Author Archives: Ashley Rubin

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.

Midterm Close Reading Assignment

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Ashley Rubin 

3 March, 2024

Pressman 

Midterm 

The chapter “Freak Shows and Fantasies” from “Merpeople: A Human History” by Vaughn Scribner proves that the media has always greatly influenced the public’s opinions of those different than them. This chapter tells how stories of merpeople were spread through newspapers in the 19th century, providing sightings and hoaxes, and how that compares to public opinion of marginalized groups. People based their beliefs off of what the newspapers had to say just as how the media still plays a big role in the beliefs people hold on those different from them today. 

“Freak Shows and Fantasies” focuses on the nineteenth-century Western world, specifically in Britain and America. This era was characterized by significant urbanization, economic growth, scientific advancements, technological innovations, and shifts in demographics. Such transformations contributed to a rapidly changing society, where people were increasingly interconnected and exposed to new ideas and experiences. Newspapers were gaining popularity, featuring an increasing number of stories focused on mermaid sightings. With their rising numbers, newspapers became integral to shaping the media and its effect on the public.  “This chapter’s analytical arc is largely reliant on the boom in popular press in the nineteenth-century West. By the early nineteenth century, newspapers and periodicals became the most efficient means through which to transmit information to the broadest portion of the populace” (Scribner, 127). Scribner describes here the pivotal role of the popular press in shaping public perception during this time. Media is a means of communication that can reach a large audience and take an influence on that audience. By the year 1860, the United States was giving its citizens access to over 3,000 newspapers. The Western world was not a time where everyone was accepted no matter what they looked like, believed in, or where they were from. Societal norms and prejudices often dictated who was deemed acceptable or desirable, and individuals who deviated from these norms faced marginalization and discrimination. This can be proved especially true through the increase of stories being told about mermaids and how the public perceived this based on what newspapers had been reporting.

While the argument over whether or not mermaids were real might seem far-fetched in comparison to the discrimination of marginalized groups, its role during this period proved how unaccepting the world can be. Between 1810 and 1845 mermaid sightings were being reported in the paper at least four times a year. As mentioned before, most civilians of this time were getting their news from these newspapers and these newspapers only. “Periodicals were, as one nineteenth-century writer exclaimed, ‘the owners and stars’ of heaven and Earth. Therefore, everyone from greedy hucksters to erudite academics carved out space in this popular medium, for nowhere else could they spread their message so broadly and proficiently. This makes them ideal vehicles through which to delve into Westerners’ investigations of merpeople between 1800 and 1900” (Scribner, 128). The belief of whether or not mermaids were real was high during this period. As the fascination with mermaid sightings began, many people believed that they could be real. This is because newspapers were publishing stories that favored verified mermaid sightings rather than hoaxes and mistrusting sources. The papers also emphasized stories that highlighted human interactions with merpeople along with cultural poems and songs. The choices of these papers ignited the public’s interest and acceptance of merpeople. In doing so, newspapers not only reflected societal attitudes but also played an influential role in shaping beliefs about the existence of mermaids during this era of curiosity and exploration. 

Following the year 1845 the view on mermaids and other mythical creatures began to shift. “With the humbuggery of Eades and Barnum so publicized over the past thirty years, newspapers primarily printed pieces that concentrated on the hoaxes and frauds surrounding mermaids and tritons. These articles usually employed a mocking – if not deriding – tone, and sometimes even targeted certain political groups or people” (Scribner, 128). The influence of P.T. Barnum increased the curiosity and talk about mermaids and other unique creatures. Barnum was well known for his display and fascination with unconventional people and creatures. His knack for showmanship not only entertained but also shaped popular perceptions and discussions around these subjects. When Barnum’s Feejee Mermaid was proven to be fake, the journalistic view on mermaids shifted along with the public’s opinion. This shift happened quickly and proved how much of an influence newspapers, or the media, had on those who were consuming it. People went from completely believing in the idea that merpeople could be real to immediately taking detest on that idea. This transformation showed the power of the media to shape and influence societal norms. It revealed how quickly public opinion could be swayed by journalistic narratives, highlighting the balance between belief and skepticism. The evolution of attitudes towards mermaids serves as an example of the dynamic between media, perception, and cultural discourse in shaping societal beliefs and values.

