What I found most interesting in the readings this week was the second article, Vast Expanses: A History of the Oceans. In the article, the author discussed how knowledge has played a role in our changing perspective of the ocean. Through new knowledge, we have strengthened the connection between mankind and the ocean. But, this knowledge is a double edged sword, as this knowledge has also given more opportunity for exploitation of the ocean, control, expansion of power, and increased accessibility. As the author states: “Knowledge about the ocean–created through work and play, through scientific investigation and also through the ambitions people have harbored for using the sea–has played a central role in mediating the human relationship with this vast, tackless, opaque place” (p.4). The ocean has been discovered through both scientific investigation, and ambitions for use, as Rodzadowski states. This is important to note because it reveals that while we have what appears to be a scientific, objective interest in the ocean, we also have a deep urge to capitalize and dominate the ocean. Perhaps we can chalk this up to differences in people–scientists versus entrepreneurs and capitalists–or perhaps we can argue that every person will face a similar struggle at some point in their lifetime. Even the scientific approach has selfish reasons, humans crave to understand everything in this world; of themselves, of the other, of the distant. One can argue that science is objective, and studying the ocean is purely for the attainment of objective knowledge, yet, as this passage argues, this knowledge can have a negative effect. I do not believe that scientific investigation and ambitions for use are different; they tend to overlap far too much. Rodzadowski also describes the ocean as ‘vast, tackless, opaque’. In this way, he almost makes the ocean less human, less personified than many other texts we’ve read. Tactless is to be without manners or rude, and this word creates an ocean that has little regard for the rest of nature, including us humans. His use of the word opaque also makes the ocean mysterious, separate and hidden from us.
Out of the two readings for week 9, I found the Blue Humanities one to be more interesting. This article discussed our scientific and conceptual history of the sea and how it has developed over the last few centuries. One part I liked was when the author talked about how with more analysis of historical sea documents, we have started to understand our changing perceptions toward the sea. Our view of the sea has primarily shifted from a more utilitarian and mechanical perspective to an aesthetic, modern, beautiful conception. This tied into some of our discussion from last week, when we talked about how the sea used to be only visited by people who went there for work, but it later moved into a more recreational activity for people as it became this beautiful, relaxing concept. Our interaction with parts of nature depends on our subjective value of the entity. This can apply to really everything; for instance, our social interactions with others will depend on our subjective value of the other. But even within our subjective values of parts of nature, there is variance between person to person. No two people see the world the same, as our worlds are shaped by personal experiences and our top down processing of the world creates a biased and personalized living experience. Take for instance–some people go into nature and take the ‘leave no trace’ method, while others destroy and litter. All depending on subjective value. But it is interesting to see when these perceptions of the world are something that are the same from person to person–this shift from a utilitarian ocean to an aesthetic ocean. Mediums such as stories and paintings are fascinating to analyze because of how they may affect the viewers and change their own perspective of the world. How much of our reality is actually real, and how much of it is influenced and made subjective? I don’t believe anyone can truly see the world in objective eyes. I wonder what other parts of the world that we disregard may become more ‘aesthetic’ to us, or the reverse. Will the ocean become less aesthetic and beautiful to us as we discover more about it? Or as environmental pollution/destruction ruins it? Will we have places on land, similar to aquariums, that mimic what the ocean used to be like?
This week’s reading was interesting because of all the new context it gave me about what our perception of the wilderness is, and how it came to be. What I found most interesting was the part talking about Native Americans, dubbed ‘Indians’ in the text–which also reveals the environment in which this was written. What the people saw as wilderness, was also the homes of the Native Americans, and was their land first. Once the Native Americans were driven out of their land, the land was seen as safe and peaceful, and not dangerous and savage. This goes to show what they viewed as civilized–people don’t make it civilized; rather one’s own perception of what society should be is what makes something civilized. How we view the wilderness and its safety can be connected to the changing views on the ocean as we discover more and more about it. In some older tales we’ve reviewed in this class, the sea creatures were seen as dangerous (Sirens), but more current literature shows a more productive/romance based relationship between the humans and sea creatures (the Little Mermaid). Through artistic depictions in the Victorian age and current depictions of the sea, we can see the difference in mankind’s thoughts of the sea.
I also found it interesting how Cronon talked about how we lose sight of the importance of protecting where we live since we are so focused on environmental preservation in the ‘wilderness’. This isn’t something I have thought about much, but I see how it applies. In my hometown, there’s a lot of push for urban development (as there is in many towns and cities nowadays), but with that urban development comes the loss of nature and beauty. Perhaps this partially stems from our curiosity in things that are not like us, or not something that is part of our day to day, but there is value in what seems so ordinary to us.
