Reading this text, I was able to see and decipher many new meanings of the symbolization of a mermaid that I had never seen or thought of before. While some and most ideas I read about were fascinating, there was one mentioned around the beginning of the introduction that caught my attention. “Humanity maintains a tenuous balance between wonder and order,civilization and savagery.” (Vaughn,9). While the text goes on to explain and share the origin of mermaids and merpeople, this concept stayed with me throughout. It made me question a couple of things, along with humanity and just what it means to be a “human.” Since this was mentioned, it made me think of the fine line between human and monster, or animal, when it comes to a mermaid. What this might mean for humans, and made me think that maybe there is also a fine line for humans between humanity, empathy and monstrosity (whatever that may mean for everyone individually). While I wasn’t surprised by the sexualization of mermaids, I was disappointed. The fact that even as mythical creatures, women can’t seem to catch a break from men, is overwhelming. Mermaids we’re seen as derivatives of beasts, and we’re to blame for men’s lust, which was another thing that was upsetting. While learning of these origins might’ve not been the ones expected, it was interesting to learn how mermaids can hold so much symbolization and significance, when I had never thought of it before.