Category Archives: Week 7: The Victorian Standard — The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

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Reading the original story of The Little Mermaid when I grew up with the 1989 Disney version, I can see some major contrasts between the plot and tone. In Andersen’s story, there is a more melancholic tone to the story and it shows themes of sacrifice and consequences of the desire for love. Similar to the Disney film, the little mermaid sacrifices herself to be with the prince, but she doesn’t end up with him and she dissolves into sea foam instead. She makes a choice of selflessness and sacrifice. Throughout this story, there’s less emphasis on the little mermaid’s actual personality and more just the fact that she is longing for an eternal soul. I wouldn’t consider the end of the story a tragic ending because she earns an immortal soul from making the right decisions and choosing not to be selfish.

The Disney version of the little mermaid is more fairytale like and lighthearted, but the two stories still definitely share some characteristics. Andersen’s tale focuses on themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the pursuit of a soul, while Disney’s version emphasizes themes of love, self-discovery, and personal agency. Disney’s obviously was written for a broad audience of families and children so their goal was to entertain and lift the spirits of their viewers. While the central plot remains similar, with the Little Mermaid sacrificing herself for the prince, the Disney version provides a more definitive and conventionally happy ending where love triumphs over adversity, and the protagonist is rewarded with her happily ever after. Disney’s story has a clear moral message and universal appeal, while Andersen’s can be perceived in varying perspectives. The differences in tone and thematic focus between Andersen’s original tale and Disney’s adaptation reflect the distinct intentions of the authors. Andersen’s was written with different intentions as it provided moral lessons and social commentary. I see his story as a cautionary tale about the consequences of sacrificing ones self for the sake of love or ambition. Andersen used his story to explore deeper philosophical and existential themes, rather than just for mere entertainment purposes. I think it is so interesting for me to learn about the original story versus the adaptation that I grew up with. I hope we see more of this in our future readings!

Week Seven: The Little Mermaid

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After reading Hans Christian Andersons version of the Little Mermaid, I was very intrigued with the similarities and differences of the Disney movie. I would say that most of the plot was pretty similar, minus the ending and other small details. One concept that intrigued me a lot was the relationship between the Prince and the Little Mermaid. In Hans depiction of it, as the mermaid had no voice or song, she was mute, and the Prince looked at her more as a pet than a lover. One line in the story states “The prince declared that he would never part with her, and she obtained leave to sleep on a velvet cushion before his door.” (page 144) I thought this description was quite interesting, as he gives her permission to sleep outside his door basically on a fancy dog bed. This takes away the little mermaids morality and quite literally turns her into his pet. Their relationship is quite interesting in the story, as he views her as his “little foundling” and pet, but says if he was inclined to marriage it would be with her. This dynamic threw me off just because of how he refers to her in adoration but also disrespect. As he says he never wants her to leave his side, yet he called her his little foundling and his “dumb child.” This could be his way of showing his affection, but it is also clear that he has romanic feeling for the girl who saved him form his death, and even though the mermaid is she, he could never love her. Another aspect of this version of the Little Mermaid that surprised me was how it ended with her death, and her becoming sea foam. The witch didn’t become the new bride, nor did the mermaid end up with the prince. It was a bittersweet ending, as instead of saving herself and killing the prince, she sacrificed herself to the Ocean, sort of facing the consequences she got herself into. I appreciated the non-cliche ending, but it was also sad to see how the prince ended up happy and the little mermaid did not because he didn’t love her or give her his immortal soul. This goes back to the question: Why did she need a man for her happiness and life? This is a repeating question I find myself asking almost after every story or tale we read. Almost all the women depicted in these stories long for a human man and a human love, to save them. I think this goes back to show the idea of the patriarchy even now, and the stereotypes put on love and happiness. Not only do women have the expectation of sacrificing earthing for a husband or family, but also the idea of how the Little mermaid was looked at as a pet, not another human being.

Week 7: The Victorian Standard – The Little Mermaid

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For this week’s reading, I really enjoyed learning the story of the “The Little Mermaid.” Being such a big fan of the original 1989 movie, I found it quite interesting reading the story for the first time and seeing the continuous theme from both the movie and the original story about the fascination of the unknown from both the merpeople and humans. Being such a big theme in a lot of the past readings we have done, the fascination of the unknown was definitely prevalent in the reading, “What struck her as the most beautiful was that the flowers of the earth should shed perfumes, which they do not below the sea; that the forests were green, and that the fishes amongst the trees should sing so loud and so exquisitely that it must be a treat to hear them” (Penguin, page 110). Not yet being able to go above the water till she is fifteen the little mermaid throughout the whole story, “Longed after all these things, just because she could not approach them,” I am very fascinated by this idea because humans as well do this in attempts to understand certain things (Penguin, page 111). As well, their fascination is conveyed the constant use of similes and metaphors when describing the land above which furthers the idea of the fascination of the unknown. Humans and Mermaids, since they are half human, share this quality of curiosity which can thus continue the argument that mermaids ( and thus the environment) should be treated equally as they are part human as well. But a quote that stood out to me, that can argue as much as mermaids are half human, they yet are still not seen or treated as equal because “Mermaids have no tears, and therefore suffer all the more,” and this emphasis that though the upper half of their bodies are of human description, they do not carry the emotion or “soul” that humans contain since they are not able to display their emotions fully because they cannot abide on land (Penguin, page 113). 

