I remember being about ten years old when I first read Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Needless to say, I was horrified by how different it was from the lighthearted 1989 Disney adaptation so many kids grew up with. It was more graphic, more painful, and, for lack of a better word, more sad.
Andersen’s mermaid does not have a name, whereas I wished to be named Ariel after my favorite Disney princess. The rules of going to the surface are also less restrictive than in the Disney adaptation, as a merperson’s journey to the surface is seen as a coming-of-age ceremony, and after that point, could go to the surface whenever they want rather than being forbidden from ever going up. Ariel’s tail becomes two legs from flashes of light and swirls of smoke, while Andersen’s mermaid mutilates herself by cutting off her tongue to pay the price for her transformation. The presence of the little mermaid’s grandmother and her sisters is noticeably absent from the Disney adaptation, which, in some ways, enhances the little mermaid’s loneliness rather than detracts from it. It’s also notable that the little mermaid experiences pain with every step she takes on her human legs, while Ariel does not seem to suffer any adverse effects of her transformation other than being unable to use her words. The most notable difference between Andersen’s story and the Disney adaptation is that Andersen’s little mermaid does not get her prince charming in the end; all of her sacrifices are rendered useless and go unappreciated because they are unsaid.
Rereading this story as an adult almost made me cry in my living room, especially knowing what I know now about Hans Christian Andersen and his rocky romantic relationships. Because of that, it’s no wonder that mermaids and many mermaid stories are often read through a queer lens, and no wonder that this story is so full of yearning and suffering.
Hi Ana,
Your reflection on Andersen’s versus Disney’s version of the little mermaid story is very insightful and I hadn’t known about Andersen’s romantic past and how it played into the story. I think Andersen’s version has a much more melancholic tone to it while Disney’s is very upbeat and has a happier tone. The descriptions of Andersen’s are a lot more painful to hear because its not a fairytale and has a greater impact on the reader.
Hey Ana,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with both of these depictions of The Little Mermaid. I really appreciated reading the comparisons you drew between the original story and Disney’s interpretation. Your thoughts and relationships to the texts were so insightful and meaningful to read about!
Something I must, respectfully, disagree with you on is when you said The Little Mermaid’s “sacrifices are rendered useless”. In my interpretation, all of the sacrifices The Little Mermaid made throughout the story–the loss of her voice, the unimaginable pain in her feet as she walked, and the loss of her life to preserve the life of her love’s, did not lead to her unfulfilling end, but a greater purpose and higher plane of life. She may not have had the happily ever after she deserved with her prince, but her newfound soul, which she is graced with the opportunity to achieve from her selfless sacrifice, is a happy ending in its own way. Her innate goodness and kindness is not lost upon her death, but grown into an ethereal power and existence she can use to continue bringing warmth to the lives of all she may touch.
It may not be the ending she wanted, which is a tragedy, but I believe it was a happy ending nonetheless: a happy ending she was able to achieve despite her circumstances.
I also appreciate how you referenced Hans Christian Anderson’s relation to his own character. I was also aware of his struggles in a society that wouldn’t accept him prior to reading this text, which gives it an even deeper level of tragedy. I wish he and his mermaid were able to obtain the love they deserved, but I hope the alternative, not perfect but nonetheless happy ending he wrote for the both of them brought him and others some solace in an era that wouldn’t let him have his happily ever after.
Thank you again for your thoughts! They were a delight to read!