Category Archives: Final Essay

Industrialization Calls for the Final Siren Song

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Jonah Mathewson

Dr. Pressman 

ECL 305 

09 May 2024

Throughout the 4.6 billion year old history of the World, there have been 5 great extinctions all from natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes, temperature changes, etc. When the humans first arrived some seven million years ago, so did the 6th great extinction, named the “Anthropocene extinction” Except this time, it is not from natural causes and is due solely to the unsustainable practices of humans beginning around the inception of Britain’s Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. Though this is the first instance a species has been the culprit of this crisis, it is also the first time they are conscious of it, and awareness has been spreading rapidly through various mediums via contemporary art and literature regarding the environment. In “Sirenomelia” (2017), Emilija Škarnulytė utilizes vivid visual imagery and the symbolic title referencing a genetic disorder to starkly illuminate the damaging impact of industrialization on the environment. Through meticulously crafted snapshots of various settings and using unique sounds, the film compellingly underscores the urgent need to reassess our relationship with industry and prioritize environmental sustainability. Furthermore, “The Emergence of Environmental Humanities” (2017) by Robert S. Emmett and David E. Nye, provides additional support for this argument, revealing how industrialization has profoundly impacted the physical environment and the need to spread awareness.

Before we jump into the analysis, it is important to understand what industrialization and environment sustainability is. A few characteristics of industrialization are the mass production techniques, economic growth, technological advancement, and extraction/utilization of fossil fuels and natural resources. Though some of these traits may seem harmless and beneficial they often come with downsides to both the World and the human species directly. The second term, Environmental sustainability, is the ability to maintain an ecological balance in our planet’s natural environment and conserve natural resources to support the wellbeing of current and future generations. The key aspects of environmental sustainability are conserving biodiversity, using renewable energy, minimizing pollution, promoting recycling and reuse. These two traits work hand in hand because the detrimental effects of industrialization can be slowed or solved by implementing environmental sustainability practices, both of which are portrayed in these literature pieces.

Emilija Škarnulytė’s short art film “Sirenomelia” (2017) is named after a rare congenital deformity called Mermaid Syndrome (which we’ll discuss later) and takes place at a decommissioned NATO submarine base above the Arctic Circle. The beginning of the film opens with machinery and mechanical noises accompanied with scenic views of the surrounding natural environment. Then the mermaid takes us on a tour of the base swimming through its dark canals used for transporting the submarines and then finally escaping the fortress and into the open ocean. The film uses different noises that evoke certain emotions and implements sudden cutscenes to very distinct environments (arctic snow landscape, dark tunnels, open ocean) enabling the audience to critically think and analyze what is happening and the significance of every scene. Though there is a lot to digest throughout the six minute and eleven second video, there are several scenes that resonate with me and the topics they represent that we’ll dive in to.

The primary setting is a top-secret submarine military base that most likely housed nuclear material given the fact Western style submarines operate off nuclear power and certainly carry nuclear warheads onboard. This aligns with the technological advancement aspect of industrialization, as nuclear power remains relatively new and scientists are continually working to enhance its efficiency. However, we have seen its negative affects on the environment from disaster like Chernobyl where the people were forced to evacuate, and the animals forced to suffer the repercussions including genetic deformities. This ties in with the title of the film as well “Sirenomelia” is a genetic disorder where infants are born with partial or complete fusion of the legs suggesting the mermaid in this video represents the negative outcome of industrialization. Another note, the military interlinks with industrialism prior to nuclear fission because it’s readiness for war requires the mass production of guns, bullets, and uniforms.

One clip from the video (1:00-1:30) shows rotating satellite machinery and has a special effect where the satellite is spliced in to two and when it rotates becomes whole again. This is probably a reference of how mermaids have a partial split tail but are conjoined together at the legs. Throughout this clip you can’t ignore the loud whirring noise in the background. It sounds like its taken out of some alien horror movie and builds suspense up until the display of the film’s title (1:30) where it unleashes a piercing noise and the reveal of the conjoined satellite dish where it makes us judge these machines as scary and unfriendly. At (2:00) it cuts from an antenna to a still video of a body of water with blocks of ice melting away indicating that industrialization of the region with its outposts and satellites is the cause for the ice’s demise.

We are then cut to what appears to be the canal system the submarines use for transiting, it is extremely dark, our view is limited, and you hear the dull sound of metal grinding against each other, but at least we meet our beloved mermaid (2:50). The same body of water appears again but this time with less ice and with the environment appearing more lifeless (2:55), the back-and-forth cutscenes with the same body of water with a deteriorating state indicates that as we witness more industrialization from outposts (1:40) to underground submarine canal systems (2:50) we also witness its negative relationship with the ecosystem.

Further display of the military base with an outside point-of-view (3:35) and the mermaid’s tour of the submarine bay (4:13) reveal the base’s size and sophistication. This time, there is no cutscene to that previous body of water with the melting ice, instead it shows the mermaid leaving the base and swimming in an open ocean (5:00) showing that the damage has been done and all the ice is gone. During this time, the background noise switches up completely from eerie and loud to calm and peaceful because the mermaid is now fully surrounded by nature. However, we still hear the beeping of machines although it is more subtle, it is a reminder than even though the mermaid is not in the building, she is still experiencing its effects (5:00-5:10).

This artwork aims to bring awareness to the environmental crisis caused by industrialization by showing its effects on the environment and displaying that it can be stopped and even reversed. Although in the end there is an absence of ice, one scene shows that nature is beginning to heal by regrowing on what appears to be steel beams that are part of the base (3:15-3:25). Of course, in order for this to happen is for the base to become decommissioned or abandoned by humans. However, the absence of humans in the World doesn’t have to happen for nature to regrow, instead to be more mindful towards it. The film shows the human’s lack of mindfulness when we’re shown a very sophisticated facility capable of housing nuclear material only for it to be out-of-service. What a waste of resources… and taxpayer money. Additionally, the presence of a mermaid gives the audience emotion towards the crisis since mermaids are part human expanding the channel for sympathizing but is also animal bridging the gap between the two worlds of civilization and the wilderness.

In “The Emergence of Environmental Humanities” (2017), Robert S. Emmett and David E. Nye detail the negative impacts industrialization has brought on the World. They write, “industrialization and western imperialism, which together accelerated resource extraction, consumption, pollution, population growth, species extinction, and global warming” (Emmett and Nye pg.3).  Throughout the text Emmett and Nye give specific scenarios and statistics about these effects, but they explicitly say they do not have the solutions for them, rather they are set on spreading awareness of the issue, “we do not claim that we already know how to solve the many fundamental challenges to society. We seek, rather, to show how humanists are improving our understanding of the problems and contributing to their solution” (Emmett and Nye pg.2) It is known that the affects of the daily activities we partake in is not sustainable for the environment, if it was then there wouldn’t be, “…species extinction is occurring at an alarming rate…seas are overfished, the air is increasingly polluted, the oceans contain vast floating islands of plastic, and the amount of garbage produced by human consumption grows year by year” (Emmett and Nye pg.1). So to change our daily activities, which many people are reluctant to change their routine at all, then awareness of these issues must be spread effectively to capture the emotions of the population. Emmett and Nye make a great point of this when they say, “…scientists excel at identifying and explaining such problems, but they alone cannot solve them… One can build a self-sufficient solar house, for example, but that does not mean the average consumer will buy one” (Emmett and Nye pg.1). Meaning you can spread awareness of these issues, but if the message isn’t moving enough, how do you expect someone to willing move into a self-sufficient solar house.

