The The Penguin Book of Mermaids begins by discussing the history of mermaids from various perspectives. I found this information to be necessary as a precursor to our studies, especially for us who have a lack of knowledge on the subject. I thought it was interesting that we discussed the human views of nonhuman and monstrous beings in class, and that it was demonstrated again in the idea that “There is something deeply unsettling about a being whose form merges the human with the nonhuman”(p. xi). This made me wonder what direction the stories in this book will lead towards, whether they will admire the nonhuman or not. What is so unsettling? Is this just human opinion or do these creatures have evil traits? I am curious to uncover the truth from each culture.

Another point I find fascinating, is the course of a story and how “stories move about in the world in ways that are comparable to ocean currents, following a course as they move”(xv). First off, I think this is a fantastic metaphor to describe the constant evolution of story telling and it brings up a great point. How do we know what began in these stories and what has shifted through storytelling? I am eager to keep reading to uncover these mysteries.