Emmanuel Alvarez
Jessica Pressman
ECL 305:Literature in the Environment
3 March 2024
The Little Mermaid
The tale, “The Little Mermaid,” by Hans Christian Andersen delves deeply into topics that are fundamental to the human experience, going beyond the simple fiction of its setting. In contrast to conventional mythological representations, Hans Christian Andersen’s portrayal of the Little Mermaid presents a figure whose connections, experiences, and feelings provide important insights into the nature of mankind itself. This essay will argue that Hans Christian Andersen’s depiction of mermaids offers a new perspective on the notion that they resemble humans more than we previously thought. Through an examination of the Little Mermaid’s curiosity, psychological depth, and familial connections, it is clear that Hans Christian Andersen has not only written a tale about a mermaid but has also considered what it means to be human, thus bridging the gap between entities from two seemingly separate worlds.
Curiosity is one of the most remarkable human qualities that Hans Christian Andersen gives the Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid is shown as being enthralled with the land above the water from the very beginning of the story. She is not just interested in learning about the realm of people; she truly wants to know and comprehend things, and it is conveyed in the word choice used to display her curiosity, “What struck her as 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” (Anderson, page 109). The need to explore, comprehend the unknown, and look for answers to the mysteries that surround us is a quality that is essential to the human spirit. Humans frequently pursue knowledge and make sacrifices in its name, and Hans Christian Andersen’s portrayal of the Little Mermaid’s desire to explore the human world and her readiness to pay for this knowledge is a reflection of this. 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” (Anderson, page 111). But, the Little Mermaid’s curiosity is not a passive trait, rather it is what pushes The Little Mermaid to venture into the dangerous unknown and leave the comforts of the known. This fascination reveals a basic quality of the human spirit: the will to discover new things, develop personally, and fully understand our role in the universe. For the Little Mermaid, whose interest with the human world is entwined with a deeper desire for an immortal soul and the eternal love she believes it would bring her, Hans Christian Andersen raises this curiosity to a matter of existential consequence. This examination of curiosity as a blessing and a curse strikes a deep connection with the human condition, bringing to light our own battles with the drive that lead to both success and failure in humans’ everyday lives. This new interpretation from Hans Christian Anderson casts mermaids with traits of one of the deepest human desires, the need for knowledge, challenging the idea that they are otherworldly beings separated from human experience.
The curiosity that defines Andersen’s Little Mermaid is not the only aspect of her personality. Rather, she is a complex individual with a rich psychological interior that is characterized by a variety of experiences and feelings. Her journey is one of love, sacrifice, pain, and ultimately, transcendence; and the Little Mermaid’s struggle is foreshadowed in the begging when Anderson conveys “When the sisters rose up arm-in-arm through the water, the youngest would stand alone, looking after them, and felt ready to cry; only mermaids have no tears, and therefore suffer all the more” (Anderson, page 113). Readers can relate to and feel the desire, misery, and unselfish love of the Little Mermaid because of the psychological depth with which Hans Christian Andersen imbues the character. The exploration of her unfulfilled romantic feelings for the prince and her choice to give up her voice in order to stay in his company highlights the complexity of human emotions and relationships, thus further blurring the line between mermaids and humans. Perhaps the most moving aspect of Hans Christian Andersen’s examination of the Little Mermaid’s innermost thoughts is her ability to love and sacrifice, her love for the prince is a complicated, all-consuming passion that drives her to make unfathomable sacrifices rather than a straightforward, fantasy like infatuation. She lost her voice, a symbol of identity and power, but she gained a human body instead, demonstrating the depth of her emotions and the extent of her willingness to sacrifice for love. This story thread examines the transformational power of love and how it can both inspire enormous sacrifice and cause immense misery. Andersen does not shy away from the darker aspects of the Little Mermaid’s journey, presenting her love and sacrifice as a path to understanding and growth, even in the face of unreciprocated feelings and ultimate loss. After all in order for her to become human and be able to present herself to the prince she had to understand all the suffering she would have to endure in exchange for human legs, “I will prepare you a potion; and you must swim ashore with it to-morrow before sunrise, and then sit down and drink it. Your tail will then disappear, and shrivel up into what human beings call neat legs. But mind, it will hurt you as much as if a sharp sword were thrust through you … You will never be able to dive down into the water to your sisters or return to your father’s palace” (Anderson, page 121-122). The Little Mermaid is displayed as an individual with the ability to feel deeply felt emotions, which is in line with human nature, and less of a menacing and non-human creature like a siren by diving into her personal life and sharing the hardships she faces.
The Little Mermaid’s bond with her family is another aspect of Hans Christian Andersen’s story that demonstrates the humanity of the Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid’s decisions are greatly impacted by her love and concern for her family throughout the entire story. Her interactions with her grandma, father, and sisters show a network of relationships based on understanding, compassion, and caring for one another. Her relationship with her family is just like humans have as well and we can as well relate to some of these interactions, “There was nothing she delighted in so much as to hear about the upper world. She was always asking her grandmother to tell her all she knew about ships, towns, people, and animals … At length she could resist no longer, and opened her heart to one of her sisters, from whom all the others immediately learned her secret” (Anderson, page 109 and 116). With something so simple as sharing that connection with her grandmother, similar to our grandparents telling us stories as kids, or sharing secrets with her sisters like little girls often do; Anderson further emphasizes the similarities between the Little Mermaid and humans. The Little Mermaid’s plot revolves around her familial ties, which impact her decisions and determine her fate. Because familial affection and obligation are universal and profoundly rooted in human communities, Andersen’s emphasis on family highlights this fact. Through depicting the Little Mermaid’s family’s significance, Hans Christian Andersen implies that humankind’s potential for love, devotion, and sacrifice within the framework of a family is not exclusive to humans, but rather is a universal quality that can bridge the gap between the idea of mermaids and humans being of completely different worlds.
In “The Little Mermaid,” Hans Christian Andersen creates a story that breaks down barriers between the supernatural and the natural, the human and the non-human. Andersen sheds additional light on the idea that mermaids and all other beings are more like humans than we may have previously thought by depicting the Little Mermaid’s curiosity, psychological depth, and familial ties. Despite taking place in a magical underwater kingdom, this story explores the core themes of human nature, reflecting our desires, our struggles, and our capacity for love. Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid is not just a creature of the sea; she is a mirror reflecting the complexities, the beauty, and the pain of being human.
Works Cited
Anderson, Hans Christian. “The Little Mermaid.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, edited by
Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown, Penguin Books, 2019, pp 109-122.