In conclusion, for the first time in 4.6 billion years one species has become the conscious driver for mass extinction, humans. What is called the 6th great extinction or the Anthropocene extinction is cause by unsustainable practices of industrialization and threatens the global environment today. Emilija Škarnulytė’s art film “Sirenomelia” (2017) and the scholarly book, “The Emergence of Environmental Humanities” (2017) by Robert S. Emmett and David E. Nye are reminders of the need to not only improve the relationship between the industry and environmental sustainability, but to prioritize it. Through visual imagery and research these works highlight the detrimental impact of industrialization on the environment and stress the importance of spreading effective awareness. It is imperative that we acknowledge these issues and take steps to halt and reverse the negative effects of industrialization to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Works Cited

Emmett, Robert and Nye, David. “The Emergence of Environmental Humanities” The Environemental Humanities: A Critical Introduction, eds. Robert S. Emmett and David E. Nye (MIT Press, 2017) (pgs. 1-21)

Škarnulytė, Emilija. “Video Art Visions: Sirenomelia.” Youtube, uploaded by NOWNESS, 02 August 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foH0QGuC3kY.

Final Essay

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Carina Virto 

ECL 305 

Professor Pressman 

09, May 2024 

Finding Your Balance: History and Self Identity Combined 

History is a collection of events that have already occurred, the present is the known, and the future is unknown; each of these ideologies rely on one another, without one there is not the other. The book The Deep, by River Soloman, presents a character named Yetu who is appointed the grand responsibility of maintaining and holding the entire history of her people. This responsibility poses a great threat to her own wellbeing; as it overcomes her, it becomes her losing her own sense of identity. In an attempt for self preservation, Yetu flees this responsibility and meets a two leg, meaning human, named Oori who contrasts Yetu in the way that Oori’s people are gone and with them her own sense of identity and feeling of belonging in the world. The novel The Deep presents the character contrast between Yetu and Oori to serve as a representation of the importance of balancing one’s’ history and ones’ present circumstances, emphasizing the preservation of self identity and safeguarding the continuation of ones’ culture for future generations. 

When the novel opens, the reader meets Yetu moments after her attempted suicide, one of the first of many negative occurrences caused by all of the pain and suffering she had endured as the Historian. A Historian is a single, carefully selected, Wajinru whose sole purpose is to remember the entire history of their people. Wajinru are mermaid-like creatures who communicate with each other through sensory measures. This fact creates the idea that Wajinru are interconnected with their emotions on a physical level making the role of a Historian to be a physically and emotionally demanding role. This responsibility overcame Yetu on many levels, especially attacking her own wellbeing as the “rememberings were always drawing her backward into the ancestors’ memories—that was what they were supposed to do—but not at the expense of her life” (Soloman, 2). When a responsibility becomes so taxing on one’s mind and body, regardless of its original purpose, the person will naturally begin to repel whatever is causing them harm as an instinctual response. Too much of one thing, in this case historical grievances placed upon a highly sensitive individual, will fail to prolong, and even more so if this thing negatively affects an individual. The purpose of history is to teach the present past mistakes, enrich the minds of future generations, and to maintain culture but none of that can be acknowledged by Yetu if her history becomes a mental and physical burden. Yetu is her own person and the history of her people is consuming her, so much so, that the preservation of the rememberings is placed above her own as it “had been plain to all for many years that Yetu was a creature on the precipice, and without a successor in place, [the history of the Wajinru would] be lost” (Soloman, 4). Her community was more concerned about the memories she held than who Yetu was or how she felt. At the end of the day all mammals are ruled by their instinctual need for survival and though Yetu’s life was not always in physical danger her role as a Historian became more regarded than herself as a living being. This dynamic between Yetu, her people, and history created a disconnect between each of these facets; causing Yetu to flee her responsibility, people, and culture. Too much history, living in the past and becoming absent in the present, began to threaten Yetu’s sense of identity when her history was supposed to help shape it, therefore evoking the outcome of her completely abandoning it; leaving the history of her people to be lost as she found herself.  

Contrastingly, the lack of connection Oori had with her own history and people created a profound absence of self identity and a pervasive sense of displacement within the world and her place within it.​​ The readers are introduced to Oori when one of the two legs, Suka, told Yetu it was Oori that had been supplying her the fish that were keeping her alive. When Yetu asked if Oori was one of Suka’s family members she had replied that she wasnt and that “[Oori’s] from an island off the northwestern coast. [Suka’s family were] inland mainland folk, and much farther south.” Although Oori had traded, usually giving more than taking, to Suka’s family for a while she was still not considered one of them; she was still an outsider from another land, one that was nearly nonexistent. In that same manner, Oori did her own thing and lived in her own way as Suka remarked that Oori did things as she wanted to. This way of life that seemed “other” to Suka could very well be the culture of her people which creates this disconnect between Oori and people like Suka. Oori fails to fit into a mold she was not cultivated for, therefore isolating herself from the people who inhabit the land she has found a home in. This sort of disconnect is poised to attack Oori’s understanding of her place in this society and may even push her to disregard her culture and history to assimilate to her new environment, further perpetuating the idea that a common history and way of life people share ground them. Oori was a part of a people called Oshuben and they had all died. With the passing of her people were also the loss of their stories, culture, and history. Due to these circumstances, as much as Suka’s people rejected her, she rejected them. Suka explained to Yetu that Oori did not like being thanked as it was “too close to kinship for her, which she doesn’t do” (Soloman, 82). Kinship to Oori was something she believed she did not have, and could not have, due to her people being deceased; she clung onto the few memories and traditions she still shared with her lost people. If Oori were to connect with a new people, she would feel as if she is further losing sight of her identity. Oori is the last of her people and without her constant mindfulness to keep her culture in mind when interacting with new people, traditions, and culture then the Oshuben will officially be lost. Her peoples’ history survives through her, presenting Oori as a historian for her own people; she will continue to reject all connection with other peoples as she feels she will have abandoned her people and be responsible for their loss. This will further isolate her and inadvertently attack her sense of belonging. 

Yetu and Oori pose as character foils and through this dynamic a balance of too much history and not enough can create just enough of each; a balance. When Oori first informs Yetu of the loss of her people, the two of them had varying perceptions of it being a positive or negative outcome within the grand scheme of things. Yetu felt it was not the worst thing to lose everything, that without a people to hold Oori to standards or expectations she “had room to think. To know what she wanted and believed”. Yetu felt that with her new found freedom she “[knew] who [she was]now” that she “-wasn’t Yetu. [She] was just a shell for their whims” (Soloman, 93). Yetu had too much pressure on her created by her ancestors and people that she had no room to be herself, to add her own mark on history, causing her to reject it. On the other hand, Oori responded to these ideologies saying she “would take any amount of pain in the world if it meant I could know all the memories of the Oshuben. [She] barely [knew] any stories from [her] parents’ generation,” (93). Oori is perplexed by the willingness of Yetu to leave her people asking, “How could [she] leave behind something like that? Doesn’t it hurt not to know who you are?”. Here the reader is presented with two opposite ends of a spectrum: Yetu with too much history where she cannot find a sense of self identity and importance, and Oori who has little to no history or connection with her people making it difficult for her to feel she has the permission to find herself. This is the reason that people must find a balance between their history and present. Though they posed as each other’s opposites, they craved each other. When Yetu found Oori sailing away from her lost home, she beckoned her to join her in the water saying, “Stay with me, and we will make a new thing. What’s behind us, it is done,” (Soloman, 153). The reader is seeing two worlds collide; the union of Oori and Yetu is a balance of too much history and not enough. They both will take what their past has taught them and implement it into their present lives, adding their own flair which further extends their peoples way of life that will too become history. Oori’s transformation into a “new thing” is the physical embodiment of history and the present creating a hybrid version of itself. The past offers lessons and answers of previous generations that may apply to the present generations; with this knowledge the current generation will feel free to take that knowledge and apply it to their current society, creating a “new thing”. 

Solomon was able to craft the idea that keeping ones’ history with them in the present while also adding their own ideals onto it, creating a future, is the way to preserve both culture and self identity. Yetu rejected her people and what they represented due to a sense of displacement within her own home; she had no room to be herself since she was living for everyone else in the past. Moreover, Oori had no people to rely on and when one has no real sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves, they tend to cling onto what little they do have, dissipating any room they had to belong anywhere else. The balance between these two dynamics is imperative and is what will ensure that people connect with their past, present and future. 

Works Cited 

Soloman, R. The Deep. Simon & Schuster, 2019      

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.