This can easily be compared to the acceptance and unacceptance of marginalized groups. When the media is highlighting positive stories of mermaids, the public has interest and acceptance. As the media started to shift its reporting, it became clear that the public no longer accepted the idea that mermaids could be real. This chapter takes place during the nineteenth-century Western world, a time when groups such as women, racial minorities, lower socioeconomic groups, and religious minorities were not accepted by the rest of the world. Similar to the beliefs about mermaids, the opinion of the majority on these groups was due to news coverage. Newspapers had the power to cover these groups in both a positive and negative light. They had the power to release coverage that was either supportive or hostile. Whichever way the papers would cover these groups is how the majority of people would think of them and in return treat them. A specific example of this during this period is the treatment and coverage of women. Due to the patriarchal attitudes of the time, newspapers had the choice to either support women’s rights or oppose them. Depending on which paper audiences were reading affected their opinions on women and their rights. If a paper was supporting women’s rights and publishing stories that painted the movement in a positive light, its readers were likely to support the marginalized group. If a paper was opposing women’s rights and talking about them in a negative light, its readers most likely did not support the group or the movement. The influence of newspapers on public opinion was high, as readers often relied on them as primary sources of information and as guides for societal norms. The framing of stories and editorials by newspapers had huge effects on how marginalized groups were perceived and treated by society as a whole. The comparison between these groups and mermaids highlights the power dynamics apparent in media representation and its impact on social attitudes and behaviors. By diving deeper into the comparison between the perception of mermaids and the treatment of marginalized groups, insight is given into the ideas and views of identity, representation, and power in nineteenth-century Western society.

The ideas presented in this chapter are significant because they are still relevant in today’s modern society. The media plays an important role in our society and has an extreme amount of power when it comes to influencing public opinion. In today’s world, the media serves as a primary source of information and a crucial platform for news, entertainment, and cultural narratives. With the large presence of digital media and social networking platforms, the reach and impact of the media have expanded, furthering its influence on public opinion and perception. Through selective reporting, editorial decisions, and the use of persuasion, the media can sway public opinion, reinforce existing beliefs, or challenge established ones. A modern-day example that can be compared to both the belief of merpeople and opinions on women’s rights in the nineteenth century is the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. The LGBTQ+ community has been fighting for years to be fully accepted and treated as equals in society. This is a group that has had a continuous struggle with acceptance and is still being impacted by the media. The media still varies in its coverage of the LGBTQ+ community, oftentimes painting the group in a negative light. Society seems to go back and forth with its acceptance of the community quite often in recent years. When the media highlights positive stories people become more accepting but the rise of social media has made it even more difficult for the group to be accepted. Social media has offered both opportunities for visibility and acceptance but has also opened up spaces for harassment, bullying, and hate speech. This can make it challenging for LGBTQ+ individuals to find acceptance and support in online spaces and can increase harmful stereotypes and misinformation, proving how much of a role the media plays in acceptance. Just as the media played a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards issues similar to this in the nineteenth century, it continues to have significant influence over the acceptance and treatment of marginalized communities like the LGBTQ+ community today.

In conclusion, the chapter “Freak Shows and Fantasies” from “Merpeople: A Human History” by Vaughn Scribner offers profound insights into the influence of the media on shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards marginalized groups both in the nineteenth-century and modern-day society. By examining the role of newspapers and their impact on the beliefs of both marginalized groups and mermaids in nineteenth-century Western society, the chapter underscores the pivotal role of media in disseminating information, framing narratives, and influencing societal norms and how that idea is still apparent today.