During the latter half of the 19th century, Japan made the transition from a feudal military country to a colonial power under the Meiji Era. Along with the adoption of Western ideas came the industrialization of the country (“A Brief History”). The Meiji Era ushered in coal and chemical plants, mills, refineries, copper mines, and pollutants (Seagrove 2). These new technologies brought new language too–the coining of the word “kogai” which Seagrove (1) describes as “industrial pollution that damages human health and the environment” (p.1). Despite the awareness of the negative environmental costs of industrialization, Japan continued to prioritize economic development as they gained global power. In the Japanese tale The Mermaid, the middle-aged man’s decision to release the mermaid reflects this human-first attitude adopted during the industrial revolution in the 1890s.
The Mermaid follows the story of a middle-aged man who lives by himself, having never married. When fishing one day, the man catches a mermaid. On page 206 of The Penguin Book of Mermaids, the passage reads: “ ‘Desinit in piscem mulier formosa superne.’ The mermaid’s face was tearful, for the hook was in her cheek, and there was also the shame of being forcibly dragged out of her native element; and the angler was a man of tender heart” (p. 206). The strong use of imagery in this quote, of the hook in the cheek and forcible dragging, represents the strong hand of the Japanese in trying to conquer the environment through technological advances. The usage of the phrase “native element” also reveals the use of a mermaid as a symbol for the environment, and the relationship between this man and mermaid represents interactions between Japanese and the environment. The Latin words, at the beginning of this quote, and presumably stated by the man, loosely translates to ‘the beautiful woman ends in a fish’s tail’. The structure of this sentence (and in the quotation) reveals how he sees the mermaid as a human first, and then secondly an element of nature, reflecting the human-first frame of mind this story was written in.
The man then contemplates what to do with the mermaid. The way that he ponders about what to do with her represents the commercialization of the environment that Japan was undergoing: “Gently extracting the hook from her jaws, he held her in his hands and meditatively speculated on the money which he could gain by selling her to an itinerant exhibition, or the long life which he might obtain by eating her flesh” (p.206) Many new technologies, such as power plants and mines were sources of economic gain from the environment in Japan. Not only does this quote represent commercialization and the commodification of nature, but it also illustrates the tensions in the transitional period that the Meiji Era brought. Choosing to sell the mermaid to an exhibition may have resulted from the newfound international trade brought in by the new era, while eating the mermaid comes from a Japanese belief involving immortality, and is more connected to the traditional eras of Japan. The man’s struggle between this choice represents the economic tug of war between an isolated, feudal Japan and the new, colonial Japan that was developing. In addition, the imagery of the man holding her in his hands contributes to the idea of Japan dominating and controlling nature, through how small and powerless it makes her appear.
Despite the two initial choices presented, the man decides to release the mermaid back into the water. However, his reasoning behind the release is not of respect for nature, or pity. The author states: “But his soul revolted at the thought of eating this fair creature, that whimpered and cried like a human being, and so after another long gaze he threw it back into the waves, when the mermaid, waving its grateful adieux, speedily dived out of sight” (p.206). The man does not choose to release the mermaid for any reason but that it reminds him of himself. This reflects the human-first attitude that the Meiji Era brought as it prioritized human advancement over preservation and respect for the environment. Had the mermaid not “whimpered and cried like a human being”, the man would not have returned her to the water, and would have made the choice between selling or eating her. Although the text describes the man as “a man of tender heart”, it seems his tenderness only extended to those who look and act like himself, not to all living beings in the world. This description of the mermaid also reflects how nature is at the mercy of the industrialization of Japan, since the man is the one in control. The mermaid’s gratefulness also contributes to this power dynamic.
Interestingly enough, this tale was published in English in a magazine in Tokyo. This decision to use the English language, as opposed to Japanese, may be another hint toward the Westernization of Japan at this time–as many citizens were sent to Europe to learn about how their country operated. Whether this story can be considered propaganda for the government and modernization, or perhaps a tale created from integration of European ideas and the story of Melusine, is unknown, but it does comment on many concepts of the Meiji Era–of modernization, power, transition. This developmental era in Japan’s history brought about much change for all of Japan, and this tale is an important representation of the attitudes toward nature in Japan during the Meiji Era.
Works Cited
Bacchilega, Cristina. Penguin Book of Mermaids. Penguin Publishing Group, 2019.
Japan, Heartland. “A Brief History of Japan from the Late 19th Century to the Early 20th
Century. – Heartland Japan.” Heartland Japan – Your Gateway to the Heartland of Japan.