Week 7: The Little Mermaid

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Reading The Little Mermaid this week for the very first time was a real jaw dropper. Growing up this was one of if not the only Disney movie that I would constantly watch on replay and eventually became my favorite movie ever, so to wrap my head around this story for the first time is difficult. Noticing how the story I read and what I know of the movie stayed consistent for the most part, there was a dramatic change in the endings to both story and movie. There was no happily ever after in the original story, but instead there was an ultimatum for the little mermaid to either prioritize and pick herself or to continue to prioritize a man whom she did not know.

There was a point in the story in which really resonated with me as it reflects the idea of today’s society. The moment in which the grandmother had told her that “Our souls are not immortal.” (page 117) and then proceeds to describe the only way in which to obtain a soul is by making sure a man was fully committed to you but also only deeply in love with you is very hard to believe. This section to me made me truly realize that even in stories involving mermaids and the sea, men still found a way to have some sort of control over females and mermaids. The little mermaid went to an extreme extent to be with a man who did not know her but also that she was not certain that would love her, just to ultimately take that risk for him. At the end of the story in which she is given a final chance to pick herself over the prince, she still does not do so as she still puts him over herself even though he was already married to someone else at this point. This idea goes back to last week’s discussion as how it is perceived that women cannot be complete without a man. There is a saying that goes around and is frequently said which is “my life never started until I met you” which I believe applies to the story of The Little Mermaid as she had made it known that she preferred living on land with the prince since it did not compare to living down in the ocean with her family. I believe it also shows in a way how women in toxic relationships can be easily influenced to leave behind what they know, their background, family, and entire lives all for a single man who they have known for not so long. Reflecting on this story and comparing it to the world we live in today, truly puts into perspective that as time goes on, men will still be perceived as having more power and control over women.

Week 7: The Little Mermaid and Christianity

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The Little Mermaid contained a lot of Christian imagery and ideology, but I found the contrast between air spirits and mermaids really fascinating. The two different creatures were representations of heaven and hell where souls were either present or not. Mermaids are described many times as not having an immortal soul which signifies that they cannot live in an afterlife. For instance, the grandma of the little mermaid explicitly tells the little mermaid that their “souls are not immortal. [They] shall never enter upon a new life” (Andersen, p. 116). This means that a mermaid’s soul is returned to the earth and is not meant for anything further than that. In Christianity, a person who has been “saved” by Christ is seen as having an eternal soul that will continue to exist in another plane after death. However, people who are not saved by Christ are not allowed to experience eternal life. In this way, mermaids represent those who were considered unholy and destined for hell at the time. Their souls will never be able to experience the “greatness” of the “unknown and favoured regions” (Andersen,p. 116) humans enter after death. 

Comparatively, the air spirits are a clear representation of heaven and godliness. The imagery of the air spirits resembles angels who are messengers of God in Christianity. The aerial spirits exist to do good deeds for humans and are given the chance to live in the human afterlife. It is explained to the little mermaid that “the daughters of the air, although not possessing an immortal soul by nature, can obtain one by their good deeds” (Andersen, p. 128). This opportunity to get an immortal soul is the closest that un-human entities can get to being human. From my understanding, this is a representation of becoming “saved” in Christianity. In the religion, a person must follow God and do good deeds, which is what the aerial spirits are doing. They depict the people who at the time were considered to be righteous and who would do God’s work. 

This dichotomy also made me think of the discussion in class we had about verticality. The mermaids are underwater which hints at hell because it’s below and the only way to get an immortal soul would be through duplicity. The air spirits are in the air which hints at heaven because it’s above everything and the only way to get an immortal soul would be from doing good in the world.  

Week 7: The Little Mermaid and Her Grandmother

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

Week 7 – The Little Mermaid

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After reading Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” I noticed a huge connection between the human world and the unknown world of the environment. There is a common theme of curiosity present in this story that I have found to connect mermaids to people. This is the first story I have found to paint mermaids in a completely positive light. Andersen describes the little mermaid as lovely and delicate. She is very curious about the unknown which to her is the human world. This connects her to humans immediately as we have been learning through past stories, such as the Siren Story and Melusine, that humans have been curious about exploring the unknown world of creatures like mermaids. The Little Mermaid’s curiosity shows the readers that these unknown creatures are not as different from humans as one might think. The Little Mermaid is desperately awaiting the day she gets to go up to shore and experience part of the human world, similar to humans who have hundreds of tales told about their curiosity about mermaids and other creatures.

