Author Archives: Kiersten Brown

Final Essay

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Kiersten Brown 

Professor Pressman 

ECL 305 

4/8/24

Final Essay: Siren 

The Freeform series Siren depicts mermaids as frightening predators. Siren contrasts the town’s celebration and folklore of mermaids as romantic and docile, shown in their Mermaid Days annual event. With the reality of the mermaids off their coast who are, as their leader Ryn shows, animal-like. Mermaids are not the romanticized version the people of Bristol Cove have created for their own fantasies. This show illuminates how mermaids are creatures of nature and the ocean, not creatures of human culture or creativity. This thus serves as a reminder that mermaids are fierce creatures of the ocean, not human entertainment or fantasies. Siren’s depiction of Ryn and mermaids is a reminder that just because humans might not understand mermaids, these unknown creatures are not ours for the taking. We do not get to claim their narrative and history by using one singular reference, they are unknown and confusing creatures. Siren acts as a reminder to keep learning these different narratives with an open mind. I see that this narrative is evident through the main character Ryn, who, despite her innocent and helpless appearance, is actually strong and violent through the show’s depiction. As this mermaid is navigating her new pair of legs in episode one, we see how this narrative that Bristol Cove has created about mermaids being weak and docile, is false. The narrative is false, even though mermaids in general are a matter of fascination and folklore, the narrative in Siren that Bristol cove has created is proven to be false. In this show we see how humans in Bristol cove believe that mermaids are romanticized folklore and myth, which is proven to be wrong when Ryn is brought into the show, animal-like and fierce. So although this narrative is subjective to this show, it is proven to her false by her behavior and depiction. This is important because it highlights that mermaids do not have just one depiction and folklore, but they are rich in diversity, background, culture, and more. We see this not only in Siren but also in texts from the Penguin book of mermaids and others texts we read in this class, proving that mermaid folklore is rich and diverse. There is no one narrative that is correct. 

In the first episode of Siren we can see how Ryn is portrayed as fierce, fending for herself in a new environment. This is breaking the narrative that Bristol Cove has created around mermaids, as they are celebrated in the annual parade, and are portrayed as innocent, cute, blond blue-eyed, and romanticized in general. This is a common stereotype we see society portray when it comes to mermaids, Siren proving this to be false. I want to pull a quote from Professor Pressmans essay Siren: An Allegory for the Anthropocene and Example of the Contemporary Mermaid Craze. “Mermaids have been a part of human history and storytelling for a millenia, but recent mermaids narratives confront and defy expectations of alabaster skin and and blond hair, Christian ideals of female sexuality and heteronormative romance, and other genre conventions solidified in the wake of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid (1837) and Disney’s famous animated adaptation of it (1989). Today’s mermaids are Black and Brown, queer, aligned with Indigenous knowledge systems; the contemporary mermaid craze presents a cultural thread that connects and disrupts the historical record.” (page 2) I wanted to point out this specific quote, as it highlights what narrative Siren is trying to depict about mermaids, but also everything this class has taught me about mermaids. In Siren we see this heteronormative and romanticized ideals of mermaids to be false, for Ryn is a creature of the Ocean, and is not a blond, blue-eyed ditz. She is strong, fierce, and as I proceeded to watch the show, she just wanted to find her sister, her family. She has human qualities, but she is not an object for humans to use as entertainment. Ryn’s presentation as a fierce creature could suggest the fear humans have of the unknown world. We see this with humans being scared of Ryn, and scared of her sister who the government was using as a test subject. Humans do not like the unknown, we do not like when we cannot understand something, that’s why we have science. Siren highlights this fear we have, with mermaids and characters like Ryn and her sister. 

