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The Tuna of Lake Vaihiria – Understanding the Connection Between the Natural and Unnatural World

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Every single culture that has ever existed has a strong relationship with nature. Humanity has always had a natural connection to the world, but as humanity continues to progress, relationships with nature are deteriorating more and more, and people are replacing their connections to nature with connections to technology. Studying literature that has been passed down through different cultures and generations is an important aspect of cultural evolution, as literature of the past can act as cautionary tales that aid in how to live a good life. By close reading “The Tuna of Lake Vaihiria”, specifically the Polynesian iteration of the story, we read the story of a young woman, named Hina, escaping an arranged marriage to a monster by seeking the help of the deity Maui. Maui defeats this monster and gives Hina the monster’s head, which will turn into a coconut tree once she sets it down, as a gift. Hina accidentally sets the head down before she can get home, but as the tree grows, it bears coconuts as gifts for her and her new family. Through its subtle use of metaphor, “The Tuna of Lake Vaihiria” uses Hina’s rejection of arranged marriage to offer an insightful exploration of the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world, suggesting that like a human being, nature retaliates against poor treatment towards it, but it may also serves as a sanctuary from societal norms that creates and provides. 

The entire conflict of the story arises from Hina wanting to escape an arranged marriage to a king. Both the concept of marriage and the idea of a social hierarchy are completely artificial and are ideas that were created in order to structure a society. Although culture is an important aspect of humanity, it can be detrimental to people who are unable or unwilling to conform to it, such as Hina. At the wedding, she proclaims to her parents in terror that she must “find her own sanctuary” (3) from the arranged marriage. Prior to meeting the Eel King, she was blindly excited for the marriage because she grew up believing that this was the way life was supposed to go. Deciding that she will not marry the Tuna King was Hina’s way of allowing her raw emotions to overpower a social norm. This led her to begging Maui for help, who in this iteration hooked and controlled the sun. Although Maui is a demi-god in a human body, he arguably is the metaphorical representation of nature in this story. Maui acts as a savior to Hina by releasing her from the grasp of the king.

 On top of killing the king, Maui also gifts Hina the head of the king which grows into a coconut tree that provides for her and the family she chooses to have in the future. Although Hina did not follow the direction Maui gave of not setting the head down until she was home, she was able to create a sanctuary where the tree landed. It provided food, shelter, and was able to house her and her new family. By being able to develop her own sustainable way of living, she proves that she can find sanctuary in nature. As she treated it well, by being respectful to Maui and respecting his gift, she was able to escape the social norms that were going to strip her of her free will and developed a newfound appreciation for the world around her. This is a common occurrence that people experience once overcoming trauma. In this case, the trauma was caused by being forced to conform to the marriage she believed she was destined to. The marriage situation does an amazing job at connecting the natural world to the unnatural world. In its truest form, the natural world represents peace and tranquility whereas the unnatural world represents fear and unhappiness with the mask of providing consistency. In any given culture, one can safely assume how their week will go. They have traditions that they follow, social structures to conform to, and practices that they have trained themselves to react to in certain ways. For example, a person can wave in one culture and know that they are being greeted, but in another culture, a hand wave can be seen as disrespectful and a person can be offended. Only in nature can there be no expectations other than taking care of oneself however they may need to.

The Eel King can be attributed to embody the deceitful and harmful practices that exist within cultures. While in some iterations he appears as a human, the polynesian iteration shows the king to be a large, thick eel with human legs. Eels, like snakes, represent deceitfulness in stories. By having human legs, one could make the point that the deceitful qualities within the Eel are elevated, both metaphorically and literally. Legs can represent control and mobility, but also show that by having human traits, it likely shares some parts of a human mind. The Eel king may want to get married to fulfill his hierarchical duties, but in doing so he would be manipulating and controlling Hina, which would be hurting a natural creation. The Eel was a literal freak of nature. He brought the worst parts of humanity and nature together. Despite being a symbol of trickery, the Eel fell for Maui’s bait and was punished for it by getting decapitated. Hina rejected societal norms, seeked help from a demi-god that represents nature, and was awarded for it. The Eel was a natural representation of the culture that Hina grew up in. He pushes for the arranged marriage to happen, and disregards her well being for the sake of following the cultural practice. People grow up in different cultures and are taught to respect their norms and practices and rarely give it much thought. Whether it is painful, outdated, or a person simply does not agree with their culture, they are rarely given the opportunity to leave and unlearn what they know. The only place where culture can be ignored is within nature. Nature provides and creates. Despite humanity’s poor treatment of it, people can find places where nature is preserved and find moments of peace.