Final Essay

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Sophia Fugazzotto 

ECL 305 

Professor Pressman 

May 7th, 2024 

The Contemporary Mermaid

Mermaids, although fantastical creatures, are created by humans, and can represent humans’ own struggle with the concept of gender. They are modern entities that are gender fluid, that do not assign roles or confine people, but are also like humans on their top half. Instead of being a foreign being of nature that is allowed to act differently than us, they are a hybrid that sits between human and nature. Mermaids of contemporary culture complicate gender roles with their refusal to conform to a gender, forcing us to reflect on our own need to categorize people into genders. In this essay, three different mediums of mermaids will be examined; Stephanie Burt’s “We Are Mermaids”, River Solomon’s The Deep, and my own photograph. 

Stephanie Burt’s poem “We Are Mermaids” is an example of a piece of work that encourages the reader to consider gender norms and roles by providing the perspective of a non terracentric world. Perhaps with this title, Burt is making the point that we ourselves are mermaids; we are gender fluid beings, and mermaids are a reflection of a part of us that does not need to be confined to gendering by genitalia. The poem focuses on a world in the water, one that seems constant, but is complex and full of choice. The water is a place of fluidity, freedom, lacking the pressures we feel on land: “You can spend your life benthic, or brackish, subsisting and even thriving where a fingertip comes away saline and still refreshing, exploring the estuary, the submerged lip, and congeries of overlapping shores on the green black water, the harbor, the bay” (Burt, lines 24-29). This gives a view into a world that is unconstrained by demands of human life, the aquatic world is allowed to be ever-changing and fluid–as contemporary mermaids are in their lack of gender conformity. The poem also constantly changes the point of view, through use of ‘we’, ‘they’, and ‘you’. By changing this point of view, it prevents the reader from creating a solid conception of a being, and allows for an interpretation of fluidity. Another relevant part of this poem is the author herself. Stephanie Burt is a transgender woman, and many of her poems in this collection focus on the transgender experience and activism. This perspective is important to gender fluidity because it shows that one can be fluid in expressing their gender. 

In addition, the poem also brings up the topic of purpose in our world, and the nature focused perspective allows us to see our society in a different light. “You don’t have to be useful, you are not required to come up with something to say” (Burt, lines 21-23). This stanza, by Burt, tells us that we don’t have to play by the rules of this industrial society; rather we can be whoever we want to be, we don’t have to meet the expectations of others. Sophia Raya discusses this stanza in her blog post, considering how our value as a person comes from the role we play in an industrialized world, and gender roles create social expectations within this world. She also says: “Being a mermaid, like more oceanic ways of thinking, is not constrained to rigid structures that have been imposed on them by society and other terracentric ways of thinking. Instead, mermaids and any other aquatic creatures can occupy any space or even become a part of that space where fluidity and water is found” (Raya, 2024). Without a society and the need to be useful, mermaids are allowed a free and fluid lifestyle, where they can choose to express themselves however they please.

Another text that represents contemporary, gender fluid mermaids is The Deep by Rivers Solomon. In this novel, the main character, Yetu, interacts with Oori. Yetu is a mermaid, who lives in the depths of the ocean, while Oori is a human, or ‘two-legs’ as the mermaids call them. The contrast between these two characters is important because it provides a perspective of our culture’s social norms from someone from a different culture, and even a different world. As Yetu and Oori converse, the topic of sex comes up. Yetu, being a mermaid, possesses a tail, as opposed to two legs, like humans. Yetu reflects on the perspective of gender of the wajinru: “Wajinru bodies didn’t tend to have differences along those lines, but like two legs, there were men, women, both, and neither. Such things were self determined, and Yetu wondered if two-legs had body determination too” (Solomon, 116). This passage illustrates the self determined nature of the wajinru. It opens the possibility of there being more than two genders, as well as the ability to choose for oneself. This presents a sharp contrast to our society, where gender is assigned at birth, based on the genitalia that one possesses. Rather than being determined by their orientation in a sexual relationship, their gender is chosen by themselves, which separates sex and gender. Although sex is determined by chromosomes, our culture associates gender with sex and the lines between the two are blurred. Gender often comes with roles and expectations as it is a social construction. Yetu adds later: “‘Wajinru have a place to envelope, and then there’s something else, and that is what gives sperm. Yet it is always tucked away until the time of mating’” (Solomon, 117). This quote is an important addition to the first because it emphasizes the point that wajinru are capable of taking on both ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ roles of sexual acts, yet their gender could be man, woman, both, or neither, regardless of whether they choose to envelope or to release sperm during mating. 

This part of this novel is an important example of how mermaids allow us to reflect on our cultural norms of gender through their lack of need to confine a mermaid to one, and through the innocence of Yetu. Yetu does not understand how our culture works, and how we choose to assign gender and categorize people, and this perspective can show us how unimportant our idea of gender is. 

Finally, this photograph, created by me, is intended to portray a gender fluid mermaid through the posing, model choice, and mermaid tail. The mermaid is a hybrid creature, and depictions of them often allow us to project ourselves into them because of their half human nature. In this photo, the model’s top half is human, with a piece of human clothing covering their chest. The bottom half, however, is in a mermaid tail. 

Posing was an important part of this shoot. I wanted to create a more masculine mermaid, since many depictions of mermaids tend to be feminine–even the name mermaid is feminine. In this photo, the mermaid is flexing their arm, which is a more traditionally masculine pose, since strength is often associated with men. Having masculine posing on a more feminine body creates a disruption in categorizing this mermaid into a gender, and allows us to rest in a place of fluidity. In addition, the choice to have the mermaid on a rock, and not in the water, represents mermaids’ ability to be part of our world. Even the rock on which the model sits is disrupted by a rusted pipe that is clearly manmade, showing the mix between two worlds. This photograph was taken on the beach, as it is a common place for mermaids to be across different mediums. 

The model for this shoot is also gender fluid, going by she/her, they/them, and he/him pronouns. This is particularly relevant to this topic, as contemporary mermaids represent a gender fluid entity through their intentional indecision on gender. Being able to work with a gender fluid model who was also comfortable moving between more feminine and masculine poses was an advantage in this shoot. 

And the mermaid tail, of course, contributes greatly to this photo. Mermaids do not have what we have; they possess tails on their bottom half. In this photo, the mermaid tail covers the bottom half of the model. Therefore, we cannot categorize them so easily, and although we may be tempted to, we do not need to. Representations of contemporary mermaids, such as this photo, and the wajinru in The Deep emphasize the point that we should perhaps reflect on our need to categorize and organize.  

These three contemporary works contain mermaid centered ideas that allow us to reflect on ourselves. These fantastical creatures can easily be seen as separate from us, part of nature, different, but the reality is that they can be used as a mirror to analyze ourselves, our social norms, and our history. They can show us how our norms, such as gender and gender roles, are not as significant or ‘correct’ as we think, with their own fluidity and lack of need to categorize themselves or each other. 

Works Cited 

Burt, Stephanie. We Are Mermaids, Graywolf Press, 2022.

Mermaid on Rock. 16 Apr. 2024. Windnsea Beach, San Diego.

Raya, Sophia. “We Are Mermaids .” Literature and the Environment: Mermaids, 29 Apr. 2024, 

https://spring2024-ecl305.jessicapressman.com/we-are-mermaids-2/.

Solomon, Rivers, et al. “Chapter 7.” The Deep, Saga Press, 2019, pp. 106–126. 

Final Essay

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Paige Harrisberger

Professor Jessica Pressman

ECL 305: Literature & Environment

9 May 2024

Reimagining History Through the Ocean

In Derek Walcott’s poem “The Sea is History,” published in 1979, the sea serves as more than just a physical entity; it embodies an archive of collective memory, a symbol of both hope and tragedy, and a metaphor for the complex history and identity of the Caribbean people. The poem is an invitation to reconsider conventional narratives of history and to explore the sea as a storage of collective memory and untold stories. Reading the poem this way challenges the traditional modes of historical studies that often prioritize written records and official accounts. In the past, academic scholarship has shown an evident terrestrial bias, overlooking the deep-rooted influence the ocean realm has on the human experience. In “The Blue Humanities,” published in 2013, written by John Gillis, he writes about addressing the shift to recognize oceans as driving forces in shaping global history. 