The history of mermaids in Bristol Cove is the lore that the founder of the town fell in love with a mermaid, painting the picture that she was obedient and docile to him. This is shown with the parade celebration, as well as the statue built for the founder with the mermaid sitting at his feet, as if she is worshiping him and docile. This “love story” described between the mermaid and the founder turns out to be quite false, as he was obsessed and fascinated by her. As the episode goes on this idea of mermaids being docile and tame to humans is proven to be quite untrue, as Ryn cannot be tamed or controlled by the men around her. Ryn’s true nature is portrayed through her actions, first killing the man who tried to assault her, and navigating the human world on her own without the reliance on a man to save her. When she killed the man in the car, blood splattered everywhere, depicting more of an animal-like kill, showing Ryn’s true nature. This scene of Ryn protecting herself and being a creature of violence, reminded me of the introduction in The Penguin Book of Mermaids. In the introduction to this novel, which holds stories and folktales, we got an introduction to the past stereotypes of mermaids. “When dwelling with the mermaids symbolizes sextual bewitchment of a forbidden liaison or an extramartial affair, the experience is conveyed as the man’s disappearance from the human world– the only proper socal world– into an abyss that is not described. This silence in the narrative futhers the perception of the captivating mermaid as monstrous.” (page XIX) The introduction of the Penguin gives many new narratives and ideas like this, widening the stereotype of the Chrisitan mermaid, to the other cultures and folklores that differ. This quote futhers the argument of Siren, that mermaids are powerful and monstrous creatures, not one’s just for humans to romanticize and have affairs with. This narrative that the show Siren shows is how mermaids are independent and cannot be held down by humans or men. Not only this, but Ryn is depicted as a predator; eating rats, scaring sea lions, killing men, and refusing help from the other main character Ben. Not only did Siren’s new narrative show that Ryn can take care of herself, but when she turns back into a mermaid in the water it is almost demonic and disturbing to watch. 

One of the most interesting portrayals of mermaids in “Siren” is the depiction of Ryn’s transformation from human to mermaid. While the town celebrates the depiction of mermaids to  emphasize the beauty of a mermaid, Ryn’s transformation is depicted as almost demonic and is honestly disturbing to watch. Her tail, for example, is far from being covered with shells and pearls as it has more of an animal-like appearance, which further reinforces the show’s narrative of the connection between animals/nature with mermaids. This depiction is somewhat of a visual narrative for the untamed nature of mermaids, emphasizing not only their strength but also showing their connection to being creatures of the ocean. Not only is the imagery of Ryn’s transformation more animal-like, it is also shown as very painful. Ryn is slowly dying, as she is separated from the water, also furthering the mermaid connection and need for the ocean. Not only does she rely on it to survive, but it is a part of who she is. She is not meant to be out of the water and live with humans, she is meant to be in the ocean preying on animals and sea creatures. As Ryn changes it is not a beautiful image of her shifting from human to mermaid, but is quite painful. Depictions of her feet being sewing back into her tail, fins breaking the skin of her back to form, and her teeth morphing into sharp fangs. These images show the savage-like characteristics of mermaids, and that they are predators of the ocean. 

Throughout episode one, Ben is the only person who is genuinely trying to help Ryn. Before he realizes what she is, he also views her exterior as harmless and innocent. He learns this is not true, as when he jumps into the water to try to save her assuming that she is helpless and weak. Her exterior is deceiving to him and others, as it seems that she is lost and cannot speak english, he feels inclined to save or help her. As he jumps in he immediately sees her mermaid form, not as inviting as her human one. She sees him and attacks, going into her predatory mode and shifts from quiet and innocent to violent. Although Ben did nothing to hurt or provoke her, it was as if she forgot his kindness before an attack, quite literally like a rabid animal. This depiction of Ryn further supports the narrative of mermaids the show Siren is trying to provoke, that they are animals and creatures of the ocean, not lovers and worshipers of humans. Humans are their prey in the ocean, nothing more than that. Once Ben escapes the water, with a bite on his neck from Ryn, he realizes just what he was dealing with. This new narrative of mermaids challenges all Ben has ever known of them, all the stories and folklore from his town proven to be false. The narrative of mermaids being beautiful tame creatures and lovers proves to be quite false. As Ben was taken by Ryn’s siren song, he describes to her that it had been stuck with him since she sang it to him. This is showing the power of manipulation that Ryn holds as well, furthering the power she has over him and others. This has been questioning everything he’s ever known, and provoking new ideas and conceptions of mermaids. 

