Author Archives: Casey Meyer

Week 8 — Modern Day Frontiersmen

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Although I have only read half of the reading thus far, I found the large portion of the text to be rather interesting. I have read a handful of Muir’s, Thoreau’s, and Roosevelt’s works from this time and it was cool to see a piece that incorporated all of their works together. I have found that I personally struggle to support both the industrial movements to attempt to overrule the land and the religious ideologies that came into place to protect our national parks/wilderness landmarks. I think it is great that through romanticism and religious ideologies that we were able to develop this appreciation for nature; it makes sense that the religious appeals were what worked for the people in this time period. However today, we still have these issues going on with large corporations attempting to tap into the resources of beautiful environmental landscapes but religious ideologies will not suffice in halting their activities (especially in other countries with different religious beliefs). On top of that, we have many US companies that are intentionally going to other countries to exploit labor and natural resources because it’s cheaper and not deemed illegal the way it is in the US. This plays on the concept of NIMBY (not in my backyard), which is nice to know that the states are protected, but doesn’t stop Americans from going elsewhere for resources, still prompting the question about how much we really care for our earth. 

One part that spoke to me was when the author mentioned views and actions towards the wilderness. It states, “[f]or them, wild land was not a site for productive labor and not a permanent home; rather, it was a place of recreation. One went to the wilderness not as a producer but as a consumer, hiring guides and other backcountry residents who could serve as romantic surrogates for the rough riders and hunters of the frontier if one was willing to overlook their new status as employees and servants of the rich” (Cronon, page 15). This speaks to me as I led ocean tours along the Palos Verdes Peninsula for many years. What frustrates me is that in this context, I would be deemed a guide for the hunters of the frontier, which is a humorous joke. I know those waters, landscapes, animals, and everything there is to know about that area. The people that I take out are not frontiersmen, they are typically wealthy people that have no appreciation for the ocean nor any understanding of the powers it has (until they take my tour). In this regard, I think it is ironic to say that the tourists flocking in with money are rough-riders. However, to play devil’s advocate, without wealthy individuals coming and paying for guides and tours, we wouldn’t have the money to protect and serve the environment the way we do. At the end of the day, I think I have a heightened sense of appreciation for the environment because I have watched some of my favorite places on earth get destroyed by anthropogenic activities. I struggle to understand another perspective that might attempt to destroy what I find has innate beauty simply because it wasn’t manmade.

Week 7: The Little Mermaid and Her Grandmother

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This week I found the Little Mermaid story to be intriguing and brought back a handful of childhood memories. The main portion I want to dive into is when the grandmother is explaining the difference between humans and merpeople and their souls. She says, “unless a human being loved you so dearly that you were more to him than either father or mother; if all his thoughts and his love were centered in you, and he allowed the priest to lay his right hand in yours, promising to be faithful to you here and hereafter: then would his soul glide into your body, and you would obtain a share in the happiness awaiting human beings” (Bacchilega, Brown, Page 119). I had a few thoughts about what this excerpt could mean with the first being that I believe the author is suggesting that mermaids (or more specifically women) cannot be whole/complete unless they have their male counterpart to provide and care for them. This has been a recurring theme across the mermaid stories we have read so far, especially when considering Melusine. However at the same time I find this ironic because merpeople seem to have other-worldly powers, wouldn’t the man become complete with marrying into power versus the other way around? My second thought–especially after the introduction stating that after a mermaid loses her tail and gains feet that it is a symbol of sexual maturity–is that maybe she will gain a soul after making herself sexually available for a human (or more specifically the prince). My third attraction to this quote is the importance of comparing romantic love versus familial love. I personally have never considered or seen those to be in the same boat, but rather as two separate concepts. I think it would be weird to love your significant other the same way you love your parents, but I guess it’s more so the concept of holding the other in your thoughts and heart at all points of the day. I am interested as to if this was published before or after the romantic era to have a better understanding on views of love at the time.

Week 6 — Freakshows

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This week, the reading that stood out to me most was the chapter “Freakshows and Fantasies” by Vaughn Scribner. This chapter was interesting because it didn’t necessarily contain any mermaid stories, but instead described the evolution of the term through the detailed accounts of mermaid sightings in the early 1800s. Interestingly enough, Scribner uses contradicting terms throughout the whole passage to demonstrate the opposing views of merpeople that have laid the groundwork for economic benefits associated with mermaids today. Scribner contrasts the differing approaches as: “science and wonder” (129), “discovery and superstition” (131), “scientific credulity and capitalistic profit” (131), and many others. Viewing merpeople from these two opposing perspectives can show how rapidly it gained attention and ultimately resulted in large profits in the economic sector. Bits and pieces that stuck in original works were pulled and reused for similar symbolic purposes, but the flashy bits that attracted coin seemed to be the most prominent.  This also shows how the concept of merpeople has changed over time to reflect our present day values as these concepts sell the best. In the 1800s, the attractive bits were sexualizing women with a large bit of emphasis on the male gaze. Originally, mermaids had been used by the church to signify our temptations/desires as things to avoid, while present day mermaids are used by large corporations to represent body positivity and acceptance. Both of these views result in large profits, however there is a large disconnect between what merpeople resembled 300 years ago and what they resemble today; it is simply a reflection of society’s values and morals. 

Another interesting little bit about this reading is that one of my favorite types of wine is called Freakshow, by Michael David. And for comedic purposes I went and looked at the label of wine and low-and-behold, it was a mermaid on the cover! Here’s the link!