Heartland Japan Offers Unforgettable Experiences for Walking, Cycling, Hiking, and
Dr. Antje Schmidt’s talk focused on close readings of the book written by Carla Cerda, which was filled with poems. These poems all related to each other, but stepped in and out of each other. Some of the main ideas in these poems were the effects of the lithium industry on the environment, the effects of the lithium industry on Chile, and human interaction with technology.
This talk relates to our course through the commentary on the environment. Our class is focused on “literature and the environment”, as it is named. This book, written by Carla Cerda, often discusses the interactions of humans with the environment, and being a collection of poems, it is literature. The poems speak on how humans have caused destruction in the environment through lithium mining (disturbing flamingo populations, local populations, indigenous populations), which is similar to how we discuss human interactions with the environment through use of the mermaid as a symbol of the environment. Also similar to our class, this book uses a story to make commentary about the environment. The poems loosely follow the story of a tour group on an elevator, which stops at different floors.
Another important part of this talk that is relevant to our class was how it exposes the current society. Often, in class, we talk about the influence of historical society or historical events on the writing (themes of Christianity, attitudes toward the environment, marriage). This collection of poems reflects the technological times of this decade through random inserts of technology related words or graphics. It also reflects current political times by making commentary on the lithium industry in Chile and its effects on the people and environment.
There were many ideas I was interested in in The Little Mermaid–Christianity, coming of age, familial love versus romantic love, Sirens, deformed monsters, beauty standards, the color red, ‘dumb’–but I was most intrigued by the symbolism of the pearls. It was not explained in this story beyond noble lines and status (unless I greatly missed something), so I decided to do a bit of research on the meaning behind pearls and how it may tie into this week’s reading. When the little mermaid’s grandmother is described, she is described as having the most pearls: “The sea-king had been a widower for many years, so his aged mother kept house for him. She was a very wise woman, but extremely proud of her noble birth, which entitled her to wear twelve oyster shells on her tail, while other well-born persons might only wear six” (p.108). One part I found noteworthy in this description was the number–is this related to the 12 disciples of Christ? Later, the little mermaid is given half pearls in her wreath when she comes of age.
So after looking online, I found this website that talked about symbolism of pearls https://www.gemsociety.org/article/history-legend-pearls-gems-yore/ (if anyone is inclined to read it). There are a few relevant points on this website, one of which is that pearls come from natural origins (formed in mollusks), which sets them apart from other precious gems (which are formed as minerals under the earth). As we have discussed in class, mermaids have a strong connection to the environment and often represent historical perspectives toward the environment. If pearls are a symbol of mermaids in this story, then we might assume that Anderson is stating that mermaids are part of nature/environment (also supported by the lack of soul), which also follows along with influence from Undine. Pearls and mermaids both have natural origins from nature.
There are also lunar associations with pearls, due to their shape, which is circular when in salt water. This may represent the little mermaid’s obsession with the human world and the sun. Since the sun and moon are opposite, and she doesn’t like wearing the pearls, and is constantly thinking of the sun, then these pearls may represent the moon and everything opposing her. When describing the little mermaid’s plot of ground for gardening, Anderson states: “the youngest planted hers in a circle to imitate the sun, and chose flowers as red as the fun appeared to her” (p.109). Later, when she turns 15 and adorned with pearls and other accessories, she thinks: “how gladly would she have shaken off all this pomp and laid aside her heavy wreath–the red flowers in her garden adorned her far better” (p.113).
Interestingly enough, the website also says that in Western culture pearls are often used as gifts for brides, and can keep newly wed brides from crying. One trait that stays consistent with the little mermaid in water and on land is that she cannot cry. “When the sisters rose up arm-in-arm through the water, the youngest would stand alone, looking after them, and felt ready to cry; only mermaids have no tears, and therefore suffer all the more” (p.113). This is when the little mermaid is still underwater. Later, when she is living among humans, she also cannot cry: “And the mermaid heaved a deep sigh, for tears she had none to shed” (p.125). If we continue to see pearls as a symbol for mermaids, then we can also see how pearls preventing brides from crying may also prevent mermaids from crying. It also gives a limited display of emotion for these merpeople, which makes them seem less human, even though they feel just as much.