Derek Walcott’s poem “The Sea is History” dives into the belief that the sea embodies more than just physicality; it represents a reservoir of collective memory and a repository of untold histories. The title of the poem itself suggests that the sea is an archive of history, challenging traditional methods of historical documentation and interpretation. The lines “there was the sound/like a rumour without any echo” from the poem evoke a sense of mystery and ambiguity, inviting his readers to contemplate the complicated nature of historical truth and the complex relationship between memory and silence. The metaphor of a rumour, with its implications of hearsay and uncertainty, reflects the idea that history is often shaped by subjective interpretations and selective recollections. Like a rumour that spreads through word of mouth, historical narratives can be distorted or manipulated over time, leading to a snowball effect of conflicting accounts and obscured truths. Rumours are often unsubstantiated, subject to distortion, and easily forgotten, mirroring the malleability and fragility that is mirrored by historical narratives. This metaphor holds a significance in terms of Walcott’s cultural context, particularly within the Carribbean context, where oral tradition plays a crucial role in shaping collective memory and identity. In Caribbean history, colonial powers exerted significant control over the narratives that shaped perceptions of the region and its people. European colonizers, such as the Spanish, Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch, sought to portray their colonization efforts as aimed at civilizing and uplifting indigenous populations. They imposed their cultural, economic, and political dominance over the Caribbean islands, shaping the collective understanding of the region’s history in accordance with their own interests. Colonial powers often depicted their colonization efforts as noble endeavors. However, beneath the false appearance lay a blunt reality of exploitation, oppression, and domination. Colonial powers systematically stripped the natural resources of the Caribbean, exploiting indigenous labor and forcibly displacing entire communities to work on plantations and in mines. The transatlantic slave trade further intensified the exploitation and dehumanization of African peoples, who were forcibly transported to the Caribbean to work under brutal conditions on sugar, cotton, and tobacco plantations. Moreover, colonial powers implemented systems of racial hierarchy and discrimination that sustained social, economic, and political inequalities long after the end of formal colonization. Indigenous peoples and Africans were marginalized, disenfranchised, and subjected to violence and discrimination, while European settlers and their descendants enjoyed privilege, wealth, and power. 

The second part of the line I mentioned earlier, “without any echo,” further reinforces the idea of silence and erasure, suggesting that certain voices and perspectives may be lost or disregarded in the retelling of history. In the context of the poem, this silence may represent the voices of marginalized or oppressed communities whose experiences have been overlooked or silenced by dominant historical narratives. Moreover, the comparison to an echoless rumour implies a sense of hopelessness in attempting to uncover the full extent of historical truth. Just as an echo fades into silence, leaving behind only traces of its existence, so do the voices and memories of the past gradually disappear over time, leaving behind fragmented and incomplete accounts of history.​​​ The final line of the poem reads, “of History, really beginning.” The capitalization of the “H” in History holds significance, signaling to the gravity and universality of the concept being referred to. Capitalizing “History” raises it to a proper noun, giving it a sense of importance and authority. It suggests that History is not simply just a series of events but a profound and meaningful entity that shapes the trajectory of human civilization. Walcott may also be implying that History is an ongoing and evolving process, with each moment of time contributing to the overall narrative. In this sense, History is not static but dynamic, constantly being written and unwritten by different generations.  

These lines from Derek Walcott’s poem draw parallels to John R. Gillis’s ideas from “The Blue Humanities” by proving there is an evolving perception of the sea in a historical context. Gillis’s statement, “The historicization of the oceans is one of the most striking trends in the blue humanities. History no longer stops at the water’s edge,” demonstrates the growing acknowledgement of the ocean’s significance on human experience and culture. This recognition challenges the traditional land-centric views that historians have had and expands the inquiry past land and into the ocean. Since previous narratives have often overlooked seeing the sea as history, it signifies a departure from these ideas. By saying, “History no longer stops at the water’s edge,” Gillis is suggesting a reconfiguration of historical boundaries because what really are boundaries? The expansion of these invented historical borders can encourage scholars to look at the interconnectedness between land and sea, and not as separate entities. There is a fluidity and permeability to the human experience. The ocean allows for the exchange and interaction between continents and countries across the globe. He mentions these are the trends in the blue humanities, where the focus is not just in one field, but combining knowledge from multiple different fields to form a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between humans and the oceanic environment. 

The historization of the oceans is a shift being made in terms of scholarly perspectives, and it is equally important to recognize the cultural dimensions of the sea. As Gillis emphasizes, “Sea stories, chanties, and marine painting are by no means new, but it is only recently that they have been subject to academic scrutiny.” This quote shows the importance of examining the part that cultural expressions and artifacts play in connecting humans and the ocean. Sea stories, chanties, and marine paintings all have their individualistic way of retelling history and they are not simply just artistic expression. Just these serve as vessels of history, so does Derek Walcott’s poem, “The Sea is History.” His poem acts as a medium of retelling and reinterpreting the complex history and identity of the Caribbean people. It can be seen as a sea story where he pulls together the hardships of slavery and colonization with the sea as the backdrop setting. By subjecting cultural expressions, such as this poem, to academic scrutiny, scholars working in the blue humanities are able to uncover a richer, more inclusive history. They are able to trace back the perceptions of the ocean and the ways in which humans interacted and interpreted it throughout time. This fosters a deeper appreciation for human culture and our constant evolving relationship with the sea. 

Derek Walcott’s poem “The Sea is History” offers a deep reflection on the multifaceted role of the sea in shaping Caribbean history and identity. By doing this, we can open up space for alternative sources of knowledge and interpretation. Oral histories, folklore, art, and cultural practices can provide valuable insights into the lived experiences of marginalized communities and offer nuanced perspectives on historical events. Moreover, John Gillis’s ideas from “The Blue Humanities,” further the importance of recognizing the ocean as an archive of history. His observations about the historicization of the oceans challenge the traditional land-centric views and expand scholarly inquiry beyond terrestrial “boundaries.” By acknowledging the interconnectedness between humans and the oceanic environment, scholars in the blue humanities are able to develop a more comprehensive understanding of oceanic history and culture. By combining Walcott and Gillis’s work, it ultimately reminds us to listen to the stories that are held beneath the surface and to not be afraid to dive deeper. There is a significant value in hearing marginalized voices, alternative perspectives, and honoring those silenced voices. In doing so, scholars are able to create a comprehensive history that does not leave out the things we don’t want to hear, offering a chance to break the cycle of history’s repetition. 

Works Cited

Walcott, Derek. (1979). “The Sea is History.”

Gillis, John R. (2013). “The Blue Humanities.”

Final Essay

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Karina Garcia

Jessica Pressman 

ECL 305

May 9, 2024

History Is Important

The Water Will Carry Us Home by Gabrielle Tesfaye is a film that conveys the message of hidden history as being equally if not more important in comparison to known history. One important technique being used to tell this story of the Middle Passage but also how the first mermaids came to be is through the use of stop motion animation. There are many significant factors that depict the importance of hidden histories throughout the film. 

The novel The Deep by Rivers Solomon with William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes and Daveed Diggs conveys one of the bigger ideas of the importance of one’s history as it is what holds a community together. The journey of the main character Yetu with everything and everyone she encounters later goes to show why history is important, how it connects people, and the hidden history one might find. 

Within The Water Will Carry Us Home and The Deep convey the message of history being an importance to one’s culture while also demonstrating how history is fluid and connects to many aspects. Tesfaye is able to show this theme through the use of stop motion animation to demonstrate the story of the Middle Passage and the origin of mermaids, while Solomon along with others were able to produce a continuation of Tesfaye’s story by producing a story about the wajinru people who came from slaves thrown overboard, the main character Yetus set on going on a journey that led to more of a discovery of how to community first came to be through her encounters she met on land. Both texts, although different, share the same importance to show history as a foundation to culture, but that it also fills in all these gaps and cracks to provide a more solid history from different perspectives and cultures. Both text also challenge readers in thinking more crucially about the history that is known and to also question there is also life in water just like there is on land.