By close reading this story, people are able to explore the connection that nature has to the unnatural world. Nature treats humanity with respect and provides for them as long as humanity reciprocates the behavior. People may argue that nature is a constant that cannot provide because it is not a living, thinking being. This is absolutely not the case because nature works hard to keep itself in homeostasis. Think of it as karma. Many people believe that if a person radiates positivity and puts good into the world, they will have good karma that will throw goodness back at the person. If a person is bad, they will receive bad energy. Nature will always serve as a sanctuary, but if people destroy nature, they will lose their sanctuary and will no longer be provided for, meaning it is of utmost importance to keep nature healthy and respect it. Hina embodies the everyday person that is conforming to a culture or society that they were born in. She gets the option to conform and be miserable, or seek refuge and live free. By alluding to the decision, the story gives the readers the opportunity to question for themselves if they are conforming or rebelling against their own way of life. The story also makes an effort to show that Hina lives happily after choosing to live free. She is fed, sheltered, and is able to raise a family. This story is not anti-culture, it is simply a cautionary tale that explains that there is always salvation in nature. With that being said, the conclusion can be drawn that through its use of metaphor, “The Tuna of Lake Vairhiria” uses Hinas rejection of arranged marriage to offer an insightful exploration of the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world, suggesting that like a human being, nature retaliates against poor treatment towards it, but it may also serves as a sanctuary from societal norms that creates and provides.

Essay 2: Close Reading Assignment

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Lixia Peña

Professor Jessica Pressman

ECL 305

14 April 2024

Close Reading Essay

The path of mermaid folklore across time takes us into the story of The Little Mermaid and Melusine in the 19th century. Here we see the mermaid form the desire to acquire a human soul through marriage with a human man. It is worth analyzing how the introduction of a human soul within mermaid folklore reflects the hierarchy by which the industrialized western world of the 19th century was structured. This is a hierarchy in which humans, specifically Christian, are at the top and dominate over nature. Through the analysis of this theme we can gain a better understanding of the Western understanding of what makes someone human and how it has shaped our current relationship with nature.

The text we are studying for our purposes is found on page 118. This is the scene in which the grandmother of our unnamed protagonist explains to her the difference between the life of humans and mermaids. The texts reads as follows, “-the term of their life is even shorter than ours. We can live to be three hundred years old; but when we cease to be here, we shall only be changed into foam and are not even buried below amongst those we love. Our souls are not immortal. We shall never enter upon a new life… human beings, on the contrary, have a soul that lives eternally – and that rises up through the clear pure air to the bright stars above…So do they rise to unknown and favoured regions, that we shall never be privileged to see.” In considering that the text reflects a western hierarchy of value we have to pay attention to some key details in this conversation. The story so far has established that the underwater kingdom parallels the same structures to be found on land. The environment is very similar and a monarchy also exists under water. The only difference lies then on the possession of a human soul. Where the mermaids only become an organic part of the natural world, humans have a soul with which they can ascend to heaven. We have previously discussed in class how western thought, shaped largely by Christianity, places emphasis on up v. down. Up being considered more favorable as it is in closer proximity to God whereas down is considered to be a realm much closer to hell. Humans live their mortal lives in a place already closer in proximity to heaven but their immortal soul is granted the “privilege” of ascending further. Mermaids by living in a realm below humans are not even given permanence through remembrance, they are not memorialized with a burial. Humans, when they ascend, are also privy to the privilege of knowledge. Here the myth of the mermaid possessing unknown knowledge is transposed. Humans are now the possessors of privileged knowledge and it is our mermaid who is drawn onto land hoping to one day acquire this same knowledge. The reader, so far, can surmise that being human is a far more privileged position than to be a being that would eventually just form part of nature. If we understand the mermaid to be a representation of nature then we have to surmise that under western ideas the natural world is not as important as the human world. So far, we can also presume that all humans have this advantage but the text goes on to provide further specificity.

