” is a representation of the values we have attributed to nature at a certain period of time in history: “Far from being the one place on earth that stands apart from humanity, it is quite profoundly a human creation-indeed, the creation of very particular human cultures at very particular moments in human history.” (p.7).

More importantly, on the same page, people view “wilderness” as an untouched piece of land that has never been affected by anthropogenic influence when in reality, it is “not a pristine sanctuary where the last remnant of an untouched, endangered, but still transcendent nature can for at least a little while longer be encountered without the contaminating taint of civilization. Instead, it is a product of that civilization, and could hardly be contaminated by the very stuff of which it is made”. Thinking about that a little bit longer, it made me realize that we use this thought as an excuse to separate ourselves from nature, which ultimately leads up to us humans not living/ coexisting with nature. That might also be the reason why humans start to not care about nature anymore. Even though we humans seem to enjoy the beauty of nature and create e.g. natural parks of what we find beautiful, we do not leave nature the way it is. Instead, we humans destroy it every day and find excuses to not coexist with it again, as well as not looking for solutions for environmental problems.

Close Reading: The Little Mermaid

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Daniella Sanchez
Professor Pressman
ENG 305
3 March 2024  

The Little Mermaid and Coming of Age 

       In The Little Mermaid, the passage of girlhood to womanhood that the unnamed mermaid experiences when having eight oyster shells pinned to her tail on page 113 reflects the strict expectations and limitations held for young adult women of the Victorian era; The elements of attire and theme of pain suggest the hardships and deceptions of becoming a woman, teaching the difficulties of discovering one’s identity and societal expectations during the influential stages of maturity.  

       At the time the little mermaid turns fifteen, her time to broaden her horizons and witness the outside world in all its beauty has come. Her grandmother prepares her granddaughter for the event by dressing her in special attire, essential for a coming-of-age ceremony. The first item is placed on her head, a heavy wreath of lilies with pearls on each leaf: a laurel, as known in Victorian times, is meant for good luck, as the main character is about to embark on a new journey of self-discovery. Though her journey is as heavy as her wreath with pain and heartbreak, the little mermaid is seen victorious at the end of the story, signifying her newfound maturity as a woman.  

      In the language of flowers, white lilies represent not only innocence and purity but a sign of love towards the recipient by the one it’s given from. This shows the love and hope of purity (meaning that it is expected of the main character to remain with pure thoughts and actions, which is later shown hiding secrets from her sisters and running away) that the little mermaid’s grandmother has for her grandchild. Last, Victorians had the belief that pearls represented tears; The pearls in the little mermaid’s wreath give a foreshadowing of the tears she must hold back after realizing her hopes of marrying the prince are destroyed. However, the pearls in her wreath are also a representation of her transformation into a woman; Pearls are formed due to an irritant that is uncomfortable for the oyster, reflecting the pain that becoming a woman takes.  

        The last piece of attire, eight large oyster shells are attached to the little mermaid’s tail, she immediately lets her grandmother know that the decoration hurt her but is responded with the phrase, ‘pride must suffer,’ or as most women know, ‘beauty is pain.’  The analogy of the oyster shells and corsets is important to understand as in Victorian times, a young woman would start wearing corsets at the age of fifteen. What do corsets do? Besides hurting and misshaping the ribcage and organs its purpose was to restrain women, laced tightly this would restrict breathing leading to fainting. Because of this, women had to walk slowly, as if meant to not let them walk fast or run. The oyster shells and corsets represent being tied down, not wanting to let a woman come outside the box she has been placed in, hence the little mermaid mentioning the attire being heavy and expressing wanting to take it off as soon as possible. This symbolizes the desire of freedom to explore and learn new things after being molded to be what society expects of a refined and noble young woman who is soon to be wed off. Which in Victorian history, the ages of eighteen and twenty-six were the average age of marriage for women, this makes sense as to why the little mermaid ran away from home.  