The Little Mermaid’s curiosity leads her to take control of her own life as she gets older and becomes more independent. She is just turning 15 when she is allowed to go up to shore. She learns to care for the prince, saving him from death, despite their differences. She does not fear going to help him or what the consequences of that could lead to. This part of the story also contributes to this new way of looking at mermaids in a positive light. “His arms and legs began to feel powerless, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his assistance” (115). A creature who has so often been looked at as a “monster” is now being shown as the hero. Rather than gaining power from saving his life, as men would typically do in these types of tales, she just becomes more curious. She acts just like a human girl, becoming completely enthralled with the prince whom she loves so dearly. The love for the prince leads her to take her curiosity to the next level and entwine their souls. She takes the risk of listening to the witch to fulfill her desires. The little mermaid is okay with the fact that she will die if it means she has a chance at love with the prince. Her curiosity took her far and she still ended up gaining an immortal soul because she sacrificed herself instead of the prince.

Week 7: Little Mermaid

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So I read “The Little Mermaid” for the first time, and I was blown away from all of the imagery, to be honest. The way that things get described, like the ocean kingdom, it was very breathtaking. “The soil produces the most curious trees and flowers, whose leaves and stems are so flexible that the slightest motion of the water seems to fluster them as if they were living creatures. Fishes, great and small, glide through the branches as birds fly through the trees here upon earth.”(page one hundred and eight)*

This was what intrigued me, as well, because here we see the connection between human and nature. We can establish here that, at this point, we would imagine merpeople to have a similar sort of world as our own, given how the merpeople have things such as trees and flowers. We see the comparison between them and us, drawing similarities and parallels. Some things are done differently, of course, but when we imagined the merpeople, we imagined them similar to us. Granted, you can say that maybe the trees are different, but we don’t GET any of that. What this is giving is that its giving “they’re more like us”.

Ok then I want to talk about the last bit, where the little mermaid goes to Heaven(?)/ascends after her death. First of all, she’s way better than me. Second of all, the ending felt really weird to me. So she’s told, “You have suffered and endured, and have raised yourself into an aerial spirit, and now your own good works may obtain you an immortal soul after the lapse of three hundred years.” (page one hundred thirty). and THEN she’s also told that her 300 years is contingent on children???? Is this supposed to be like religious propaganda or something? Does this mean that nothing matters???

*my number one key on my laptop is sticky so I had to use the actual word for the numbers.

Week 7: Victorian Standard: The Little Mermaid

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When studying The Little Mermaid with a more intense focus on close reading, it is evident that there are things I missed when I’ve watched it in the past. Ever since we discussed the marriage that was seemingly transactional, it seems to be a common trend in what they call romance. I am still fascinated, yet confused about the idea of receiving a soul in a mermaid, human relationship. What else does that have to say about the relationship? In this case, even though she doesn’t lose her ability to sing in a deal with the prince himself, it is for him that she looses this. It is almost frustrating how the characters often leave behind a part of themselves in order to gain the acceptance and validation of the other. This makes me eager to dive deeper into the ideals of love and romance that come from literature.

In addition, I think this story perfectly exemplifies the female-male relationship in the maritime industry. As I have mentioned in class discussion, a boat is always considered to be a female. According to Clipper Marine, “By referring to boats as female, sailors believed that they were connecting with the nurturing and protective roles traditionally associated with women” . In all honesty, I thought the reasoning behind this had stemmed from misogyny, but it seems the connotation takes the opposition. The female is considered secure and protective in this case, rather than objectified. In the text, it is clear that the little mermaid is the reason the prince survived the wreck. This is the first time in the literature I have recognized this trait in a mermaid, and it is interesting that it can be connected to the real world sailing world. Excited to discuss more of this going forward.

Why Are Boats Female? 

Coming of Age-The Little Mermaid

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The main thing that I wanted to focus on for this week’s post is the concept of, “Coming of Age” and what that means for a woman. The story follows that all of the sisters can visit the seashore at the age of 15. Fifteen is a transformational age, especially for young girls who experience personal events that expose them to becoming a “woman.”

In this blog post I wanted to explore the ways in which cultures honor the age of fifteen, what fifteen means, and how that aligns with the little mermaids, coming of age story.

I first started with angel number, because I think it is important to understand the philosophical side before diving into the concrete representations. The number 15 is said to represent positive change, which is either already in progress or soon to be in progress. As a spiritual number, 15 means that we possess the wisdom and skills to pursue or life missions, reminds us to make positive choices, and most importantly to manifest our personal desires through action. This is extremely important for the Little Mermaid as she is a 15 year old who is going through a transformational period and leads herself through through her personal desires.

In hispanic culture, the Quinceanera, is a traditional coming-of-age celebration on a young woman’s 15 birthday. The purpose of the Quinceanera is to put an emphasis on religion, family, friendships, music, culture, etc. As a prequel to this instance, Aztecs would be considered for marriage when they turned 15 years old. This celebration of “coming of age” began to become a celebratory event for young girls developing into woman. This tradition later developed into the Quinceanera that is practiced all over the world, and developed fully in Mexico.

In general coming of age and puberty is celebrated/ honored in many cultures. I found the selected age important in this story and believe that it is an intentional piece to the story itself.