Works Cited

Scribner, Vaughn. Merpeople: A Human History. Reaktion Books Ltd, 2020.

Week 7 – The Little Mermaid

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After reading Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” I noticed a huge connection between the human world and the unknown world of the environment. There is a common theme of curiosity present in this story that I have found to connect mermaids to people. This is the first story I have found to paint mermaids in a completely positive light. Andersen describes the little mermaid as lovely and delicate. She is very curious about the unknown which to her is the human world. This connects her to humans immediately as we have been learning through past stories, such as the Siren Story and Melusine, that humans have been curious about exploring the unknown world of creatures like mermaids. The Little Mermaid’s curiosity shows the readers that these unknown creatures are not as different from humans as one might think. The Little Mermaid is desperately awaiting the day she gets to go up to shore and experience part of the human world, similar to humans who have hundreds of tales told about their curiosity about mermaids and other creatures.

The Little Mermaid’s curiosity leads her to take control of her own life as she gets older and becomes more independent. She is just turning 15 when she is allowed to go up to shore. She learns to care for the prince, saving him from death, despite their differences. She does not fear going to help him or what the consequences of that could lead to. This part of the story also contributes to this new way of looking at mermaids in a positive light. “His arms and legs began to feel powerless, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his assistance” (115). A creature who has so often been looked at as a “monster” is now being shown as the hero. Rather than gaining power from saving his life, as men would typically do in these types of tales, she just becomes more curious. She acts just like a human girl, becoming completely enthralled with the prince whom she loves so dearly. The love for the prince leads her to take her curiosity to the next level and entwine their souls. She takes the risk of listening to the witch to fulfill her desires. The little mermaid is okay with the fact that she will die if it means she has a chance at love with the prince. Her curiosity took her far and she still ended up gaining an immortal soul because she sacrificed herself instead of the prince.

Week 6: Freakshows and Fantasies – The Confirmation of Merpeople

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I found great interest in this week’s reading in “Merpeople: A Human History”, Freakshows and Fantasies. I was very intrigued by how the belief of merpeople spread throughout the United States and London. Most of the stories we have covered so far take place on different continents, such as France (Melusine) and Tamriel (sirens), which has led me to believe that the merpeople did not have an origin in a place like the United States. The ideas and beliefs of merpeople were spread widely through newspapers. Cities such as New York and London used newspapers as the primary way to spread news throughout their area. This intrigues me because most people during this time were learning about mermaids through the news. This led these people to believe in mermaids before they were even given any proof of their existence. Newspapers were publishing many hoaxes when it came to mermaids but also featured sightings. I am wondering how readers distinguished what they believed with such contradictory stories coming out at the same time. This has also brought me to connect this time with the period we are currently living in. The media has always had a large effect on people and what they believe.

I have also found great interest in P.T. Barnum’s influence on mermaid confirmation. Barnum was known for taking “freaks”, or non-conventional people, and putting them in a show. I find it interesting that he “imploded belief in merpeople” (128) when he was such a believer in the unknown. I would like to do further research on Barnum’s belief and interest in mermaids and learn about the effects that had on people during the time.

Week 5: Legend of Melusina

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The reading this week of “Legend of Melusina” from The Penguin Book of Mermaids was most intriguing to me because it required me to focus on close reading. After reading the story for the first time, I was slightly confused. After reading the story again and taking a closer look, I was able to understand it more.

Melusina is half snake and half woman and is still depicted as beautiful and powerful, similar to mermaids and sirens. I was able to relate Melusina’s story to those that we have covered previously in class, specifically the stories of the sirens. Where Melusina’s story differs is how Raymondin did not flee immediately when he found out about Melusina’s second form. The story of the sirens tells us how men did not want to hear their song out of fear that it would kill them. Raymondin sees Melusina in her second form and only fears that he will be losing his wife. “But it was not a horror that seized him at the sight, it was infinite anguish at the reflection that through his breach of faith he might lose his lovely wife forever” (88). This quote explains how Raymondin was feeling and further allows me to compare and contrast this story to the story of the sirens. The sirens would make men flee from them if said men were aware of the power of their song and did not want to face a possible death. In this story, Melusina is the one who is fleeing from her husband. Melusina’s fear of her husband finding out about this second form had come true, forcing her to depart from her life. I believe that Melusina faced the most fear in this story. This is a very interesting point to me because typically these half-beings are the ones inflicting more fear onto others.