        To conclude, the little mermaid now being seen from this new perspective is a young woman who has been protected and is suddenly being thrown into a new world of femininity filled with expectations that clearly, she wasn’t happy with following. Hans Christian Andersen gave a voice to young women who felt the same way as his little mermaid did and dreamed of liberating themselves from the strict society of the Victorian era. Through the portrayal of her attire and feelings towards the obstacles that she finds in her journey, not only does it bring light to a hardship of centuries but also opens a door for young women to relate to her situation and find consolation and motivation to break free.  

 Work Cited

 Bacchilega, Cristina, and Marie Alohalani Brown. “The Little Mermaid.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, Cristina Bacchilega, 2019, pp. 113–130. 

Midterm Close Reading: Melusine

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River McCaughey
Professor Pressman
ECL 305
3 March 2024
Melusine: The Great Old Hunter (Pages 11 &12)

The original story of Melusine was composed by French writer Jean d’Arras at the end of the 14th century. This particular adaptation was written by Andre Lebey in the late 19th century, and translated from French to English by Gareth Knight. This means the story has gone through two separate interpretations. Therefore, it must be considered that any beliefs related to the current culture of either Knight or Lebey may show through the text. The other influential values that are projected into this text are of the time when the story was written, during the Feudal times in Western Europe. What we see after reading is that Lebey has strong opinions on the difference between his world in Western Europe, and the society that existed 500 years prior. Andre Lebey wrote his version of Melusine in the late 19th century. This is significant because Western Europe, where Lebey lived, was going through the peak of the Industrial Revolution. During this time, many people moved to cities as farming required fewer hands to support large populations. Jobs shifted from small-scale agricultural work to large-scale factories. The development of capitalism was in full swing, and income levels were starting to spread apart between classes. As people moved to dense cities far from nature, I believe that Lebey sought to explore why this happened, and what it meant for the wellbeing of humanity. In the first two pages of Chapter 1, The Great Old Hunter, of his adaptation of Melusine, Andre Lebey invites readers to consider how Feudal Europe sprouted humans’ eventual disconnect from the natural environment. He employed healthy amounts of nature imagery to display the juxtaposition between Feudal and Industrial Europe. I believe that this juxtaposition was a way for him to highlight that humanity is better off when it’s closer to nature.
Lebey describes the village as people who “lived close to nature in those days, even in towns” (Lebey 11). Lebey seems to be deliberately describing the scene as something different from the way the world he lives in now. Without explicitly saying it, he suggests that life in the industrial world is somehow far from nature. This early in the story, it’s difficult to say whether he is reminiscing in some way on how he wishes it could have stayed, or if Lebey is glad that the world doesn’t have to struggle against the forces of nature as it did in the 14th century. Lebey also refers to the hunter as “legendary”, which suggests that the people of his time praise hunters. During the 14th century, hunters were much more common as a way to get food. By the time Lebey wrote his adaptation of Melusine, the world had already shifted away from the hunter as a way to get food. Agriculture was the main source of food and hunting was transitioning into a sport. Shortly after, Lebey describes the forest as “menacing and dangerous, full of the unknown, concealing the surprising and unnatural” (Lebey 11). By suggesting that the nature surrounding the village is dark and scary, Lebey conveys that the villagers see the natural environment outside the walled society as fearful. With the description of the village as having fields “right up to the walls” (Lebey 11) readers can conclude that there is already some disconnect from the natural world through physical man-made separation. The fear of nature combined with the resources to separate nature from man is what Lebey argues caused society to isolate itself from the natural environment.
On the next page, Lebey begins to elaborate on this juxtaposition between the industrial world that he lives in and that of the 14th century. After discussing the feared creatures of the forest, Lebey points out that “evil reigned only if heroes failed to confront its dangers” (Lebey 12). This is where readers first see his inclination to present nature as a place that needs to be visited. He goes on to say, “Humans do not show their mettle if left to themselves” (Lebey 12). Here, Lebey is explicitly revealing that humans are not as resilient if they do not confront the dangers of nature. Lebey next gives an example of a haw that holds the “Code of Love.” Lebey is suggesting that if humans do not have contact with nature, then they will not only be left without resilience, but they will be unknowing about the secrets of the world. In this part of the chapter, readers are shown the possibility that there is a purpose for the human connection to nature.
Shortly after in the story, it becomes clear that Lebey is reminiscing on the way that the past may have been before the Industrial Revolution. Through the imagery of nature, Lebey explains how “Man developed without dissociating or abstracting himself from the world” (Lebey 12). The author is implying that the Industrial Revolution caused humans to become dissociated from the natural environment. He also reinforces the point that man is further from nature by juxtaposing the hunting back then as “so different from our own, more justifiable because more difficult and necessary” (Lebey 12). By contrasting hunting in the 14th century to hunting of his time, Lebey suggests there is no need for hunting anymore, and there isn’t any reason to do it with the development of inventions like the seed drill. Lebey is continuously uses the imagery of nature to romanticize it in a way that calls for readers to see that the way life is in cities away from nature is not in fact better for society.
The way that Lebey describes the natural world in these first two pages of The Great Old Hunter is heavily influenced by the language used in classic fairy tales. By writing in this way, he creates a sort of desire for the reader to behold the society that they cannot live in. I believe that Lebey also utilized this story to highlight the beginning of “Man’s” separation from the natural world. The image that Lebey paints through his text is of a small town, walled off. Next to it is the natural world where the fearful yet omniscient creatures reside. By emphasizing the early separation of Man and nature, Lebey is pointing at where he believes humanity went wrong.
Through his imagery of nature, Lebey conveys to readers of the Industrial Revolution that life before Man was separated from nature was better than it is now. He juxtaposes the lifestyles without explicitly explaining the way that the world he lives in is. The romanticization of nature and the secrets it may hold are how Lebey draws his audience to realize how nature is not only something to be feared but should be cherished. He hopes people will understand nature as important for humanity, and that the feudal times acted as a liminal space between nature and Man with the construction of walls keeping society from the outside world.