            The little mermaid’s grandmother goes on to explain to her under what conditions one could acquire a human soul. “Unless a human being loved you so dearly that you were more to him that either father of mother; if all his thoughts and his love were centred in you, and he allowed the priest to lay his right hand in yours…then would his soul glide into your body…he would give you a soul without forfeiting his own. But this will never happen!” We are no strangers to the presence of the contract of marriage in mermaid folklore. This text emphasizes that marriage, a Christian marriage specifically, is necessary for the mermaid to have a hope of sharing a soul with her partner. By making the requisite of a Christian marriage we can assume that not all humans have the privilege to having an immortal life in heave. Given that this is a story written for a Christian audience we can safely infer that it is the Christian God that the text is referring to. To understand how the story reflects the values of a western hierarchal society we must understand what is happening historically at this time. Colonization is in full force and indigenous peoples of the lands being exploited are being driven out of their homes; African natives are being kidnapped and trafficked into slavery and both groups of oppressed peoples are being forced into abandoning their religions and being converted to Christianity in the name of “righteousness”. In America western expansion is driving indigenous people’s out of their ancestral homes under the banner of “Manifest Destiny” and western settlers view the wilderness as land ready to be worked into production on Tobacco and cotton. Considering this history and the idea proposed by Andersen’s story, we have to wonder if the text implies that non-Christian peoples are then subhuman. This is certainly the understanding that colonial literature would present of enslaved and indigenous people as literature of the time will often use the word “savages” as a descriptor. It is worth mentioning that the origins of the word savage come from the French word Sauvage which means wild and from the Latin word Sivaticus which translates to “of the woods”. We can see here that under this Christian way of understanding, to live in a close relation to the natural world is to be less civilized and thereby less human. It is under this belief that the western world both justified its exploitation of non-christian peoples and forced them into converting to Christianity, so as to have a hope for their soul’s salvation and ascension into heaven. We could then understand the little mermaid as being the story of non-christian desiring a place at the top of the hierarchy, moving upwards into becoming a human i.e. Christian. The reader of the time in which this story is published is then taught that not only are they privileged above others but that these indigenous people are grateful to westerners for providing their souls salvation through conversion.

            Through the focused exploration of this passage in Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, we can conclude that the story functions as a conversion story and further reinforces the idea that the natural world is in subservience to humans. It is something that ought to be used for the benefit of our own production and consumption. Even now as we work our way into de-colonizing our own thoughts and ideas it is clear that in order to do so our relationship with the environment is also something that needs to be re-examined. We need to understand our relationship the environment not as something to be dominated but as something to have a symbiotic relationship with. After all, when we put religion aside, the human body does eventually come to form a part of the natural world just as the mermaid becomes sea foam.

Essay 2: Hybrid Stories of the Sea (Close Reading)

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Sophia Fugazzotto 

ECL 305 

Dr. Pressman 

April 13th, 2024 

Hybrid Stories of the Sea

The 2018 film The Water Will Carry Us Home by Gabrielle Tesfaye tells a story of the Middle Passage and the horrors that Africans faced on this journey. During this film, pregnant African women are thrown off of the ship, but instead of falling to a tragic fate, they are saved by the presence of Yoruba Orishas, and turn into mermaids. Using art as a medium to recount an appalling part of history allows us to see the past through a new lens, instead of just the one we have been taught. To tell this story, Tesfaye uses two different formats of film–modern film making and stop motion animation. This is one of many hybrid elements used in this film. The use of hybridity in The Water Will Carry Us Home connects past and present, by revealing the harrowing journey of the Middle Passage and the people who are connected to it. It is this type of creative storytelling that allows audiences to see that history is not just stories; it is lives that were lived by people, just like us. 

One important element of hybridity in The Water Will Carry Us Home is the use of both modern film making and stop motion animation. The film begins with modern film making, with many shots focused on small details of Tesfaye and what she is doing–such as the henna on her hands, the stretched ear lobes, the tattoos, the smoke from the candles. These small details slow down the film and force the viewer to pay attention to these details, rather than a complex scene. For instance, consider the close shot of the eye henna on her hands, which is later also seen on the boat in the stop animation portion of the film. Had the shots had been wider and not focused on these details, the viewer may have missed the eye on the woman’s hand. This symbol being in both parts connects these two mediums, and connects past and present. In addition, by having modern film making sandwiching the stop animation, it first allows the viewer to relate to something in the beginning (this looks familiar) and then brings the viewer back to reality at the end (this is part of someone’s culture, this is a story told by these people). With this personal touch, the viewer is able to see that this story is not just a tale for the history books, but it is deeply connected to a culture and a people. 

