Author Archives: Sierra Suelzle

Final Essay: The Ocean in Mermaid Myths

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Sierra Suelzle

Dr. Pressman

ECL 305

9 May, 2024

The Ocean in European and Hawaiian Mermaid Myths

Mermaid stories have been around for thousands of years, but they have only recently been looked at as a way to understand the views of the environment individual cultures had at a given time. In the 1837 Danish story, The Little Mermaid, and the 1857 German story, The Nixie in the Pond, the use of terracentric language emphasizes the lack of cultural significance of the Ocean and other bodies of water in 19th century Europe. However, in the Hawaiian mermaid myths, The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond (1979) and Kalamainuߵu, the Moߵo Who Seduced Punaߵaikoaߵe (1869), the Ocean is treated in the same manner as land, showing a deeper respect for it and other bodies of water. The way the Ocean and water are discussed in these stories is exemplary of the differing perspectives that Hawaiian culture and European cultures had of the Ocean in the 19th century. The ability to compare the views of the Ocean in different parts of the world in the same time period showcases the importance comparative literature has in understanding history. 

Terracentrism is a relatively new term that has been circulating in the academic field of blue humanities. Terracentrism is the act of centering the land in stories, verbal conversations, media, etc. This is an unconscious action that can be seen in all forms of media from “writers [who] have embedded a terrestrial bias in virtually all stories about the past” (Rodzadowski, 2018, p. 7). Examples of terracentric language include “field, ground, progress, state, and landscape” (Mentz, 2020, p. xv – xvii). The Ocean has been an important figure in all of history but goes unrecognized in favor of the seemingly important actions that happen on land. Blue Humanities is a new field under the umbrella of Environmental Humanities that aims to study and understand “the significance [the Ocean] holds for modern culture and society” (Gillis, 2013, para. 14). Blue Humanities encourages scholars to reframe their way of thinking to center the Ocean rather than the land. The most visible way to do this is to recognize the terracentric language used in everyday phrases, literature, and more. Recognizing the use of terracentric language allows people to understand the role that land and the Ocean play in our daily lives. This also encourages people to see the Ocean as a more prominent feature in culture and society rather than a secondary feature in the environment. 

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1837) uses clear terracentric language to assist 19th-century readers in understanding the setting of the Ocean. Readers at this time were not familiar with the Ocean because the depths of the Ocean had not been explored in any way. When choosing to write a story that takes place in the Ocean, Andersen had to use analogies that centered around land to ensure that readers could visualize the story. Andersen describes the location of the underwater world as being “so deep, indeed, that no rope can fathom it; and many church steeples need be piled one upon the other to reach from the bottom to the surface” (Andersen, 1837, p. 107). By using church steeples and ropes to explain the depths of the Ocean, Andersen is using land as an analogy for the Ocean, therefore using terracentric language. Church steeples only exist on land and would not be able to exist underwater as they would erode, but in 19th century Denmark, they were all over the nation. It was nearly impossible to enter a town and not see a church steeple as Christianity was the most prominent and official religion of Denmark at that time (Britannica, 2024). This description was made so that anyone who read the story would be able to have a vague idea of how deep in the Ocean this story takes place. Although Denmark itself is a peninsula and contains many islands, the Ocean is not seen as an important feature of the environment as land is because European culture at the time was not focused on water exploration. 

The Brothers Grimm’s story, The Nixie in the Pond (1857),  also employs terracentric language to clarify the setting and warn readers about unknown bodies of water. In the story, a man makes a deal with the water spirit who resides in the pond near his house to gain wealth in exchange for his son, who eventually gets taken by the water spirit. After the son is taken underwater by the water spirit, the pond is described as being “as calm as a mirror” (Grimm, 1857, p. 50) with “only the face of the half-moon” (Grimm, 1857, p. 50) reflecting off the water. The water cannot be described without using an object that people of the time would be familiar with and in this case, that would be a mirror. By using a land-based object to describe the pond, the Brothers Grimm show a preference and centering for land. The phrase “the water looks like glass” comes to mind when discussing this topic because that is essentially what the Brothers Grimm are saying when comparing the surface of the pond to a mirror. That phrase is an example of terracentrism because it places the body of water being described as secondary to the land.  In Germany at this time, there was a large shift to industrialization which drew people’s attention away from the natural world to technological advancements. The literature of this time showcases that as in The Nixie in the Pond, the natural world is shown as a challenge to overcome. 