Odysseus and His Relatable Acceptance

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Rigo De Leon

ECL 305

Professor Pressman

March 3rd, 2024

For many people, writing is an outlet to convey emotions and gives writers the opportunity to combine their subconscious thoughts with their creativity. Reading stories that were written centuries ago gives readers the opportunity to see what the writer was going through at the time through the wording of their sentences, the imagery they choose to provide, and messages they leave for readers. By studying “Odysseus and the Sirens” which is a chapter in Homer’s “Odyssey”, Odysseus becomes infatuated with the siren song, and professes that he will tie himself to his ship, and be the only one in his crew to refrain from protecting his ears. Odysseus speaks in the form of a poem, which gives the reader a much better understanding of what he is going through, and also gives the reader the opportunity to relate to him by the way he conveys his feelings. As he is facing death, this passage hints at the idea that Odysseus is overcome with existential wonder that he shares with humanity as he enters the opening moments of the experience he has been longing for for years. The demonic imagery induces fear in Odysseus, but this is counteracted by the calming personification of the ocean, which leaves Odysseus with a relatable feeling of acceptance to whatever his fate may be.

The conflicting imagery in this passage is extremely important because it gives an idea as to how unsure Odysseus is made to feel in that moment. His initial reaction to meeting the Sirens makes him recall how the “waves below, at once forgot to move. Some demon calm’d the air and smooth’d the deep, Hush’d the loud winds, and charm’d the waves to sleep.” (43). The text makes it clear that through all the impending chaos, he is able to take in the nature around him as a natural coping mechanism. In reality, this may have only induced more fear in him. Such calmness caused by what he believes to be evil creatures juxtaposes what humans are conditioned to believe should happen when faced with danger. Did Odysseus see massive waves that threatened the safety of the boat? Did he see large, brainless brutes that could rip him apart? No. He experienced tranquility in his environment. The passage breaks down an experience that most people can relate to, that being the moment where people lose all power, and can do absolutely nothing but accept whatever fate is in store.