Through the character of Ryn, Siren shows that mermaids are not tame and beautiful creatures, and instead the show presents mermaids as frightening predators. They are creatures that are capable of violence and murder. Ryn might have been seen as harmless in her human form, but the minute she hit the water she was no longer the prey, but she was the predator. The show Siren was able to portray the narrative that mermaids are a part of nature and the ocean, and are maybe even closer in relation to animals than humans. Ryn was strong, independent, and violent. She did not need a man to save her or the assistance of others, as she kept running away from Ben’s help. She was self-sufficient and able to take care of herself, although she didn’t quite know how to navigate the human world, she did not need the protection of a human or a man. By taking away the romanticized notions that Bristol Cove had of mermaids, and emphasizing the primal nature of the creatures, Siren offers a compelling reinterpretation of this iconic mythological creature, one that resonates with themes of power, autonomy, and the untamed wilderness of the ocean. Ryn represents a new narrative of mermaids, not one that hasn’t been shared before, as from being in this class I have learned that one culture/peoples story/folklore is not everyones. There are always other diverse narratives and stories, Ryn just being another one being brought to the surface. Siren illuminates not only that mermaids are fierce creatures of the Ocean, but the importance of seeing and hearing other narratives and stories. It is important to take all of these tales and histories into consideration, not using The Little Mermaid as your only reference on mermaids. Mermaids are complex, diverse, rich, and important figures of Ocean Centric history, and it’s important to remember that they are not terracentric creatures. They are not toys for humans to poke and prod, they are their own beings with their own history and stories.  

Works Cited 

Bacchilega, C., & Brown, M. A. (2019). The penguin book of mermaids. Penguin Books. 

Pressman , J. (2024). Siren: An Allegory for the Anthropocene and Example of the Contemporary Mermaid Craze. 

Siren, Freeform 

Week 15: What I have learned in this class

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When asking this question to myself, it feels also impossible to answer, as I feel like I have learned so much. When I signed up for this class I hate to say that it was for my requirements, but it was. I will say it also sounded intriguing, although I did not quite know what I was getting myself into. I did not know that this class was going to include mermaids and their rich historical folklore, but it has made this class my favorite that I have taken all year. One of the biggest and most important things I believe I will take away from this class is to never believe that one history is everyones history. I would like to say this is something I have always believed, but this class made it a lot more prominent to me and I have taken a new understanding and appreciation for this. Not only this, but also how important the Ocean is. I have always believed this and hadn’t a great appreciation for its beauty. but now I feel like this has increased drastically. 80 percent of the Ocean is unexplored, a number and statistic that baffles me. A space that vast has more history than we could ever imagine, and this class has helped me imagine that. I learned about the folklore of mermaids from all over the world, how society has so wrongly misconstrued their history and diversity, and also how they are creatures for the Ocean not human entertainment or romanization. I believe that learning about mermaids has not only helped me understand nature, but also how the human narrative is so false and ignorant. Not only all of this, but I also feel that I have improved my critical thinking skills and writing. During the process of our revisions and discovery/close reading papers, I had a hard time trying to discover a solid thesis. I have always seen myself as a decent and sometimes strong writer, but for some reason I kept finding myself stuck. I have been used to already created thesis’s and already ready prompts, that are ready for me to answer. I have never really created my own. This new skill is going to help me further with my English lit classes and for my major, and I am very grateful that our professor and this class helped me learn this. Overall, this class taught me a lot of new things, skills, and ideas to ponder that I have never thought about before. I am more interested in the history of the ocean than I had been before, I have a newfound respect for it, and I also am just more intrigued in this topic of Ocean history versus terrestrial. Thank you so much for making this class a space for us to share our ideas and build upon others, always feeling comfortable to share ideas.