Conversely, the Hawaiian myth, The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond, exhibits a deeper respect for bodies of water by discussing the pond in the story in association with the Ocean rather than land. This myth was first published in Hawaiian in 1979 but was passed down orally for generations before it was written down. In the initial description of the pond, the features of the water are described in detail and are done so with no comparison to land. The pond is described as being “always full of water from beneath the earth” (Nākoa, 1979, p.247), and “when it was high tide, the freshwater of Honokawailani rose like that of the sea, and the water of the pond rose and became a stream” (Nākoa, 1979, p. 247). A description of the color of the water was even given: “The water was a dark blue-green until the sun hit it, and then made it transparent” (Nākoa, 1979, p. 247). The attention to detail of the tidal patterns of the pond, as well as the changing of colors shows how important bodies of water were to the Hawaiian people. Most land-based cultures do not pay that close attention to the changes of a pond because it is not seen as important as the land. When the pond is compared to anything, it’s to the Ocean, demonstrating the value and understanding of water in this culture. There is no need to compare ponds to anything other than water because Hawaii is comprised of islands, so the people of this culture are surrounded by water and understand its characteristics, unlike the European countries.  

Similarly, the story Kalamainuߵu, the Moߵo Who Seduced Punaߵaikoaߵe (1869) uses ocean-centered language to portray situations that display a culture centered around water. The story Kalamainuߵu, the Moߵo Who Seduced Punaߵaikoaߵe (1869) main goal in Hawaiian culture was to explain how two deities came to be but is a great example of how to decenter land in language. The main character of the story, Punaߵaikoaߵe, was a chief on Oߵahu who was lured away from his family and community by a “reptilian water deity” (Bacchilega & Brown, 2019, p. 246) named Kalamainuߵu. When Punaߵaikoaߵe discovers that Kalamainuߵu can shift between being a lizard and human, Kalamainuߵu yells at him. During this fight, it is described that Punaߵaikoaߵe “stood in the sea spray of her anger” ( ‘Ī‘ī, 1869, p. 252). The use of sea spray as a metaphor to describe the distance that Kalamainuߵu’s anger reaches reveals how integral the Ocean and water are to Hawaiian culture. The audience who hears this story does not have to guess how far that description means because they are well acquainted with the distance that sea spray can reach. A terracentric view of this phrase would be that of standing in the line of fire. The choice to not use a phrase based on land also showcases an understanding of fluidity. Sea spray never reaches the exact same spot, so measuring a distance using an ever-changing entity displays an acceptance of change in the environment. Living in a culture that depends on water means that there has to be an understanding of change and an ability to shift because of how often tides and the size and shape of the waves change. 

In the Danish and German stories, a clear preference for land was shown which signifies a land-based culture. The Little Mermaid (1837) and The Nixie in the Pond utilize land-based structures to describe the Ocean and other bodies of water while the Hawaiian story, The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond, does not. The level of detail that was given in The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond is unlike that of The Little Mermaid (1837) and The Nixie of the Pond where the basic features of the Ocean were explained, such as size, depth, and the environment surrounding it. The use of church steeples to explain depth is a constant measurement that showcases a lack of understanding of the Ocean because the depth of the Ocean is always changing. When the sand shifts and the tides change, the floor of the Ocean can become deeper or shallower. This understanding is shown in The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond because the pond is described as having varying depths when the tides change. This is an example of how European cultures do not prioritize or respect the Ocean or bodies of water to the extent that Hawaiian cultures did at this time. Danish and German culture in the 19th century viewed the environment as something to conquer and fear, and since the Ocean is unconquerable, it was deemed as unworthy of attention. The Hawaiian story, Kalamainuߵu, the Moߵo Who Seduced Punaߵaikoaߵe, also demonstrates a deeper respect for the Ocean because it uses water as a way to measure distance even if it is done so figuratively. Danish and German cultures did not have this advanced knowledge of the Ocean but they had a lot of knowledge about land and the differences in soil composition, crops, etc. These descriptions bring to light what Hawaiian culture viewed as important information compared to what Danish and German cultures thought. European cultures held technological advancements as important, while Hawaiian culture held the environment in higher regard. 