Odysseus has lived his life believing that these beautiful creatures are ultimately demonic and deadly, yet he is still willing to try to outsmart them in order to hear their song, which could prove to be fatal to not only him but his entire crew. By asking for only he “alone, with fetters firmly bound, The gods allow to hear the dangerous sound” (41). Odysseus emits a natural human response by sacrificing safety for the sake of honoring his desire of knowledge. Sacrifice is a very normal aspect to humanity, especially when curiosity consumes people. Odysseus proclaims that the gods will let him hear what he desires to hear. This is important to the rest of the story because it shows that Odysseus believes in a higher power. Given that this was written before the beginning of Christianity, it not only predicts how people behave once Christianity is brought to life, but it also proves that fate and a belief in a higher power is a principle that has existed throughout the existence of humanity. People find themselves closest to a higher power when experiencing a life threatening event. By mentioning the fetters, which are essentially chains that are restraining him, he is displaying a sense of hope that he will survive this encounter with the Sirens. Odysseus portrays a longing for wisdom and excitement, yet he is granted the knowledge that is needed for a chance to survive. People act similarly in the modern age in forms such as adrenaline rushes. There are people who risk their lives jumping out of planes, surviving in the woods alone, or deep sea diving who search for enticing experiences for the sake of pleasure. Similarly to Odysseus, the people that crave adrenaline accept their fates in order to slightly scratch the large itch that is meant to satisfy existential wonder.

As Odysseus prepares to encounter the Sirens, he further shows his animalistic wonder by making an effort to cover the ears of his crew. With “every sail [they] furl, each oar [they] ply; Lash’d by the stroke, the frothy waters fly. The ductile wax, with busy hands” Odysseus molds. The effort that is put into preparation for their encounter is treated like a space mission: Both require a lot of thought and knowledge, both are extremely dangerous, and both are not completely necessary. The world is big enough to provide those with the necessities they need. Despite people being programmed to value their lives, they have beat the natural world by being conscious enough to fight their primal instincts of survival for the sake of desire. Through his writings, Homer unintentionally shows us that human instincts have not changed from how they were thousands of years ago.

When Odysseus finally encounters the Sirens, they make an effort to make him succumb to his temptations. The Sirens sing their beautiful song, but instead of providing direct knowledge and wisdom, they use their voices to “instruct the soul, and charm the ear.” If Odysseus chooses to “Approach, [his] soul will shall into raptures rise” (43). Resisting temptation is a completely unnatural human response to a situation. Temptation is a concept that was constructed along with religion and society. Fighting temptation is what separates humans from animals, as humans are able to come together and think not only for themselves, but for those around them as well. Odysseus uses all of his strength to resist the urge to join the Sirens. 

One of the most impactful aspects of this story is the fact that the readers do not get to find out how Odysseus felt about the Siren song. The story ends abruptly after they simply sail past the Sirens. The readers should see this and rethink what the point of the entire text was. Homer leads people to believe that there will be a rewarding payoff to all of Odysseus’ work and desire. Instead, readers spend time learning about Odysseus’s battle against temptation. One could look at this and relate it to an experience they could have where the struggle of completing a task completely overshadows the feeling of success or satisfaction that they expected. Through Odysseus’ poem, he provides a relatable experience that can be related to universally, where he honors desire beyond what he knows is right, despite being at the hands of death.

Midterm/ Essay Analysis: The Legend of Sedna the Sea Goddess

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At first glance, “ The Legend of Sedna the Sea Goddess” appears to be a cautionary tale which warns about the consequences of deviating from the traditional norms of marriage. Sedna didn’t want to marry and when she finally does she is betrayed and ends up with the “ head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish.” Yet, upon deeper analysis, the story allows for the exploration of Inuit culture through the hybrid body of Sedna in order to explore what this story entails about Inuits’ relationship to sacrifice, spirituality, and nature. 