Week 3: The Penguin Book of Mermaids Introduction

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After reading “The Penguin Book of Mermaids” introduction, I got a deeper understanding of the topics we spoke about in class on Thursday. The introduction dives into the idea of mermaids being monsters and what that really means. The introduction also speaks on the feminity of mermaids and how that was perceived differently by different groups throughout time.

This reading intrigued me greatly because it explains beauty as a dangerous or even monstrous trait. Mermaids are typically depicted as gorgeous women on the top half of their bodies. This beauty is something that has been said to allow them to lure men in and take power over them, which in return makes them dangerous. The reading refers to the definition of a monster as “a portent or prodigious being that defies what is commonly found in nature and thus elicits both fear and awe” (Bacchilega and Brown, xii). This definition derives from the Latin language and sparked a personal interest for me. Monsters are typically thought of as something that is only scary and insights fear. This definition helps explain that a monster, such as a mermaid, can also be looked at in awe.

The reading elaborated on the idea of the fear of mermaids through their environment. Mermaids are creatures of the ocean, an environment humans don’t know much about. While one might think we know a lot about the ocean, only 5% of it has been discovered. Humans tend to fear the unknown, making a creature who is part human and inhabits an environment we don’t know much about scary. I find this extremely interesting and it is a topic I hope to dive deeper into. It intrigues me how we do not know if these creatures are real or what is real about them because we truly know so little about where they reside.

Week 2 – Merpeople : A Human History

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After reading this week’s chapter of “Merpeople: A Human History” I learned a lot of new information I had never known before. I don’t have a large background on the history of mermaids and how they were involved in human history, so I did not know that they correlated to Christianity or any religion at all. I found it interesting how the church learned, appreciated, and believed in mermaids through art, sculpture, and myriad texts after such a long time of the Christian church and churchgoers in Europe overly sexualizing mermaids. While I do have the knowledge that mermaids have been sexualized over time, I did not know how the true belief and appreciation of them started.

As Scribner elaborated on the involvement of mermaids in the Christian Church, I was also intrigued by the fact that the Christian Church bridged “the gap between the supposedly ‘savage’ and the civilized,” (Scribner, 16). It is surprising to me that mermaids were accepted because of how the Christian Church portrayed them after it contributed to such extreme sexualization of them. Stories about mermaids today, that I have personally read or seen myself, typically do not have a religious belief tied to their background. The history of mermaids is much different than what is depicted in some popular media today.

While the beliefs and depictions of mermaids have been different throughout history, the Christian Church belief is one that intrigued me most. Comparing how mermaids were seen in different periods gives us a good idea of how we got to where we are today. It helps explain how mermaids are seen now in literature, media, and real-life beliefs. I am excited to expand on this topic through more research and discussion in class.

Introduction

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Hello! My name is Ashley Rubin and I am a sophomore here at SDSU. I am a Journalism and Media Studies major and I am hoping to work in the sports media industry. While that might seem completely different from what this class is about, I have always had a strong interest in literature as well as the environment which made me interested in this class! I love to read and am very interested and excited about this course!

When I am in San Diego, some of my hobbies include going to the beach, surfing, spending time with my friends, going to farmers markets, and spending lots of time outside. When I am home in New York I do things such as boxing classes, walking around the city, spending time with family and friends, and have recently been taking care of my new puppy. I am excited to meet everyone taking part in this course and hope to have a comfortable and open-minded community among us.