Being able to read a variety of stories from the same time in different parts of the Earth showcases the importance of Comparative Literature. The awareness and knowledge that is gained from reading these stories is incomparable. Reading and comparing these stories promotes a better comprehension of history and how cultures view differing aspects of the environment than is gained from just reading a textbook. The Ocean has been a constant for all of history but has only recently been studied as history. Mermaid stories are a crucial aspect of learning how environmental humanities and perspectives of the Ocean have shifted and developed throughout the centuries. 

Works Cited 

Andersen, Hans Christian. “The Little Mermaid.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, p. 107-130.

Bacchilega, Christina and Brown, Marie Alohalani. The Penguin Book of Mermaids. Penguin Books, 2019.

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2024). Religion of denmark. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Denmark/Religion 

Grimm, Jacob and Grimm, Wilhelm. “The Nixie in the Pond.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, p. 49-53.

 ‘Ī‘ī, John Papa. “Kalamainuߵu, the Moߵo Who Seduced Punaߵaikoaߵe.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, p. 250-259.

Nākoa, Sarah. “The Mermaid of Honokawailani Pond.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, p. 246-249.

Extra Credit- Digital Humanities Showcase

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Attending the digital humanities showcase was a really great experience! It opened my eyes to all the different forms of art and literature can take. It was really cool to see how presenters were able to take essays and transform them into a digital interactive format. One of the presentations I saw was an analysis of The Deep and the communication within the novel. It was a really interesting presentation where the presenter explained that the pain expressed in the novel was done both physically and emotionally. The physical aspect of the way that the wajinru communicate was an intentional choice to not only provide an explanation of how people might communicate underwater but to also showcase how the wajinru can experience pain. The presenter also explained how pain, especially in a community, can be cyclical and be passed down through generations until a person is ready to begin the healing process to let go of that pain. The source that the presenter chose to use for the digital essay was also done intentionally. It was done on Twine and clicking through the digital essay produced a cycle that the reader could ultimately decide to click out of. This was done to showcase how people can begin the healing process and decide to “exit” out of the cycle of pain. I learned a lot about how to create interactive stories and essays such as this one and it inspired me to look deeper into interactive stories. What fascinated me the most about creating these essays was the fact that, on Twine specifically, the photos integrated into the essay had to be from websites and would disappear as the websites did. It made me think about how literature is adapting to and reflecting the want for everything to be online. I think that the artistry and creativity that is required for that shift are fascinating and make me want to look out for the new ways that people produce literature. 

Conclusion

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This class has taught me so much and I do not think I will ever value a class as much as I do this one. When I first signed up for this course, I just wanted to improve my writing skills. But throughout the semester, I learned so much more than I could’ve hoped for. This class has helped me not only with my writing skills but also has helped me to grow my confidence in speaking in classes. 

I never knew how much literature can reveal about the views of the environment in different periods. It was amazing to be able to read such a variety of texts and be able to discuss them in class. I loved learning from my classmates by hearing their interpretations of the media we were talking about. The subject matter of the class was also so fascinating to learn about. I don’t think I will ever be able to read another book or piece of text and not think about how it discusses the ocean and whether it uses terracentric language. I am truly so grateful for all that this class has taught me and the skills I’ve gained from it!  

Week 15: We are Mermaids

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I really enjoyed reading this poem because it forced me to reconsider the way that society tells us we have to live. The use of the ocean in this poem creates a peaceful image that encourages readers to slow down in their lives and not feel pressured to be as on the go as society tells us we need to be. The stanza that starts with “You can spend your life benthic, or brackish,” created this image of existing underwater and when I think of being underwater, I think of how quiet everything gets. There is no noise from cars or people, just the sounds of the ocean which are calming. In the ocean, there is only nature and the natural cycles of life. There is nothing that would show “success” in the eyes of society. This stanza made me consider how society puts pressure on us to be successful, but who gets to decide what being successful looks like? Maybe for one person success looks like being content with their life and for another person, it looks like having a certain lifestyle.

The third stanza also made me think of society’s rules or expectations. There is a very specific timeline that society tells us that we need to achieve certain milestones by and this stanza challenges that. The lines that say “sacrificing their poise for their careers, / need not be the only mode of living” make the reader think of their life beyond what society encourages. Working is important and necessary, but there is more to a person’s life than their career. These lines emphasize the need to not sacrifice so much of your life for something that does not reward or fulfill you. We are not bound by the limits that society places on us and this poem reminds readers of that. 