In one of the first scenes of The Water Will Carry Us Home there is a set up for more thinking to take place at 2 minutes and continues until 2 minutes and 20 seconds. In this section there is a man who is entrusted with the key almost as if he’s the only beholder in this story, and with this key he is able to unlock a never before seen or heard of story. The man seems to be portrayed as someone important or a powerful being to be trusted with this key, dressed in all white with two eyes on his hands, accompanied by only a rooster instead of a human, the key is able to jump and move around his body in order to unlock a singular story from the many that were portrayed on the wall. The key shows a way in which there are beings that are able to hide or make visible stories about the ocean but it’s a “pick and choose” which they believe should be told. The man in this story is Yoruba Orishas and in the southwest Nigerian culture orishas are “other more minor”gods ” or”spirits “(Ogunniyi, 2022). This plays a significant role in knowing who this man is as he is now serving a purpose to the storytelling as he is presented to have great authority and power for those who are listening. 

While in The Deep there is already a start to show the importance of what the wajinru people refer to as ‘The Remembrance’ which is a special event in which the historian Yetu is able to replay the entire history of the wajinru people to the entire community, but only based on what she knows and has pieced together. One of the beginning parts that sets up this “mix-and-match” history is in chapter three, “She’d discovered the History on her own, through out-of-order scraps and pieces” (Solomon, 27). In comparison to Gabrielle Tesfaye’s film, Yetu is presented to be the wajinru people Yoruba Orisha as she is given the same authority as a minor god. Yetu does not know the sequential version of how the wajinru people and culture came to be but yet no one ever questioned her as this event healed the wajinru people and gave them a sense of identity that they long for. As the history that Yetu knows is to be “out-of-order scraps” there lies a chance for more to be discovered as this passage indicates she does not know all, she does not know fully and confidently of events that have taken place as she herself has learned to keep their history out of order. This allows questions to arise as to what more can be discovered about the wajinru people? What is their true story? And would they ever know the sequential version of how and where they originated from? 

Another section in The Water Will Carry Us Home that goes to show how stories are being portrayed is at 1 minute and 30 seconds when Yoruba Orisha is first being presented and behind him there is a wall of locks in which can be assumed to be other untold stories. On the wall behind him there are multiple locks of all shapes and sizes and are spread out all across the wall; it’s hard to say how many locks there are if the viewer was only able to see a selected amount within the frame. The main lock that is being unlocked is to show the story of the Middle Passage with African American slaves being transported by ship to show the origin of how African American mermaids came to be. A single story is being told which can only leave curiosity to peak and wonder if there are more stories like such. Discovering these singular stories lets more questions arise as to what other stories are not being told today, it opens and pushes for new questions and further curiosity to be asked as to which stories have not been told yet? Which stories are credible or not? Which stories are being hidden away from society? And why does this happen?

A part of the story that seem to play a big part until later on is when Yetu received the gift of the comb and as she feels she is able to find a memory correlated with the object, “The one in her find didn’t seem to be one of them, but its origin was clear. It had belonged to one of the foremothers” (Solomon, 17). As Yetu is able to review and go through each memory to find what is the history behind this comb she finds it comes from the original mothers, the slaves thrown overboard at sea, but later discovers more to that comb. In the final chapter Yetu is presenting the comb to her Amaba and has made a connection between the comb and her counterpart Oori, “She had markings on her face, these beautiful, intricate tattoos. Some of the symbols were identical to etchings on the comb I received shortly before the last Remembrance” (Solomon, 151). This is significant as it shows the correlation between Oori’s terrestrial culture and Yetu’s oceanic culture, it proves they are connected and that the wajinru people originated from land Oori was from. Rather than showing the difference between terrestrial and oceanic, Solomon shows the connectedness between the two in a single but yet powerful object just like Tesfaye does in the film with the object of the key. 

One significant parallel from The Deep that correlates with The Water Will Carry Us Home is a memory Yetu has of their ancestors, “Our mothers were pregnant two-legs thrown overboard while crossing the ocean on slave ships. We were born breathing water as we did in the womb” (Solomon, 27). This passage connects to the film as the film is telling the story of how the Middle Passage created the first mermaids, in Yetu’s remembering their mothers were slaves thrown overboard so it’s expected the wajinru people first began during the Middle Passage and are indeed the first mermaids or mer creatures to exist. The connection between the film and novel are significant as now it gives more meaning as to what happened to the slaves who were thrown overboard from the ships during the Middle Passage, the novel is the continuation of what happened to the human beings thrown overboard and gives them a life, instead of viewing it as a historical event that happened. Solomon along with others make a tragic and cruel event into an actual oceancentric story about life for these mermaids or wajinru people, he gives meaning to these human beings as more than just slaves but as strong creatures who adapted and created a life for themselves. 

Throughout most of the film Tesfaye used the technique of stop motion to serve a deeper purpose for this story telling, as stop motion animation is the constant modification of objects for a single shot in order to be edited together to produce a consistent film, but between the lines of everything “secret lies between each frame of the action” (Adobe, 2024). This technique allows one to connect with the bigger message of this film which is the secrets that lay in stories or history being told. This film was a reality point of one asking themselves of what makes this history credible but to also ask if there is more to uncover from this singular story and if not push it to the extent of asking for all history being taught.

Contrary to Tesfaye, Solomon takes a different approach to make the theme of history important by creating an oceancentric based story with the same qualities that would be expected only in a terracentric story. As the main character  Yetu discovers new things on lands, develops relationships with many and especially Oori, there is always the presence of the wajinru people and their history in the back of her head and eventually comes full circle at the end with the connections that were made between Yetu’s people and the discoverings she made through her partner Oori. The Deep shows the similarities in which history connects more than it is known, there are hidden parts to history that can secretly be intertwined within multiple aspects. 

Many cultures today around the world all have stories that define and make up their society, but not all are being told due to a number of reasons. Without these stories being told it is shaping history to be portrayed one way, shaping minds to think one way, and to also conceal controversial aspects of history. This film by Gabrielle Tesfaye is clearly depicting otherwise, as it is showing the hidden part of history that is being neglected and not taken into account as it is going against what fits the criteria for “history”. The Water Will Carry Us Home is able to convey the otherwise of what has already been taught of history, the ugly and more brutal part that shows the original “heroes” as doing more harm than good. To go hand in hand The Deep created a storyline for readers to follow along by showing challenges, emotions, and a journey the oceanic main character went on to discover more truth about her culture’s origin. Rivers Solomon along with others were able to product the message of history being important but also filling in the missing gaps are just as equally important as they can shift what has been taught and further what can be learned. 

Work Cited

Ogundiran, A. (2021) A long view sheds fresh light on the history of the Yoruba people in West Africa.

Ogunniyi, O. (2022) Yoruba Mythology: The Orishas Of The Yoruba Race. 

Adobe Stop motion animation explained: definitions, types and techniques. 

Tesfaye, G. (2018) The Water Will Carry Us Home.

Solomon, R. (2019) The Deep.

Final Essay

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Lina Rau

Dr. Pressman

ECL 305

Final Essay

9 May 2024

The Ocean as an Archive in The Water Will Carry Us Home and The Deep

The Middle Passage is part of one of the most brutal chapters in human history and is marked by the transatlantic slave trade, which resulted in the forced migration of millions of Africans to the Americas. In Gabrielle Tesfaye’s short film The Water Will Carry Us Home (2018) and Rivers Solomon’s novel The Deep (2019), the ocean emerges as a medium through which the ancestral memories of the Middle Passage are explored and remembered. In both narratives, African pregnant women are thrown overboard and undergo a transformation into mermaid-like creatures. The ocean is in both narratives the place that at the end saves the souls of those thrown overboard, which suggests that the ocean is a place that collects the ancestral memories of the people that have endured the Middle Passage. Now that the ocean holds these memories in the form of preserving the lives of those thrown overboard into mermaids, it has become an archive which contains knowledge. The reimagination of the ocean as an archive serves as a mechanism for the preservation of cultural memory.