To start, Sedna allows for the exploration of sacrifice in Inuits culture. Fearing the unsteady nature of their kayak during a storm, Sedna’s father makes the choice to sever her fingers, joint by joint. On one hand, it symbolizes the sacrifice made to restore equilibrium to the kayak, emphasizing the immediate need for balance in the face of danger. However, the story takes a turn as each severed finger transforms into sea creatures like “fish, seals, walruses, and whales,” Sedna’s sacrifice ultimately becomes a resource for the entire Inuit community and she beholds the power over them. The emergence of varied sea creatures therefore shows that sacrifices, no matter how painful, contribute to the balance of nature and the prosperity of the community. 

In addition, Spirituality is a crucial part of Inuit culture that is further explored through Sedna. After being thrown from the kayak, Sedna is described as having transformed into a spirit, “Sedna sank to the bottom of the ocean and there became a powerful spirit.” In this sense, spirits transcend life and are depicted as something eternal. They believe this spirit has power over the animals in the sea which is an important resource to them. This goes to show how strong their belief in spiritual powers are. Their belief in this spirit is so deep that they even have taboos they follow to show their respect for her, like “when a seal is killed it must be given a drink of fresh water, not salt water” giving the seal fresh water adds to this respect and the appreciation of the sacrifice of the seals life. To add onto this, it is said that “ If the hunters do not catch anything for a long time, the Shaman will transform himself into a fish” and “appease Sedna.” The idea that the Shaman can transform themselves to meet Sedna in the case she becomes upset and their access to sea creatures becomes threatened, strengthens the belief that having a good spirit and following taboos and rituals are crucial and can affect the balance of nature. 

Furthermore, the harmonious relationship that the Inuit have with Sedna serves as a reflection of the relationship they have with nature, specifically with the sea. As detailed in the story, “The Inuit who rely on these animals want to maintain a good relationship with Sedna, so that she will continue to allow her animals to make themselves available to the hunters.” Since Sedna is what stands in between the Inuits and their access to the sea creatures, a harmonious relationship is important. The sea creatures Sedna controls is a crucial resource to Inuit hunters as it provides them with “food, clothes, and shelter.” As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Shaman transforms themselves to make Sedna happy which is interesting and adds to the relationship between the Inuit and nature, “ The Shaman will comb the tangles out of Sedna’s hair and put it into braids.” Rather than approaching Sedna with fear, the Inuit have respect, nurturing, and care for her. On the same note, this also depicts the Inuits relationship to the sea and how they don’t exploit it for its resources but instead appreciate it and have gratitude. 

Overall,  “ The Legend of Sedna the Sea Goddess” transcends its initial appearance as a cautionary tale and becomes an in-depth examination of Inuit culture, particularly when it comes to sacrifice, spirituality, and nature. Sednas sacrifice reinforces the Inuits belief that sacrifice can contribute to the greater good, spirituality shows how a good spirit can have an influence towards the natural world, and the Inuits harmonic relationship with Sedna embodies their relationship with nature. 

Works Cited

Lindeman, Lenore. “The Legend of Sedna the Sea Goddess.” Sedna or Sanna the Sea Goddess of the Inuit, www.palomar.edu/users/scrouthamel/ais100/sedna.htm. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024. 

Discovery Assignment

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Lixia Peña

ECL 305

Professor Pressman

March 2nd, 2024

Considering Environmentalism in Ponyo

            Thesis: In his 2008 movie, Hayao Miyazaki, re-imagines the deceptively simple story of the little mermaid to consider our current with the natural world. His movie uses the children as a device to consider a different way to co-exist and respect the natural world.