Final Essay Proposal

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Thesis: Non-Western mermaid folk tales and stories use ocean-centric language to emphasize the importance of the ocean to their cultures. By doing this, the people of these cultures have a deeper understanding and a more profound respect for the ocean and all bodies of water than Western societies. 

I plan to use Steve Mentz’s “Deterritorializing Preface” and Eric Pal Rooda’s “The Ocean Reader” to set up the argument for my essay.

Week 14: Value of History in The Deep

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I found all of the chapters we had to read this week extremely interesting. I think that the discussion about history and its relation to personal identity was particularly fascinating because it is very applicable to contemporary discussions about history. As Yetu struggles with her identity as the historian of the wajinru, the readers are encouraged to think about their personal experience with history, both the history taught in school and personal/familial history. In Chapter 5, there are many moments where Yetu is trying to come to terms with her lack of remembering past events but the moment that stood out to me most was when she thinks that, “The emptiness inside her stretched far and wide in every direction like a cavern. It was lonely. She had thought herself unmoored when she was the historian, but this did not compare. She was a blip” (Solomon, p. 53). Without the history of her people, she felt as if she was unimportant and was adrift. Even though being the historian for her people was hard for her, without that knowledge Yetu was left confused and felt the absence of that history even more intensely. This emphasized how important it is to know and understand the history of your culture, country, etc. because without knowing the events and people that came before you, there is a void in your knowledge that can lead to dangerous repetitions of history. 

There was also an interesting discussion about personal history in Chapter 7 when Oori’s past is mentioned. As the last person alive of her people, Oori has a deep commitment to honoring her culture’s practices and history. In Chapter 7 when the storm begins to build, Oori leaves to protect her homeland and the people who live on the land Yetu found herself on said that “that the place Oori was from wasn’t really a homeland anymore because a homeland needed a people. Without a people, it was just a patch of earth” (Solomon, p. 82). This made me think about how important personal history is and how one single person can preserve their culture. This also raised some questions for me because who decides what a homeland is? Oori is still alive and she comes from that place, so would that not still be considered her homeland regardless if she is the last of her people? 

Week 13: Aganju and Yemaja

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In the reading of African Mermaids and Other Water Spirits as well as Aganju and Yemaja, I found it extremely interesting how strong the belief in water spirits is. I noticed that there is a lot more emphasis placed on water spirits than land spirits. Though I am sure land spirits hold importance in African culture, it is repeated that water spirits are still worshipped a bit more than the land spirits are. In Aganju and Yemaja, it’s mentioned that “the worship of Aganju seems to have fallen to disuse, or to have become merged in that of his mother” (p.168). Granted it is mentioned that this story was collected from the 1800s, so this may not be relevant to today’s beliefs but at this time it seems that the belief in Aganju was not made as clear as the belief in Yemaja. Aganju is said to represent Land and his mother represents Earth, so it is understandable that the worship would be tied together, but the fact remains that the belief in Yemaja has expanded to many different countries and is still relatively prevalent. 

This story also makes me think about how in indigenous cultures the respect given to water and land was equal and how all aspects of nature were celebrated, not just the aspects that benefit the people. It reminds me of the discussion we had about the blue humanities and how indigenous people are not given consideration when we discuss the creation of the field. These stories about water spirits show a culture centered on respect and acknowledgment for the environment as a whole. There is both something to fear and to appreciate about the water spirits which represents a fear and admiration of the bodies of water that these water spirits represent or inhabit. 

Close Reading: Eternal Life in The Little Mermaid

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Sierra Suelzle

Dr. Pressman

ECL 305

April 14, 2024

In Hans Christian Andersen’s short story, The Little Mermaid, the audience follows a young mermaid through her journey of adolescence. Andersen wrote this story in 1836 Europe when Christianity was the dominant religion and people were just beginning to question the scientific validity of said religion. Christianity’s main teaching is that in order to achieve eternal life and reach heaven, a person must believe in God and follow His commandments. Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (1836) utilizes religious symbolism in its ending to subvert the religious belief of the time that to achieve eternal life one needed to believe in God. Instead, Andersen sought to convince children readers that the key to eternal life is selflessness.