In Rivers Solomon’s novel, the role of the ocean as an archive is vividly portrayed through the experiences of Yetu, who is the historian of the wajinru. Her interaction with the oceanic archive bring forth the traumatic experiences of her ancestors: “The rememberings carried her mind away from the ocean to the past. These days, she was more there than here […]. Yetu was becoming an ancestor herself. Like them, she was dead, or very near it” (Solomon 2019, p.9). What is seen here, is that the ocean has a transformative force that lets Yetu merge between the present and past, until she “was becoming an ancestor herself” (p.9). The passage above, which is found at the very beginning of the novel, highlights the heaviness of the historical trauma that is stored deep in the ocean, as Yetu was like the ancestors “dead, or very near it” (p.9). Additionally, the role of being the historian must be a burdensome one, as Yetu finds herself more in the past than in the present. She carries the weight of the wajinru’s collective memory on her shoulders, suggesting that her role is not only to remember, but also to embody the history herself and to survive, “Remember now or you perish. Without your history, you are empty!” (p. 25).

By embodying the history and carrying the weight on her shoulders, more interestingly, it seems that Yetu is actively manifesting the concept of being an archive through her role as the historian by herself: “[Yetu’s] body was full of other bodies. Every wajinru who had ever lived possessed her in this moment” (p.22). She is given a sense of responsibility as her body is “full of other bodies”, which signifies that she is an archive that holds knowledge herself.

Her being an archive could nevertheless never work without looking at the ocean’s importance in that matter. As a historian, Yetu dives into the ocean’s depths to retrieve as many memories during the yearly painful remembrances as possible, “Despite the waves of pain rocking her into a catatonic trance, she continued. Images, stories, songs, feelings, smells, hungers, longings, tears – memories – left her mind” (p. 29). Despite of it being so painful, she nevertheless continues to look for more stories in the ocean. Concluding from that, the ocean is like a vast storage depot that provides all the knowledge that is needed for Yetu to continue her job – and from which can be learned. Considering that, Yetu and the ocean engage collaboratively with each other. Taking that into account, the ocean must be seen as the bigger archive providing every History and information needed, whereas Yetu has the vital role of being the ocean’s transmitter. Through Yetu, the ocean and its archive are given an active voice, through which the memories are remembered and put into words. Through Yetu, the transmission the oceanic archive’s knowledge to multiple generations if facilitated.

Moreover, the whole act of remembering every year must be seen under the premise of not forgetting what happened in past. It is the ocean that provides access to the supposedly forgotten stories. Whenever Yetu gets a flashback of a story, just like that one: “Yetu thought she remembered something about another young woman whose family was wiped out in an instant by disease […]” (p. 74), the reader has to remind oneself that the ocean has witnessed all of that trauma even before a historian could catch up on it.

A big significance must also be put onto the wajinru’s origins. Yetu explains:“Our mothers were pregnant two-legs thrown overboard while crossing the ocean on slave ships. We were born breathing water as we did in the womb. We built our home on the seafloor, unaware of the two-legged surface dwellers” (p. 22). Even though the passage confronts the horror of African pregnant women thrown overboard on slave ships, the ocean is not devalued as a site of trauma, but rather seen as a womb: “We were born breathing water as we did in the womb” (p. 22). The ocean is thus becoming a life-giving entity, where new identities can emerge and where the ones thrown overboard can continue to live as mermaids. Concluding from that, the ocean is not a passive force that just preserves the horrific past, it can also lead to the creation of new beings.

One important point that goes hand in hand with the above-stated is the ocean’s function of being the wajinru’s first caretaker ever: “When the History threatened to end Yetu, she went to one memory in particular: their first caretaker. In this remembering, there is a lone wajinru pup floating, alive and content. It was the ocean who was their first amaba” (p. 100). By saying that it was the ocean who first took care of them, it gets personified. That personification underlines the fact, that the ocean is not just a passive environment or the habitat where the wajinru live in. By protecting the first innocecent wajinrus (which make them be seen like little babies), emphasis on the ocean shaping the wajinru’s identity is put on. It was and becomes a special witness of time that has collected all the memories and traumas from the past to successfully establish new lives.

Lastly, the ocean does not only passively absorb all of the memories and voices from the ones thrown overboard, but also actively provides physical evidence and artifacts on the History. In the novel, Yetu talks about one specific memory that still has an impact on her: “In one of the rememberings, there was still hair caught in a comb belonging to the foremother” (p.20). Yetu has not only found a comb that belongs to humans deep in the ocean, but she has also found a comb which still has hair in it. The hair is a physical reminder, more even a symbol, of a past life that is preserved in the ocean. Even though the physical body might be decayed in the water, the hair of the person can still be detected in the middle of the ocean: it is the evidence of a person that has once lived and that has had a whole personality. The ocean is thus not only functioning as an archive when it comes to the wajinru’s memories, deep inside of it, one can also find physical objects of those memories and DNA – the Ocean is a living archive.

All of these examples from the Deep show that the ocean is indeed a living archive through which the cultural memory is preserved. It contains not only physical evidence in its archive, but also the deeply traumatizing memories that Yetu vocalizes and expresses through her work. Both Yetu and the Ocean (Yetu seen as the big archive’s transmitter), are important to preserve the history so that it never gets forgotten. These narratives deeply align with the depiction of the ocean being an archive in Tesfaye’s film:

The film starts with a compelling quote of the Water Spirit Omambala: “The Water Spirit Omambala brought us here. The Water Spirit Omambala will carry us home” (1:23 min.). Omambala thus emerges as a liminal figure that encapsulates both suffering and salvation. The Water Spirit’s ability to bring people back home, make it seen as if it has a dual role in the complex relationship that African cultures had with the ocean- it is a relationship that is presumedly based on the historical events of the Middle Passage and storytelling. Concluding from that, Omambala acts a guide and something that can be looked up to across the ocean, which suggests that the ocean is in fact a living archive that holds cultural knowledge.

Furthermore, the film opens with a symbolic scene where a human character engages in a ritual ceremony that is marked by colorful and bright painted art and painted skin, including painted hands (cf. 0:00 – 1:17 min). That segment is essential, as it vividly illustrates the cultural richness of African traditions, which is from big significance in the next part of the video. In the latter, the viewers are faced with an artistic paper world that is painted with watercolors, in which a man opens the lock of a door with a key he has in his hands (cf. 1:26 – 2:15 min). The image of unlocking a door stands as a metaphor of the often concealed or ignored African traditions, that are deliberately “locked” away by Westerners who do not want to face the brutal history of the Middle Passage. By visually unlocking these histories, the forgotten traditions are put stress on again and they are given importance. It is about these traditions, that are saved in the ocean’s archive and must never be forgotten.

Another recurring figure is the eye that is painted onto the hands of the woman in the beginning of the video and the artistic character of the man (cf. 1:13, 1:30 min). The eye, often regarded as omniscient, symbolizes deep knowledge about the history and culture being recounted. Concluding from that notion, there might be additional, untold stories existing in the deep that are not being recounted yet. The eye therefore represents a capacity to see literally beyond the surface of what is being presented as “truthful” or “meaningful”. If in that video only a singular history is documented, one can pick-and-choose which history is being told and which in particular is not. This pick-and-choose mentality has, one can assume, a severe impact on what archives are being built. It is thus an active decision on what to erase in the history and what to put out in order to build an archive. The archive that existed prior to this video has therefore erased the history and stories of the people that are presented now. The stories and traditions that are still hidden in the archive of the ocean, are now finally acknowledged and seen through the metaphor of the eye.