The story Undine from the Penguin Book of Mermaids was the most interesting of the readings this week. While the other readings focused more on accounts of mermaids in the past few centuries, this story was of romance between a human and a mermaid. What I found most important in this story was the connection between mermaids and nature. As we have discussed in class, there are many connections between mermaids and nature throughout many stories. Mermaids often embody or represent nature, and how humans interact with them can represent their attitudes toward nature and the environment. This story has some of the most explicit connections between nature and mermaids that we have seen so far. During Undine’s speech, she states: “We and our like in the other elements, vanish into dust, and pass away, body and spirit, so not that a vestige of us remains behind; and when you mortals hereafter awake to a purer life, we remain with the sand and the sparks and the wind and the waves. Hence we also have no souls” (p. 105). This quote shows the difference between mermaids and humans, and the connection that mermaids hold with nature–they are one and the same, and mermaids will eventually return to the earth. Another important part of this quote to note is the choice of words ‘purer life’. This reveals the Christian nature of the text, as purer life is implied to be heaven. Toward the end of this chapter, Undine also makes a comment about her uncle that furthers strengthens this melding of mermaid and nature: “I will dive into this brook, which is my uncle; and here in the forest, far removed from other friends, he passes his strange and solitary life. He is however powerful, and is esteemed and beloved by many great streams” (p. 106). This quote also reveals the deep connection between nature and merpeople. Not only is Undine’s uncle a brook, but she is also able to recognize him in his nature form (unless this knowledge was acquired previously). It seems to imply that when a mermaid dies and goes back to the earth, they become some sort of water, as Undine will do on her husband’s grave when he dies. Perhaps the overarching storyline described in italics at the beginning of this chapter is supposed to represent man’s troubled relationship with nature–at one moment, in love and full of respect, the next having betrayed her.
Another interesting part of this story was the elements of Christianity–the gaining of a soul, the inability to go to Heaven/any sort of afterlife without one. I also found it interesting that similar to Melusine, Undine is not upfront about who she is to her romantic partner. Although she does willingly tell her husband of her mermaid side (unlike Melusine), she still decides to hide her true self before they marry. Is this to add a lack of trust to mermaids? Or to make commentary that one does not need to fully divulge every bit of one’s self to be in love? That some things can be kept secret without hindering a relationship?
What I found most interesting this week was the difference between the Melusine origin story in the Penguin book versus the story told in the Romance of the Faery Melusine. In the Penguin Book of Mermaids, it states that Melusine (called Melusina in this book), has a serpent tale and does not appear as a mermaid. However, as we see in the Romance of the Faery Melusine, she is represented as a mermaid. In fact, the entire room that she hides in on Saturdays is made up for a mermaid–containing sand, water, shells, and coral. I think that this is because of the Christian Church. As we learned in the first chapter of the Merpeople book, the Christian Church chose the image of the mermaid for their own deviant needs (to belittle women and bring more followers to the church). This book, at least from the chapters we read, seems to have big Christian themes and God/Jesus is constantly mentioned. For instance, on page 12: “In those days men identified with things that could lead them further into the unknown; they sought in all directions the extension of their physical and spiritual power. So they believed and so they lived, sure of themselves and strong at one moment, at the next deflated and weak, falling to their knees for restoration from another source, the Lord Jesus Christ. And things, animals or people, trees or weapons, were more themselves… And the law of God prevailed over all.” These not so subtle mentions of Christian ideology are important because they give us context to who may have written this text, and where this text may have originated from. Clearly, it was written during a time where many were religious and believed in God. These men mentioned in this quote rely on Jesus Christ, and believe God is almighty. There are many mentions of God in this text–I will not list them all as it would be boring and extended–-but some important ones are “I am as faithful a Christian as you are” (p. 25), “before God and in the face of ourselves, and will marry you as soon as you wish in a church” (p. 26), “Could it be the Devil?” (p. 121), and “Pray devotedly to Our Lord to relieve my sufferings and shorten the time of my ordeal” (p. 144). These quotes further reveal the Christian beliefs of the time. In addition, Melusine is depicted combing her hair and using a mirror–which are associated with vanity (which I believe came from the Christian Church). She is also sexualized, as the Christian Church did with their mermaids: “flawless figure of a woman, forever young… her bent back magnificent in profile, her breasts raised… the exquisite flesh” (p.125). While the Penguin Book says that Christian framework makes her a more positive character aligned with water, I am not sure this is so true. I feel like this story was adopted to further demonize women, as liars and deceivers (as she was not truthful about what happened on Saturdays). Not only this, but Raymondin accuses Melusine of having damned children, and that she is a phantom and her children are as well, which could maybe imply that women can bear devilish fruit (but it could not be the man’s fault).