The Little Mermaid contains a lot of Christian imagery and ideology throughout the story because Andersen understood that many parents at the time would have some association with Christianity and would therefore want their children to hear stories that perpetuate similar teachings. In this story, mermaids are a symbol of hell where souls are not present. Mermaids are described many times as not having an immortal soul which signifies that they cannot live in an afterlife. For instance, the grandma of the little mermaid explicitly tells the little mermaid that their “souls are not immortal. [They] shall never enter upon a new life” (Andersen, p. 116). This means that a mermaid’s soul is returned to the earth and is not meant for anything further than that. In Christianity, a person who has been “saved” by Christ is seen as having an immortal soul that will continue to exist in another plane after death. However, people who are not saved by Christ are not allowed to experience eternal life. In this way, mermaids represent those who were considered unholy and destined for hell at the time. Their souls will never be able to experience the “greatness” of the “unknown and favoured regions” (Andersen,p. 116) humans enter after death. Andersen includes these explanations of creatures without immortal souls as a way to introduce children readers to the idea of eternal life and to entice parent readers to continue reading this story. If parents did not believe that this story contained Christian teachings, Andersen ran the risk of parents deeming it immoral and a bad influence on their children. By including these teachings, Andersen increases his audience and cements himself as a credible children’s author. 

Following the establishment of the Christian ideology in the main portion of the story, Andersen then begins to challenge all of those ideas. The story ends with the mermaid protagonist being presented with a choice regarding her future. The mermaid’s sisters plead with her to “plunge [a knife] into the prince’s heart” (Andersen, p.127) and inform her that “He or [the mermaid] must die before sunrise” (Andersen, p. 127). The little mermaid then goes on to jump overboard, committing suicide.  The lack of souls in mermaids should have made this decision easy for the little mermaid because she should have been able to murder a man who never loved her and return to her family to live happily for the remainder of her life. However, she is unable to cause that unhappiness to the prince’s wife and instead chooses to sacrifice herself. Since mermaids are a representation of hell and nonbelievers in Christianity, they lack immortal souls which should allow them to do what they want in “mortal” life as there will be no consequences for their actions. They should not worry about the feelings of others or how their actions could impact other people. Andersen wields this conflict to demonstrate to readers that a person’s religious background does not indicate whether or not they will be able to obtain eternal life. He showcases that assuming people who are nonbelievers of Christianity are destined for hell is wrong and naive because good/selfless actions are not limited to those who believe. This pushes children to reframe their opinions of people who differ religiously from them because it creates an understanding that people cannot be confined to just one box.  

Furthermore, Andersen continues to challenge the religious ideals of the time by introducing a new creature to the audience: aerial spirits. The aerial spirits are a clear representation of heaven and godliness. The imagery of the aerial spirits resembles angels who are messengers of God in Christianity. The aerial spirits exist to do good deeds for humans and are given the chance to live in the human afterlife. It is explained to the little mermaid that “the daughters of the air, although not possessing an immortal soul by nature, can obtain one by their good deeds” (Andersen, p. 128). This opportunity to get an immortal soul is the closest that un-human entities can get to being human. The little mermaid did not believe in a higher power that would save her when she sacrificed herself, she planned on turning into seafoam and ending her life. Andersen’s decision to make her an aerial spirit highlights how all people have an opportunity to obtain an immortal soul that would allow them to have eternal life, not just people who are believers of God. The idea of eternal life being available to all is emphasized when Andersen explains what aerial spirits exist to do. The existence of an aerial spirit is a completely unselfish one, as the spirits solely exist to ease the pain and suffering of humans. The spirits “fly to warm countries, and fan the burning atmosphere” (Andersen p. 128) to get rid of diseases that kill humans and also “diffuse the perfume of flowers through the air to heal and to refresh” (Andersen, p. 128). Everything that the spirits do is to serve someone other than themselves which teaches them how to be selfless and how to better the world. Andersen uses these actions to educate children readers on how they can become selfless and thus achieve eternal life. 