The plot of the story would not be kickstarted without the presence of a man meddling with the natural world. It is the father of this little mermaid, initially named Brunhilde, who has forgone the human world in order to become a wizard focused on healing the ocean from human destruction. Ponyo is his child and the sea goddess’s child. Immediately it is explained that her magic ability comes from the human and the natural world coming together. Ponyo acts, like so many mermaids in folklore, as a bridge between the human and natural world. This little mermaid is brought within proximity of the human world after being caught in a human fishing net and being hurt by trash polluting the sea. Here Miyazaki immediately begins his criticism of the detrimental effect that human presence has had on the ocean. This daughter of the environment is partly exposed to the human world by human’s presence and destruction of the ocean.

Ponyo is then saved by a little human boy Sosuke who immediately aids and takes her into his care, declaring that he is responsible for her. I found this interesting because Miyazaki immediately does away with the Christian tones of so much mermaid folklore. Sosuke takes her in exactly in her fish’s form and never turns on her for being of the sea. Much of the folklore that we have studied, the man comes into contact with the mermaid when she is not in her true form. When the man and the mermaid come into the marriage contract we are often told of the riches that the mermaid provides for the man and his curiosity and need to control this being of the natural world inevitably lead to the man’s betrayal. It is important that Miyazaki imagines his own male and female characters as children. It’s is because of innocence that Sosuke readily accepts Ponyo, an extension of nature, wholeheartedly as she is without feeling the needs to control her. Ponyo is impulsive, adventurous and free and Sosuke never tries to change this. This is contrasted with Ponyo’s father who immediately snatches her back into the ocean against her wishes. He tries to, quite literally forces Ponyo back into the shape of a fish and trap her; hear reaction is to run away and create a Tsunami so she can find Sosuke. I believe that here Miyazaki is stressing the importance of doing away with thinking that nature is something that has to be controlled. Harmony can exist when we cohabitate with the environment and nature. To try to dominate it is useless and detrimental to all.

I found Miyazaki’s decision to depict a Tsunami to have been a very conscious choice. Only four years before this movie was released a Tsunami had devastated coastal cities of Japan. Japan has a long history with Tsunamis and so it was interesting that he would present a natural disaster within this children’s story. It is not presented with the horrifying images that we imagine when we think of tsunamis. This could be easily explained away with saying that this is a children’s movie. I believe that he chooses not to display the destructive power of the ocean so overtly because he is trying to comment on the nature aspect of the natural world. Nature after all, is functioning exactly as it is in its nature to do so. Instead the weight of destruction is mostly blamed on humans. It is used to depict the carelessness in how humans treat their environment. Through Sosuke, Miyazaki proves that it is possible for humans to interact in a more harmonious manner with the natural world. If we accept it as it is, without trying dominate it.

I also noticed, throughout the movie, that the figures of power within the story were were mostly women. Ponyo, her mother the sea goddess an Sosuke’s mother. These three figures all draw their power from nature itself. This is most noticeable with Ponyo and her mother given that they are magical creatures. Lisa’s power is not as noticeable initially. As a woman mostly raising her son alone, her husband is a ship captain, Lisa is often thrust into the position of, not just a nurturer but also a protector thereby subverting our expectations of gender roles. She is just as willing as Sosuke to take Ponyo into her care. Miyazaki is clearly commenting on the power of women to influence younger generations. It is interesting that Ponyo’s wizard father, for all his magic, is unable to exert his power over any of these women.