Another significant scene that underlines the point of the ocean being an archive is the scene, in which African pregnant women are thrown overboard and are turned into mermaids by the Water Spirit (cf. 3:37-5:06). The transformation above symbolizes the African women’s new existence that goes beyond mortality. As mermaids (which they now are), the women are not bound by the limitations of human life anymore and possess immortal qualities. That they now have immortal qualities is shown at 4:29, when the Water Spirit Omambala is nurturing the ones thrown overboard by fishes. The newly-transformed mermaids still have human-like features like dark hair and traditional jewelry (cf. 04:38 min). The mermaids now live deep in the ocean which is suggested by water background in the video (cf. 4:50). The scene above links to the ocean being an archive in the sense, that the mermaids’ new habitat is no longer earth, but the ocean. In their new existence, they are no longer victims of the Middle Passage, but have a new and vibrant form of presence. The voices, stories, traditions and identities of those thrown overboard are now preserved in the ocean, even though their stories might be forgotten on land. Their new existence makes them be an important member of the ocean which legacy continues. Even the portrayal of the two mermaids finding together to create new family (4:52 min), creates the sense of having an ability to have a second life under water which allows them to influence the present. The mermaids’ memories are and will always be preserved in the ocean’s depth.

Those mermaids also have the feature of the omniscient eye which is being talked about above (cf. 4:39 min). The omniscient eye on the mermaids, the man and the human in the beginning of the video, combines all words depicted in the video, meaningly the life above the water of the ones who survived slavery and the mermaids under water. All figures remember the culture’s richness; they are all closely connected to one another. The eye could therefore, apart from the analysis above, be an acknowledgement of the hidden archive in the ocean that is portrayed by the mermaid’s life under water.

As seen in both texts, the ocean does not only serve as the natural setting of both narratives, but also is an archival entity. Both stories engage with the ocean as being an archive through mermaid-like creatures that live deep down in the ocean after the traumatizing experiences on the slave ships. In The Deep, a special focus is put onto Yetu’s role as the historian, who is forced to endure those painful memories in order to save the whole wajinru community. Compared to that, in The Water Will Carry Us Home, a huge significance is put onto the Water Spirit that transforms the humans into mermaids. Nevertheless, in both texts, the ocean provides memories and voices, so that the culture is preserved.

Works Cited:

Solomon, R. (2019). The Deep.

Tesfaye, G. (2018). The Water Will Carry Us Home.

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 

Final Essay

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Ashley Rubin 

May 9, 2024

Pressman 

ECL 305 

Reflections of Vanity: From Myth to Modernity

The phenomenon of selfies serves as an example of the continuation of a focus on female beauty and vanity. The article Displays of Vanity on Instagram by Marije Peute and Annemarije Rus explains this cultural obsession with self-image reflection on a broader crisis in understanding the meaning and implications of vanity in the digital age, where platforms like social media have reshaped perceptions of beauty and self-worth. By examining the symbolism of vanity drawn from Christian beliefs, particularly in the portrayal of mermaids in mythology as depicted in the stories Ti Jeanne and Melusine, the continual cultural beliefs of beauty standards can be understood. 

The story Ti Jeanne from the Penguin Book of Mermaids presents ways vanity has been shown through mythical stories. The story originates from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and African descent. The story revolves around Ti Jeanne, who in a moment of solitude indulges in the seemingly harmless act of admiring her reflection in the water. However, her actions attract the attention of Maman Dlo, who scolds Ti Jeanne for her vanity. “‘Vanity, vanity, my child,’ said Maman Dlo, who was now fully seven feet erect on her snake body, swaying from side to side. ‘Looking at yourself in the water’s reflection. But beautiful you are, ssssssso beautiful! Mmh, mmh!” (Penguin, 276). Maman Dlo admires Ti Jeanne’s beauty but does not think she has the right to admire it herself. In many stories, mermaids are depicted as creatures obsessed with their beauty, spending amounts of time gazing at themselves in mirrors. The water acts as the mirror in this story, a common symbol of vanity. Ti Jeanne admiring herself is presented as a negative in this tale, implying that vanity is bad for women.  

The story Melusine descends from French writer Jean d’Arras. The story is believed to take place in either Europe or Scotland. Melusine tells the tale of a mysterious woman named Melusine who marries a mortal man, Raymond. Melusine, however, harbors a secret of being a shape-shifting water spirit with a serpent tail. She makes Raymond promise never to intrude upon her privacy on Saturdays, but eventually, he succumbs to curiosity and spies on her leading to him discovering her true form. As a result, Melusine is forced to leave him and their children. When Raymond spies on Melusine she is pictured in a bathtub holding a mirror. Melusine had been taking her one day alone to appreciate herself and her beauty. Vanity is displayed differently in this story compared to the story of Ti Jeanne. The presentation of vanity is less apparent in Melusine’s story, but it is there. Melusine’s transformation into a serpent-like creature on Saturdays and insistence on privacy during that time can be interpreted as a form of vanity or a desire to maintain a certain image or identity. Her transformation suggests a fear of being seen in her true form, indicating a preoccupation with appearance and maintaining a facade of normalcy. This idea and the presentation of her admiring her appearance explain the vanity apparent in the story. 

Selfies play a large role in society today due to the presence of social media which has created new beauty standards. The article Displays of Vanity on Instagram by Marije Peute and Annemarije Rus explains this cultural obsession with self-image reflection. The article explains how selfies have become extremely popular on social media, but there are negative aspects to sharing these photos. Selfies can often be seen as vain or self-indulgent rather than an appreciation of one’s beauty. The article states “Vanity is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as ‘the personal characteristic of being too proud of and interested in yourself, esp. in your appearance or achievements.” The definition of vanity implies that it is a negative thing to appreciate oneself and that it could relate to self-obsession and less consideration for others. This can directly be tied to the themes presented in Ti Jeanne and Melusine. 

The negative connotations associated with vanity are prominently highlighted in Displays of Vanity on Instagram and the tales of Ti Jeanne and Melusine. The symbolism of vanity in mermaids traces back to the teachings of the Christian Church, where vanity is portrayed as a sinful trait. Mermaids in stories often wield objects like mirrors to symbolize their vanity which directly links to the sin of pride, one of the seven deadly sins in the Christian Church. These ancient beliefs have had a lasting impact on how vanity is perceived in society today. These negative associations have influenced societal attitudes towards self-love and self-expression. In both the stories of Melusine and Ti Jeanne, the presence of mirrors serves as a representation of vanity, reinforcing the narrative’s themes. In contemporary culture, selfies have emerged as a modern manifestation of vanity, with the camera itself becoming a symbol of self-admiration and narcissism. The enduring symbolism of vanity in mythology, literature, and modern media underscores the complex interaction between cultural norms, religious beliefs, and individual expression. Presentation and historical background are credited for the current beliefs around vanity. While it might not be all people who believe that selfies and self-love are negative, it is a common belief due to the background of the trait. 

The historical background of vanity in mermaids connects it to human beings, specifically women. Vanity is not only something that comes with negative connotations but also comes with literal consequences. Ti Jeanne’s story results in her being turned into a snake because of her self-admiration. By transforming Ti Jeanne into a mermaid/snake, the story draws a parallel between her actions and the archetype of the vain mermaid, suggesting that her preoccupation with her appearance aligns her with mermaids. This compares to modern-day society through hate comments on social media. When human beings display vanity on social media the punishment can be hateful comments on the post or behind an individual’s back. Once again, this consequence derives from the historical context of vanity. Many people post selfies in an attempt to gain validation from others as explained by Marije Peute and Annemarije Rus. While sometimes posting a selfie is met with the validation of positive comments, other times it is met with hate which can hurt an individual’s self-confidence and love even more. The consequences of vanity are also apparent in Melusine’s story. While she was simply trying to take one day of the week to herself to be alone and appreciate her beauty and true self, she was ultimately punished for it. When Raymond breaks his promise and invades her privacy, Melusine is the one who has to leave her life behind. This relates to vanity as it implies that a woman taking time to herself to admire, appreciate, and relish in her beauty is something that needs to be punished. Selfies are simply the modern-day portrayal of vanity and its consequences can be directly related to past myths of female vanity. 

