This week I am focusing on gender roles with context from the stories in the Penguin Book of Mermaids, particularly in comparison to the mermaid stories we have already read. I would like to add on to what we discussed in class previously, about the gender roles that were exemplified in various texts. We understand that mermaids are sought after my men because of temptation, fertility, etc., but in the story of Oannes we learn that this part fish man is knowledgeable in “many fields and “he taught them to construct houses, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to the principles of geometric knowledge”( P. 4). This just goes to show that the man was historically seen as higher, more powerful even in the from of a hybrid beast.

Similar ideas are demonstrated in “Odysseus and the Sirens”, while all these creatures are similar in physical abilities they male versions always seem to be the ones in charge. I can connect this idea to the maritime community, as sailing is a very male dominated world, and even to this day the boats are referred to as “she”, as in “I cleaned er up she looks real nice”. This to me is a tell tail of the culture behind ocean myths, at least in the the culture I have been involved in. This is all brought up not to repeat same conversation, but to ask when will these perspectives change. Of course we understand the recent phenomenons of mermaids, but is there a turning point?