Along with all that Andersen does before to enlighten his readers, he leaves the children reading the story with one last lesson. Andersen includes a warning by the aerial spirits to the little mermaid at the very end of the story as a way to remind children to be mindful of their actions. The aerial spirit reveals to the little mermaid that when the spirits “have met with a good child, who is the joy of his parents, and deserving of their love” (Andersen, p. 128) the time of their trial before they reach eternal life is shortened but if they meet “an ill-behaved or naughty child” (Andersen, p. 128) their trial is extended. While these descriptions of children being naughty or good are vague, with all that Andersen had previously hinted at, readers can understand that naughty means being selfish and uncaring of others’ feelings. One can then interpret that being a good child who is deserving of their parent’s love means being a selfless person who is willing to do tasks to assist other people. Andersen employs this last warning to encourage children to be selfless people because that will help them achieve eternal life. The concept of harming nice mythical creatures is a frightful one to most children, so when this is used as a warning children are more inclined to follow the advice of the author. This also appeals to the parents choosing to read this story because it promotes behavior that most parents of the time hope for: obedience. 

The religious symbolism in this short story is crucial to effectively convincing children that eternal life does not depend on religious beliefs but rather on actions. The little mermaid only can obtain an immortal soul and reach eternal life after refusing to commit a harmful action and being altruistic. Andersen imparts to the audience how important this decision is, as the mermaid sacrifices her life to save someone else. Children who read this story are forced to think crucially about the religious values being taught to them and instead understand the importance of selfless actions. 

Work Cited

Andersen, Hans Christian. “The Little Mermaid.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, p. 107-130.

Week 12: The Sea is History

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After doing this week’s readings, I found the poem to be super interesting. The way that the author uses the first half of the poem to describe biblical events as seen through the perspective of the ocean is fascinating. Going through those events and describing them using the ocean, shows just how long the ocean has been around and how constant the ocean is. The poem states, “but the ocean kept turning blank pages / looking for History” (lines 24-25). These two lines explain that while the sands in the ocean move and the structure of the ocean floor changes, the ocean itself remains a stable entity. The capitalization of History is also interesting because it makes the subject appear to be much more important and is almost used as a name. In a way, history is personified and the ocean becomes a more dynamic living organism that is searching for history. 

I also found the constant reference to history really interesting. Multiple times throughout the poem the author states that an event or something he just described was not history, but who decides what is history? The poem says, “but that was not History, / that was only faith / and then each rock broke into its own nation;” (lines ). This stanza disregards the events explained at the beginning of the poem because it states that history cannot be faith and faith cannot be history. This hints that history starts when the continents separate and nations start to form. I think that’s an interesting idea because faith to me is something that people believe in that helps them to explain their existence while the formation of the continents is a more scientific event. Is the author referencing history as seeing human impact on the ocean or is it something else entirely?

Week 11: The Sounds of Sirenomelia

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While there were many aspects of this film project that stood out to me, the audio was the one thing I could not ignore. It was unsettling at times and loud, but there were times where it was also very peaceful. The sounds of the ocean and the waves lapping against the ice was a stark contrast to the high-pitched and occasionally distorted frequencies that would play soon after. This contrast signifies the unnaturalness of humans being so involved in the ocean. The more peaceful audio shown with the natural scenery of both the ocean and the land showcase how the environment is at peace when it is untouched by humans. When there are no buildings or roads placed into the natural formations of the land or sea, the environment is at equilibrium. However, when there are man-made satellites, ports, passageways, etc the audio becomes more uncomfortable to listen to, signifying that the environment is uncomfortable when humans start to interfere with it. Even though the base has been decommissioned and seems to be abandoned, the structures still exist and create a lasting mark on the environment. The ocean and the land surrounding it has been disrupted for human gain, so the audio forces viewers to be uncomfortable in the same way that the environment is after being altered. 

The audio of this video project also reminds me of the discussion in class we had about what a siren song would sound like. The ending scene contained audio that was almost hypnotic. It was both a little unnerving but also peaceful at the same time which made me think about what would be in a mermaid or a siren’s song. The sample of the mermaid song we listened to in class was a bit more melodic and sounded a little more human but the audio here was a little more animalistic, in that it reminded me of whale calls. This reinforces the idea that the ocean is so vast and unexplored that we, as humans, cannot fathom all that exists in it and we cannot imagine what a mermaid song could sound like. Does it lean more towards the example we heard in class or does it sound more like the audio in this short film? I think the basis of a siren song would be that it makes humans uneasy and intrigued.