Perceptions of beauty and how it should be displayed have always been taught through a form of media. Beginning with literature and mythical tales, Melusine and Ti Jeanne display that beauty should not be flaunted or appreciated by women themselves. Shifting into the digital age, social media posts dictate how much beauty should be shared with the public. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have become modern-day canvases where individuals showcase their idealized versions of beauty to an audience. However, this digital era has brought forth new pressures surrounding beauty standards. Influencers and celebrities often set unrealistic beauty standards, leading to feelings of inadequacy among those who perceive themselves as falling short. The relentless pursuit of perfection can perpetuate harmful beauty ideals, creating a culture of comparison and self-doubt. While social media offers a platform for self-expression and creativity, it also poses challenges in navigating the fine line between empowerment and exploitation in the pursuit of beauty. When those who fit the beauty standards share selfies they are often praised for their confidence and looks. On the other hand, when those who might not fit the ideal beauty standards of today’s society post selfies they are criticized and labeled as vain. The study conducted in Displays of Vanity on Instagram proves these feelings that women are experiencing. “Marije considers herself vain in certain respects, loving beautiful clothing and receiving validation from others, which she considers a human need. However, she denounces a striving for ‘perfection’. She takes only a few selfies,” (Peute et Rus, 17). This quote explains how vanity and selfies relate to one another and beauty standards. The subject of the study believes that she is not completely vain because she only takes “a few selfies”. This implies that those who share more photos of themselves online are extremely vain and seeking validation from others. This can cause harm to the younger generations beginning to use social media. Rather than being a form of self-expression and appreciation, sharing selfies on social media has become something that is seen to be only for validation and a feeling of vanity. 

The portrayal of beauty has navigated diverse mediums from ancient literature to modern-day social media. The narratives of Melusine and Ti Jeanne underscored societal expectations dictating how beauty should be perceived and displayed, emphasizing modesty and reservation while also implying that vanity is unfavorable. However, the emergence of digital platforms has ushered in a new era where users have unprecedented control over their self-image and presentation of beauty. Amidst the opportunities for self-expression, social media has also intensified the pressures of conformity and perfection, creating unrealistic standards that can weaken self-esteem and mental well-being. Vanity is still the common factor in shaming women for their expression of beauty beginning in these mythical tales and continuing to modern-day society. The negative perceptions of women expressing their beauty have been blamed on the beliefs of the Christian Church that appointed vanity as a sin. Ultimately, the evolution of beauty through media underscores the enduring search for acceptance and validation, reminding us of the profound complexities inherent in the human experience.

Works Cited 

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

Peute, Marije, and Annemarije Rus. “Displays of Vanity on Instagram: A Reflection on the Making of Instaworthy.” Etnofoor, vol. 33, no. 1, 2021, pp. 11–20. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27034456. Accessed 7 May 2024.

Final Essay

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Can You Hear The Sea? 

The Water Will Carry Us Home by Gabrielle Tesfaye includes a very significant closing scene where an African woman creates a complicated, yet innovative pair of “shellphones” (headphones crossed with seashells) and plugs them directly into the sand. With intricate wiring and artifacts straight from the sea, these “shellphones” being plugged into the sand demonstrates how history has been hidden and it has to be searched for by using new perspectives and technology. In this case listening instead of looking while using a new device forces a concealed part of history to be uncovered. 

In Derek Walcott’s poem The Sea Is History he says history is “in that grey vault. The sea. The sea has locked them up. The sea is History” (line 4). Understanding the historical context of both these texts is crucial, as the film dives into the notion that history is not a singular, objective truth but rather subjective and multifaceted. Both the film and the poem suggest that the ocean serves as an archive, preserving specific histories that may be otherwise overlooked or marginalized. We have convenient access to set views, leaving the other in the vault. Both of these texts compare land based European history to the sunken history of Africans. By juxtaposing these perspectives, they highlight the importance of recognizing different viewpoints and understanding the complexities of historical narratives. With that we are able to recognize the differences in perspective and better understand the final scene in The Water Will Carry Us Home. 

This film demonstrates a heavy time in history, and shows how pregnant women were thrown overboard during the Middle Passage and this led to the birth of Yoruba and the coming of the water spirits. Tesfaye’s film The Water Will Carry Us Home uses multimedia including water color, collage, real articles and photos, animation, music, and live action throughout. By offering multiple creative methods it allows for several demonstrations, offering a new lens and thus a new understanding of the film. Using multimedia enhances communication and makes information more memorable through visuals. This allows us to acknowledge the metaphors that are otherwise difficult to understand. This approach not only makes the information more accessible and engaging but also allows for a deeper understanding of the layered and stratified nature of history. By using collages, it offers a way to grasp the hidden history, the layers, and the complexity of it all. In perceived negative times, the ability to turn these tragedies into something beautiful is a great representation of strength. 

Furthering this idea, The Water Will Carry Us Home alludes to the way that they are able to take such tragedy and create a meaningful story out of it. Instead of leaving these bodies behind with no recognition, comes a sentiment that demonstrates hope and optimism. It suggests that even in the darkest moments of history, there is strength and hope to be found. This encourages the idea of changing perspectives and not dwelling, but embracing. These are such horrible times from history but the spirits turn it into a meaningful part of their culture. With that being said we can bring back the ocean as an archive, and reiterate how the ocean holds an important part of their history. Again, in The Sea Is History by Derek Walcott says “it is locked in them sea-sands out there past the reef’s moiling shelf, where the men-o-war floated down;”. The question is how do we find it? 

This is where the “shellphones” come in as a new device made to discover.  The concept of them in this film symbolizes the importance of innovation in uncovering lost histories. Using new technology in this way helps access marginalized histories. The expected way to find this history would be to look, but in this case she using the “shellphones” to listen. The use of “shellphones” as a new device not only reflects the innovative approach needed to access hidden histories but also emphasizes the importance of listening to these narratives rather than relying solely on visual or written records. Moreover, the comparison between land-based European history and the sunken history of Africans highlights the need to recognize different perspectives and understandings of history. By acknowledging the ocean as an archive of specific histories, both texts emphasize the subjective nature of historical narratives and challenge the notion of a singular, objective truth. Ultimately, the concept of “shellphones” serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of innovation, perspective shifts, and listening in uncovering marginalized histories. By embracing new technologies and approaches, we can work towards a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the past.

Speaking of this new device, the creation of the “shellphones” represents a merging of traditional and contemporary elements. The use of seashells, artifacts straight from the sea, connects to the overarching theme of the ocean as a vault of history. By incorporating these natural elements into a modern device like headphones, the scene suggests a bridging of past and present, tradition and innovation, human and nonhuman. The specific the act of plugging the “shellphones” directly into the sand symbolizes a deeper connection to the hidden histories that are buried beneath the surface. Instead of searching for history through traditional means like written records or visual artifacts, the film suggests that listening to the ocean is key to uncovering concealed truths. 

In conclusion, “The Water Will Carry Us Home” by Gabrielle Tesfaye suggests the exploration of hidden histories and the importance of new perspectives in order to uncover them. The film’s closing scene, featuring the creation of “shellphones” and their connection through the sand, symbolizes the fusion of tradition and modernness, as well as the importance of listening to the tales of the past. Through this, Tesfaye highlights the complexity of history and the need for new approaches to unravel its concealed truths. Ultimately, the concept of “shellphones” serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of innovation, new perspectives, and active listening while uncovering marginalized histories. By embracing new technologies and approaches, it offers a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the past, honoring the diversity and experiences that shape our collective narrative. Through Tesfaye’s visual storytelling, we are reminded of the significance of our connections to history and the power of listening to its untold stories. The film invites the intersection of ideas, highlighting the importance of listening to alternative perspectives and challenging traditional narratives. By merging ocean and land, old and new, and artificial with artifact The Water Will Carry Us Home by Tesfaye invites us to reconsider our understanding of history using new approaches. By using the “shellphones”, combining traditional and contemporary technology the film recognizes the interconnectedness between past and present. Tesfaye challenges the idea of looking for history and rather listening to it. By changing perspectives, we can challenge conventional western ideas of history in an inclusive way that allows for various experiences and views to come forth. She reminds us that history is complex and prompts us to reconsider the way we discover and understand history. Allowing for a more diverse understanding of history comes from a shift in perspective.