Week 15: We are mermaids

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After reading the poem, We Are Mermaids, I was intrigued with the the language and descriptions used here. The relationship with the Ocean and Mermaids is clear, and it seems to be as if this poem is in the narrative of Mermaids. Not only is this poem discussing the history in the Ocean that they have, but also how they have been there “since before the beginning of tragedy.” With this introduction in the poem, I believe this narrative from the mermaids perspective is highlighting the importance of the Ocean and how it has been here since the beginning of time. Even if humans might not all recognize its rich history and importance, it is there and it is clear to the mermaids and animals who dwell in it. The Ocean is a a beautiful and scary place, which I believe this poem highlights very well. Not only does it emphasize how the Ocean is “life giving” but also how animals and creatures thrive in its mystery, and humans would not be able to. It is hard for humans to understand or appreciate something they cannot connect or relate their history too, a common theme that we have searched in this class. It is hard to want to protect something history when it is not your own, which is what I believe this poem is discussing. Humans cannot appreciate the Ocean the same way mermaids or creatures might, because our history is terrestrial based. I believe this poem is pondering this idea, but also trying to help us explore the Oceans history, or help us see why we might not relate to it, and why we should. This poem was short, but it held a lot of meaning. One line that really stood out to me was “We know the consistent waves, as they ride fortunes helical gears, sacrificing their poise for their careers, need not be the only mode of living.” This could be interpreted in many ways, but I read this as how the Ocean brings and gives so much life to those who dwell in it. The creatures who do, do not take or abuse this gift, as us humans often do on land and abusing its resources. I felt this poem was a great way to emphasize a different narrative and how the Ocean, as we all know now, has a ancient and rich history.

Thesis statement

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The Freeform series Siren depicts mermaids as frightening predators. Siren contrasts the town’s celebration and folklore of mermaids as romantic and docile, shown in their Mermaid Days annual event. With the reality of the mermaids off their coast who are, as their leader Ryn shows, animal-like. Mermaids are not the romanticized version the people of Bristol Cove have created for their own fantasies. This show shows mermaids as creatures of nature and the ocean, not creatures of human culture or creativity. This thus serves as a reminder that mermaids are fierce creatures of the ocean, not human entertainment or fantasies. I see that this narrative is evident through the main character Ryn, who, despite her innocent and helpless appearance, is actually strong and violent. As this mermaid is navigating her new pair of legs in episode one, we see how this narrative that Bristol Cove has created about mermaids being weak and docile, is false. Siren highlights how mermaids and the environment/nature are more connected than us humans to mermaids. This show portrays how mermaids are fierce creatures of the Ocean, connected and feared by nature, and our narratives of them are false. This show pushes and takes away the idea of mermaids being forbidden lovers, and shows how they are a part of nature and not the human world for entertainment.

Week 14- The Deep

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After reading further into the Deep, Yetu’s story got more interesting. At the opening with chapter 5 and the descriptions of being immobile the last year, lost in memories and floating, which I found quite intriguing. Just picturing her floating, lost in remeberingings of others, and having to carry that will is an insane concept. Even though her body was slowly failing on her, for lack of movement, she was still strong in her Will. This is such an impressive and personable aspect of Yetu, the survival it takes to do something like this. I liked her connection with the Wajinru and her link to their history, buried and untold. Her need to escape this pressure and her people was sad, but also thinking about having that burden is a lot to carry, remembering the trauma and loss of others.
I want to focus on the section in chapter 5, with Yetu being in and out of conciseness. It says “Strangely, she was breathing with her mouth and nose, too, sucking in air from her surrounding with the two narrow slits in her face and her wide mouth. She didn’t know that she could do that. It was a new, uncomfortable feeling, and her lungs felt unsatisfied.” (page 71) This specific scene in chapter 5 stood out to me because of the descriptions of the uncomfortablility that Yetu felt- for the fact that this was an unnatural act. This just reminds me of the connection of nature and mermaids- especially the ocean- as they are made to be in the ocean and not land. They way that the land was supposed to represent Yetu getting away from her respoaseibilites and the weight she carried, further showed how it was “wrong.” The land is not her nature place, she is not meant to be there, and she knew that with the fact that her breathing on land felt wrong. She knew that she was supposed to be in the ocean, to feel the weight of her life, even if It was hard. This entire scene in chapter 5, when she saw the “two-legs approaching” and how she bared her teeth and prepared to attack, further shows my statement from before to be true. She is not meant to be on land- she is an creature of the ocean and animals. Overall, I really liked how this reading further showed the connection of Yetu to the Ocean and nature, and her natural state is where she is supposed to be.