Week 5: The Faery

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This week, “The Faery at the Fountain” reading really caught my interest. I say this because I was fascinated by the way that mermaids are the center of the story, but the terms “mermaid” nor “merpeople” are never ever used, simply alluded to. I am not quite sure what it was, but I felt myself on the edge of my seat waiting for the “Merpeople” word to be dropped, but the author just kept indirectly hinting away bit by bit. Two questions from this story remained unanswered for me with the first being who the other ladies were. Were they other mermaids? Were they spirits, or were any of the ladies even real? Are they, as a group of three celestial beings in a christian story, supposed to resemble the holy trinity? Being a Christian story, it doesn’t seem to possess the typical ‘forgiveness’ or ‘repent your sins’ type of theme (especially considering the main character murdered his family members), but instead takes the theme of deception and not owning up to one’s wrongdoings. The second question I had after reading this story is why Raymondin? He is quite-literally fleeing home after killing his family members… has he done something of more importance in the past? Why does he get away with murder and still receive the riches of the world? In my opinion it seems like a strange character to be involved with merpeople and I wonder if there is another layer/reasoning behind it that I am missing. 

In comparing this story to other readings we have had so far, something that immediately clicked for me was the way that Melusine will disappear every Saturday without explanation. This reminds me of Oannes, who also disappeared into the horizon/water every evening. You know they are going somewhere but neither story directly addresses where. Are they off to a place of higher existence? A place where all of this ‘hidden’ and ‘undisclosed’ knowledge unbeknownst to mankind is? I’m not sure what is happening, but I sure am curious to know more about this mystical place that merpeople seem to be running towards when they disappear. 

Kaliya, Week 4

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The main reading that stood out to me this week was the story of Kaliya, the snake. I think it’s powerful that in this variation, unlike many others, the snake is let free to return to the ocean with its family. This draws out the overarching message of humbleness (regarding the snakes’ ability to admit that it was wrong) and forgiveness in that the man didn’t slay the sea serpent. A powerful quote that I was attracted to from this portion was that, “Destruction becomes the catalyst for creation” (Penguin, page 5). This part stood out to me because it also reflects the relationship between the people and the snake in that they broke out into this huge battle (destruction) that resulted in a relationship in which the snake later protected the people and river. The battle ultimately resulted in a mutually beneficial relationship built on respect, another prominent theme across merpeople stories. I think there are also a couple of real-life applications from this reading, like the pollution of the snake rendering the water useless for the people and their livestock, which ultimately was a problem solved by a confrontation with a water being. More importantly, when the snake says, “I am not at fault in this matter, Acyuta, for it is you who pour fourth and absorb the world; classes, forms, and natures […]” (Penguin, page 8), the serpent is drawing attention to the anthropogenic views being imposed upon the world. Not too long ago the world didn’t have humans, and all other beings freely roamed the earth. What I believe the serpent is trying to say is that we (as humans) have a responsibility to respect nature and the environments around us and to live in unison, opposed to being in opposition with the beasts that inhabit the same lands as us. 

Week 3: Merpeople and Penguin

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After completing both readings, I have a much better understanding of the origins of mermaids and the application of studying mermaids to our course. The first thing that stood out to me in “Merpeople: a human history” by Vaughn Scribner was on page 62 when it stated that people of the new world were fearful of female opossums. I think it is crazy that the discovery of an opossum was considered to be a ‘hybridized’ blend of Old World animals and humans… I would’ve thought that about bears or some bigger, top-of-the-food-chain, type of animal. After that thought however, I tried to take the perspective of the first person to encounter a new animal species without the internet and I could see how an opossum would come across that way. What would your thoughts be if you were the first person to encounter an opossum in the 1500s? Would you think it is simply another animal? Or would you consider it to be a monster? I think this same concept/question reflects the difference in thought between the 1500s and present day in that in an older time period, people sought a religious, spiritual, or monstrous answer to their questions, whereas today people turn to science (or the internet) for something they don’t understand/can’t explain. 

In the second reading, “The Penguin Book of Mermaids” by Cristiana Bacchilega and Marie Alogalani Brown, the first thing that stood out to me was the description and explanation of the concept of vanity demonstrated through the mirror that we discussed in class on Thursday. The next thing that stood out to me was on page XIII when the authors reference gender propriety being overstepped and linked that with being ‘monstrous’. This would explain the overuse of mermaids in religious ideologies in that mermaids are a tempting beast that would lead to someone committing a sin. I find this interesting because it also later states Odysseus’s story with the sirens. His ability not to succumb to their temptations was deemed “manly” and “heroic”, both of which are words I would not use to describe their encounter. With this said, I am curious as to what the double-standard will be when we start discussing mermen. Will they be sexualized as heavily and possess similar symbolic meanings? Or will it be another patriarchal interpretation and reflect male dominance? The main merman that comes to mind is Poseidon, who is a god and is depicted as a dominant protector of the ocean. Without much background or understanding, mermen seem to have different symbolic meanings than that of their female counterparts, but I guess we will find out when as we get further into the course!

Introduction

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Hi all, my name is Casey Meyer and I am in my last semester at SDSU. I am a marketing major with a sustainability minor and have a strong passion for the environment and keeping it safe. In my free time I love to surf or at the very least be outdoors. I was born and raised near the beach in Los Angeles and after moving down here I realized I could never get away.

In all honesty, I had no idea this class was centered around mermaids until the syllabus came out, but all things considered I am pretty stoked to better my writing and analytical skills through the scope of mermaids. On top of that, I have a strong connection with the ocean and all of its creatures, which furthers my excitement for starting this class!