For week four, we read about water deities and sirens from olden times. I found all of these stories interesting as they varied in culture, time, and type of aquatic being. The one that intrigued me the most was the first one, about Oannes. Unlike most modern day representations of aquatic life, Oannes is depicted as a being with more intelligence and knowledge than his human counterparts. As the author states: “Oannes educates humans… hybrid creatures associated with the sea are holders of knowledge” (p.3). This is significant because it is similar to the idea of the Sirens, who also possess knowledge that humans crave. However, Oannes does not have a deviant plan like the Sirens; his mission seems to be solely to help humankind. On page 4: “This Being…used to converse with men… and he gave them an insight into letters, and sciences, and…art. He taught them to construct houses, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometrical knowledge.” This passage reveals Oannes’ superior knowledge to humans. This idea of an aquatic being with higher levels of intelligence than our species touches on a point we discussed last week in class–that some merpeople or aquatic beings have the ability to transform into humans and walk among us. While reactions to this idea may vary from fear to fascination, it does mean that these aquatic beings know more of the world than humans, and have more freedom with their ability to choose their world. I think that this fear vs fascination reaction can be determined by what this being chooses to use its intelligence for–a character like Oannes may not induce as much fear as one who plans to use their knowledge for sinister means. Not only is Oannes depicted as one with more practical intelligence, but he also seems to have better social intelligence, and perhaps morals: “He instructed them in everything which could tend to soften manners and humanise mankind” (p.4). What I found interesting in this quote was the phrase “humanise mankind”. An aquatic being being the one to humanize the humans is an unnatural concept, but not one that is impossible. With the harm and hurt humans do to one another, a mediator is often what is needed. In addition, it leans further into the idea that Oannes and other aquatic beings have superior knowledge to humans, in scholastic and social aspects.
Another part of this story I wanted to touch on was Oannes’ ability to return to the sea in the night, as it was his home. Last week, someone talked about the Selkies, and how their return to the sea was restricted by men taking their shedded pelts and holding them hostage, since these women could not return to their seal forms without the pelts. I find it interesting that Oannes is a male sea creature, and I wonder if this freedom has something to do with his gender. While human men, in many of these mermaid stories, want to tame and conquer aquatic women, not as many aquatic men are subject to being conquered in the same manner.
What I found interesting in the reading this week was some of the ideas presented in the Penguin Book of Mermaids. This introduction discussed some of the differences in cultural representations of mermaids. For instance, the Romans and Greeks had Sirens, who were seen as harlots. In Britain, mermaids were compared to prostitutes: “…the appellation of prostitutes as ‘mermaids’ in early modern British culture likewise attests to how a woman who oversteps the boundaries of gender propriety has, over centuries, risked being defined as monstrous” (p. xiii). Both these cultures clearly look down upon these ideas of mermaids, and the feminine. This has an interesting contrast when compared to Hawaiian ideas of mermaids, which is also discussed briefly in this introductory chapter. The author states: “Significantly, there are no tales of men who try to tame their mo’o partners, because the mo’o, like the features of the water they embody, cannot be contained or domesticated” (p. xx). This representation of mermaids in Hawaiian culture allows them to be independent beings, who are not being objectified, or ‘tamed’, like other stories. Meanwhile, European culture is more focused on the idea of ‘taming’ a woman, and the struggle for power between a man and woman who are romantically involved. When discussing European cultural views of mermaids, the author states: “These tales speak to the discrepancy between men’s longing for a woman unfettered by social mores and their attempt to control her by domesticating her” (p.xviii). Not only can these ideas of taming a mermaid be seen in these tales, but this can be seen in modern day relationships, where some men have the mindset of ‘taming’ a woman and expecting submission.
I found these cultural examinations of perception of mermaids to be interesting as the other reading from Merpeople was more focused on the Christian Church and how Europeans viewed mermaids. I am interested in learning more about how Hawaiian culture viewed merpeople, and how other cultures may have viewed mermaids with respect and as equals, as opposed to mythical creatures that are both intriguing and dangerous. I do wonder if Indigenous culture plays a role in how mermaids may be viewed. In the introduction to Penguin Book of Mermaids, the author briefly mentions that “mermaids and other water spirits raised issues of gender, voice, and sexuality, as well as knowledge, ecology, and spirituality–especially but not only in Indigenous contexts” (p. x). I don’t want to speak on something I do not know much about, but it is my understanding that some Indigenous cultures, especially in the US, believe that animals have spirits and often represent significant things in these cultures. So, I wonder if Indigenous Hawaiian culture, if possessing similar beliefs, may have had more respect for merpeople because of this–having previous respect for non-human forms leads to respect for half human half animal forms.