Week 13

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When reading the different stories in The Penguin Book of Mermaids, I felt that all of these short stories and folklore were quite intriguing. The different descriptions of African mermaids and water spirits was interesting to read about. I did not know that there was that much folklore, specifically of African mermaids/spirits I liked how this specific reading said “African water spirits often personify the sources of water which they live and sometimes bear the same name as the river in which they dwell.” (165) I thought this aspect of personifying the water in which they live was interesting, as I wouldn’t have thought of the spirits or mermaids connecting with where they live. This honestly does make sense though, because of the connection with mermaids and the ocean, it adds a deeper level of understanding them as creatures of the ocean as well. This aspect of they personifying the ocean, brings them closer with their connection with nature and animals, as aspect in which humans often miss I believe, me included. Besides this folklore/history, I also found the story “Aganju and Yamaja” to be interesting. This story was literally about two generations of incest, as Aganju and Yamaja were brother and sister and got married, and then the son Orungan became infatuated with his mother. Not only was this storyline absurd, but also fascinating to see how the folklore played out. After her son took advantage of her, Yamaja’s body streamed and rushed with water, separating her into “Ife.” I felt that this was the most interesting aspect in this tale, as she became and entity or holiness in the city from then and on. The myth that Yamaja became the origin for several Gods, was also very interesting. This aspect of the swelling and the “Ife’ was very intriguing, I have heard nothing about it, and it made me think further about our connection with water and the ocean. Instead of condemning her to a life of her son harassing her with his love and demands, it seemed his “Ife” or swelling might have saved her from this misery. Overall, all of the stories we read this week in the Penguin was quite interesting to read about, but these two stuck out to me the most..

Discovery: Siren

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Kiersten Brown
Professor Pressman
ECL 305
4/14/24