Discovery Essay: Julnar the Mermaid

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Naomi Mireles 

ECL 305 

Professor Pressman 

3 March 2024 

Julnar the Mermaid and Her Son Badar Basim of Persia are first seen in The Thousand and One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights. This story is deeply rooted in Middle Eastern folklore and contains Indian, Persian, Arabic, and Jewish Traditions (Bacchilega, 171). Our narrator, Shahrazad, tells the story of a seaborn princess who goes by the name of Julnar who flees her home in the sea after a falling out with her brother and although she misses them greatly, she forbids herself from returning. Julnar is sold to King Shahriman in Khorasan. Before Julnar, King Shahriman was known to own many women, though he was sad because none of them would bear him children, and he feared there would be no one to inherit his kingdom. Instantly, the King is infatuated with Julnar and perceives her to be the most beautiful woman, so much so that he gives up his many concubines. The assertion of control is symbolic of the unequal power dynamic between the two, where Julnar finds herself subject to the King’s ownership and authority despite her autonomy as a powerful sea princess. This is perceived from their first encounter when the King purchases Julnar where possession is asserted. Although later in the story, a year after Julnar is silent, she develops genuine care for the King, their relationship is founded on control and limitations imposed upon her by the king, which in turn emphasizes the coercive nature of the relationship, which prompts the reader to rethink conventional and individual understandings of love and relationships. 

At the story’s beginning, the king’s power is evident from the moment Julnar appears at his door as a slave. The king immediately takes possession of Julnar and claims her as his own. The unequal power dynamics between the two are reflected in the king’s assertion of control over Julnar and are continuously reinforced by his position of power as king. Despite Julnar being of a relatively high class in her realm, this is disregarded as this information is unknown to the king, while outside of her natural environment, she does not hold much power or authority, not even over herself. The king’s desire to dominate and control Julnar is evident in the early stages of her arrival, “When everyone was gone, he took off his clothes and disrobed her with his own hand..So he lay down next to her and began making love.” (Bacchilega,175). The language used to describe this encounter is seemingly one-sided, it does not say “they” made love, it is evident that this was taken, not given, especially since Julnar did not speak until a year into their relationship. Throughout the narrative, the king’s possessiveness reflects entitlement, where love becomes synonymous with ownership and control. 

The romanticization of control and manipulation is depicted in Julnars willingness to sacrifice her agency for the King and his affection. With his desire to have a child, Julnar puts his desires over her own of returning to the sea to be with her brother and mother. Simultaneously, Julnar relinquishes her independence and power as a mermaid princess to comply with the king’s demands, which perpetuates a narrative where love becomes synonymous with submission. Julnar’s silent asset normalizes the manipulative tactics seen by the king. Despite her initial hesitation, she eventually succumbs to the king’s advances and desires under the pretext of love. The forms of manipulation and use of power as a king and higher social status depict harmful ideals of love where coercion is romanticized as an expression of affection. 

Over and above that, the king’s manipulation of Julnar is seen through his exploitation of her vulnerability. He takes advantage of Julnar’s desire for acceptance and belonging, milking his emotions to manipulate her into fulfilling his desires. This manipulation reinforces the narrative’s underlying themes of power imbalance and control within their relationship.

Julnar the Mermaid shares a narrative in which themes of power, control, and manipulation are unveiled. The king’s dominance over Julnar is symbolic of the unequal power dynamics within romantic relationships. Through the king’s tactics, a normalization of coercion and manipulation is perpetrated which reflects harmful ideals of love where manipulation overshadows love and respect. For example, the king’s initial reaction to assert ownership of Julnar reflects societal norms where women were viewed as nothing more than possessions to be owned and controlled by men. The idea of love as possession is further imposed on the reader as the king confines Julnar to his environment which strips Julnar of her agency in the search and longing for external love and affection. On top of this, the story shines a light on the timeless expectation of women to prioritize the desires and wishes of men over their own. Julnar’s satisfaction with the king despite her hesitation highlights the societal pressures upon women to prioritize the needs and wishes of their partners even at their own expense. 

The romanticization of control and manipulation within Julnar’s relationship with the king reflects broader modern and cultural attitudes and ideas of love and relationships. Julnar the Mermaid, while a fascinating and captivating story, also challenges the nature of love and power in our society. In delving deeper into our story, the layers of coercion and manipulation from the king allow us to gain insight into the complexities of human emotion and the journey for connection and romantic love.

Citations

Bacchilega, Cristina. Penguin Book of Mermaids. Penguin Publishing Group, 2019.