Siren: Discovery

The Freeform series Siren depicts mermaids as frightening predators. Siren contrasts the town’s celebration and folklore of mermaids as romantic and docile, shown in their Mermaid Days annual event. With the reality of the mermaids off their coast who are, as their leader Ryn shows, animal-like. Mermaids are not the romanticized version the people of Bristol Cove have created for their own fantasies. This show shows mermaids as creatures of nature and the ocean, not creatures of human culture or creativity. This thus serves as a reminder that mermaids are fierce creatures of the ocean, not human entertainment or fantasies. I see that this narrative is evident through the main character Ryn, who, despite her innocent and helpless appearance, is actually strong and violent. As this mermaid is navigating her new pair of legs in episode one, we see how this narrative that Bristol Cove has created about mermaids being weak and docile, is false.
In the first episode of Siren we can see how this fierceness of Ryn is portrayed, fending for herself in this new world and environment. Ryn’s depiction and behavior is breaking the narrative that Bristol Cove has created around mermaids, as they are celebrated in the annual parade, and are portrayed as innocent, blond blue-eyed, ignorant, and romanticized in general. The history of mermaids in Bristol Cove is the lore that the founder of the town fell in love with a mermaid, painting the picture that she was obedient and docile to him. This is shown with the parade celebration, as well as the statue built for the founder with the mermaid sitting at his feet, as if she is worshiping him and docile. This “love story” described between the mermaid and the founder turns out to be quite false, as he was obsessed and fascinated by her, which we find out at the end of episode one. As the episode goes on this idea of mermaids being docile and tame to humans is proven to be quite untrue, as Ryn cannot be tamed or controlled by the men around her. She refuses help from the other main character Ben, and anyone else who approaches her. Ryn’s true nature is portrayed through her actions, first killing the man who tried to assault her, and navigating the human world on her own without the reliance on a man to save her. When she killed the man in the car, blood splattered everywhere, depicting more of an animal-like kill, showing Ryn’s true nature and connection with nature. This narrative that the show Siren shows is how mermaids are independent and cannot be held down by humans or men, like the people of Bristol Cove have come to believe.
One of the most interesting portrayals of mermaids in “Siren” is the depiction of Ryn’s transformation from human to mermaid. While the town celebrates the depiction of mermaids to emphasize the beauty of a mermaid, Ryn’s transformation is depicted as almost demonic and is honestly disturbing to watch. Her tail, for example, is far from being covered with shells and pearls as it has more of an animal-like appearance, which further reinforces the show’s narrative of the connection between animals/nature with mermaids. This depiction is somewhat of a visual narrative for the untamed nature of mermaids, emphasizing not only their strength and capability of violence, but also showing their connection to being creatures of the ocean. We also see this as the sea lions suddenly growl and screech when they see/sense Ryn, they can sense the predator that she is as they escape into the water. She is an animal from the ocean, a big predator and threat to those creatures who dwell there as well. Not only this, but the imagery of Ryn’s transformation is more animal-like, and is also shown as very painful. Ryn is slowly dying, as she is separated from the water, also furthering the mermaid connection and need for the ocean. Not only does she rely on it to survive, but it is a part of who she is. She is not meant to be out of the water and live with humans, she is meant to be in the ocean preying on animals and sea creatures. As Ryn changes, it is not a beautiful image of her shifting from human to mermaid, but is a quite painful scene to watch. Depictions of her feet being sewn back into her tail, fins breaking the skin of her back to form, and her teeth morphing into sharp fangs, all animal like depictions. These images show the savage-like characteristics of mermaids, and that they are predators of the ocean.
Siren depicts Ryn as an animal-like predator, and someone to be feared. Throughout episode one, Ben is the only person who is genuinely trying to help Ryn. Before he realizes what she is, he also views her exterior as harmless and innocent. He learns this is not true, as when he jumps into the water to try to save her assuming that she is helpless and weak. Her exterior is deceiving to him and others, as it seems that she is lost and cannot speak english, he feels inclined to save or help her. As he jumps in he immediately sees her mermaid form, not as inviting as her human one. She sees him and attacks, going into her predatory mode and shifts from quiet and innocent, to violent. Although Ben did nothing to hurt or provoke her, it was as if she forgot his kindness before, and attacked – quite literally like a rabid animal. This depiction of Ryn further supports the narrative of mermaids the show Siren is trying to provoke: That they are animals and creatures of the ocean, not lovers and worshipers of humans that the town assumes. Humans are their prey in the ocean, nothing more than that. Once Ben escapes the water, with a bite on his neck from Ryn, he realizes just what he was dealing with. This new narrative of mermaids challenges all Ben has ever known of them, all the stories and folklore from his town proven to be false. The narrative of mermaids being beautiful tame creatures and lovers proves to be quite false, his ancestor was not telling the truth. As Ben was taken by Ryn’s siren song, he describes to her that it had been stuck with him since she sang it to him. This is showing the power of manipulation that Ryn holds as well, furthering the power she has over him and others. This has Ben questioning everything he’s ever known, and provoking new ideas and conceptions of mermaids.
Through the character of Ryn, Siren shows that mermaids are not tame and beautiful creatures, and instead the show presents mermaids as frightening predators. They are creatures that are capable of violence and murder. Ryn might have been seen as harmless in her human form, but the minute she hit the water she was no longer the prey, but she was the predator. The show Siren was able to portray that mermaids are a part of nature and the ocean, as they rely on it to survive. Ryn was strong, independent, and violent. She did not need a man to save her or the assistance of others, as she kept running away from Ben’s help. She was self-sufficient and able to take care of herself, although she didn’t quite know how to navigate the human world, she did not need the protection of a human or a man. By taking away the romanticized notions that Bristol Cove had of mermaids, and emphasizing the primal nature of the creatures, Siren offers an interesting interpretation of this mythological creature, one that resonates with themes of power, violence, and the relates them to the untamed wilderness of the Ocean.

Week 12

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After reading the poem and watching the video for this weeks work, I found the poem to be quite interesting. Walcotts poem about “The Sea is History” have very intriguing language and imagery. I am currently taking a creative writing class, and we have just moved into our poetry unit to this sparked my interest. Not only is Walcotts poem hinting to the history of the oceans and its cultures, it seems to be discussing the changing the ocean has undergone. From natural changes and human caused changes, and how its affected the oceans history. There is a section that I believe it referring to Oil wells and men in the ocean. The poem is reflecting on the damage and harm humans have inflicted on the ocean, referring to the oil wells as well as the digging and exploration humans have done in the sea. The interactions humans have had with the oceans, are not depicted as harmless ones, but as harmful one. The poem says “Then came the men with eyes heavy as anchors, who sank without tombs,brigands who barbecued cattle, leaving their charred ribs like palm leaves on the shore,then the foaming, rabid maw..” This seems to be referring to not only the harm humans have done to the ocean but what has been dumped into it. This whole poem is about different interactions with the Ocean. Hurricanes and natural changes, oil digging, debris form humans being dumped and leaving thins behind. I believe this poem is not only describes the damage the ocean has undergone but how these changes has affected its history. The religious aspects and vocabulary mentioned gave this poem more of an ominous meaning towards the end. “that was only faith,
and then each rock broke into its own nation..” Is Walcott saying faith guided this history? Or why did faith not stop these things form happening? God? I am not religious myself, but the religious vocabulary in this poem seems as though Walcott believes that religion is important to the history of the ocean. I found this aspect interesting and also confusing, because is he saying the ocean has its own religious value or is human influence why?

Sirenomelia

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When watching Sirenomelia, the visuals and sound effects in this were quite interesting. I was intrigued by the interaction with the glaciers and human-made disk. I feel this represents the relationship between the Ocean and humans, and how we interact with it does affect it. Just because we only see the surface doesn’t mean the deep isn’t important, or doesn’t have its own history. The underwater shots the camera got, versus the above ground shots of the glaciers were really interesting to me. I felt that they paralleled each other and the underground shots felt more intimate and scary. When we saw under the Ocean it felt more sort of ominous and alive, then the top of the Ocean where we see the glaciers. I believe this is represents our own relationship with the humans, and how it might be easier to disregard something when you can only see the surface. I think this video was trying to show this parallel, between the surface of the Ocean and the depth of it. I think it is showing that the Ocean has history, and us humans usually disregard it because OUR history is not in the depths of the Ocean. Yes we have history with exploring the surface of the Oceans and using it as transportation, but our own history does not include the Ocean. I thought it was interesting to think about this aspect when watching that video.

Not only this, but the underwater shots from the water, looking up at human made balcony or bridge, is also showing the effect humans have on the Ocean and the water. The relationship between the two in important, which is what this video/artwork is trying to show. We might not notice it because we are not underwater or looking up: We only see the surface. I also believe that this video , when underwater is in the perspective of the Sirens, as we see snippets of them swimming underwater. The curiosity they have of us humans, and the surface. This shot towards the end not only reminded me of the relationships between humans and the Ocean, but also humans and the unknown. I thought this depiction of Sirens and their perspective of looking through the surface of the water was very interesting to see shown, changing the narrative of only seeing the surface- as us humans do.

The Ocean Reader

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When completing this week’s reading, I really liked the descriptions used in The Ocean Reader Theory. Not only did it outline the separation between Humans and the Ocean, but how the Ocean is seen as deep, dark, and scary to most people. The separation between the ocean and the land, for humans, is solely because the ocean is harder to “conquer” or develop than land is. It explains this aspect in the text when it says “It has always been difficult for humans to think of the ocean as a place. Those who have considered the watery majority of the planet on its own terms have often seen it as a changeless space, one without a history. Because the ocean can’t be plowed , paved, or shaped in ways the eye is able to discern, it has seemed to be a constant, while the land changed drastically over centuries.” (page 1) I liked how this paper outlined the separation between the ocean and the land, because of how humans view it as not having a history. Although the fish and marine population have history in the ocean, and the ocean is just as changeable as the land even if us humans cannot see it. I thought this was a very interesting description of how the ocean and the land are different and the same all at once. Now that I am thinking about it I have never really thought much about the history of the oceans, we are taught about Geology, earthquakes, land change, etc in school but I have never learned much about the history of the oceans. There are more opportunities and options now to learn about the Ocean, but it is just not as important to humans as land history is. Just because we are not living in the Ocean doesn’t mean its protection and history isn’t just as important as the lands. This makes me think about how not only do we claim to have explored the Ocean (only about 5 percent), but also how humans disregarded the importance of other things if it does not affect them. We see this with social justice issues, gender, race, and etc all the time. If you do not fall into a category it isn’t important.” I thought it was interesting how this idea applies to the ocean, land, humans, and more. Moving to other parts of The Ocean Reader, I thought the term “Terracentratism ” was quite interesting, a term that is referring to people’s tendency of considering the world’s activity only taking place on land, excluding the Ocean. This is the whole theme of this paper, which I find to be super interesting to read about. Overall, I focused on this paper out of the readings because of how I feel it strongly applies to today, and how we are terrestrial focused and how the Oceans history is commonly bypassed.