Another element of hybridity is the stop motion aspect. There are two important parts of this format that contribute to the structure and story of this film. The first is, quite simply, the choice to use stop motion animation. Stop motion is the process of taking multiple pictures of the same items, and moving them slightly between each shot, and then combining the photographs to create a moving picture. It is the basis of film, but is not commonly used now due to how time consuming it is. The stop motion portion of this film takes only four minutes; yet Tesfaye most likely spent weeks, if not months, creating these scenes. The quick consumption of this media can be compared to our similarly quick consumption of the Middle Passage in history. The Middle Passage was a harrowing journey that lasted around eighty days on crowded slave ships (“The Middle Passage”). Yet, we do not even spend half of that time discussing the Middle Passage and the horrors that were imposed on the enslaved people on these ships. This creative choice by Tesfaye is important commentary on our consumption of history. 

The second significant feature of the stop motion animation is the hybridity within this format. Tesfaye creates most of the stop motion artwork from paper and watercolor, but she also adds historically famous images of the slave ships. Specifically, the ‘Brooks’ diagram, which was a document created in 1788 to visualize the most effective way to pack slaves onto a ship (“The Slave Ship”). The use of these images within the stop motion changes the visualization of this slave ship–it goes from just drawings to showing the viewer that this was a significant, and painful part of history. Tesfaye could have drawn these cramped conditions herself, but her choice not to brings the viewer back to the reality of what happened to these slaves, and how their placement on the ship was carefully planned, as if they were simply inanimate objects being stacked on a cargo ship. This adds to her creation of a story that is not just part of history, but the lives of real people. 

A final element of hybridity in The Water Will Carry Us Home is the headphones used at the end, which can be interpreted as a way of listening to the ocean and the stories it holds under its surface–stories we may never learn or know of. When one listens to the inside of certain shells, one can hear a sound similar to waves, but it is actually the vibrations of air due to the shape of the shell. What if this is the ocean’s way of recording what it sees? By shaping the shells in a special structure, the sea is able to save its memories, a history that may be locked away forever. These headphones also represent the intertwined lives of humans and nature; they are constructed of sea shells from nature and metal from humans. This use of materials reveals both the ability of human and nature to coexist, but also the power that humans retain over nature through their ability to manipulate it to their benefit, same as slave traders used the ocean for their own benefit. 

These hybrid elements of Tesfaye’s work create a film that does not follow traditional routes, but instead combines powerful features to forge an emotional experience for the viewer. It reminds us of the stories behind the brief chapters in our history textbooks, and the cultural stories from the side of the oppressed. Creative forms of art allow us to see history from a new perspective–instead of pages of words, we are allowed a more emotional and interpretive representation of history that is not controlled by those who ‘won’. The Water Will Carry Us Home bridges the gap between historical events and modern film by use of hybrid storytelling from a fresh perspective. 

Works Cited

Tesfaye, Gabrielle. “The Water Will Carry Us Home.” Vimeo, 10 May 2018, vimeo.com/269045173. 

“The Middle Passage (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/articles/the-middle-passage.htm#:~:text=The%20Middle%20Passage%20itself%20lasted,15%25%20grew%20sick%20and%20died. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024. 

“The Slave Ship ‘Brooks’: Royal Museums Greenwich.” The Slave Ship “Brooks” | Royal Museums Greenwich, www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-254938#:~:text=In%201788%2C%20abolitionists%20in%20Britain,around%20the%20country%20and%20abroad. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024. 

“The Great Old Hunter” and Evil Nature

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Humanity’s connection to the natural world has always been complicated. On the one hand, people make significant efforts to protect and regenerate natural ecosystems and resources. On the other hand, several of humankind’s advances toward technological progress and solidifying its spot on top of the food chain have resulted in the displacement and extinction of hundreds of species throughout humankind’s comparatively brief rule over Earth. It may seem that a steady population increase and a strong dependence on an industrialized lifestyle are the primary reasons humans have had such a negative influence on the environment. Still, it might be more significant than that. In a chapter of The Romance of the Faery Melusine titled “The Great Old Hunter,” a depiction of man’s ideals implies that humanity’s connection with nature is influenced by a desire to demonstrate supremacy.

The story points out that, in the time of the Great Hunter, Aimery, humans and nature lived close together. The chapter describes nature as a sort of hidden threat, stating, “In hamlets and villages wild animals in their lairs could watch unseen all that went on around human dwellings” (Lebey and Knight 11). The wording in this sentence gives off the impression that humanity was surrounded by nature in an almost malevolent way. This notion of impending violence is further supported by the next sentence, “Foxes and wolves knew just when to raid” (Lebey and Knight 11). In this section of the story, humans feel more like the wildlife, while animals seem to be the hunters. It shows us that humans were fearful of their bestial neighbors. In describing the aftermath of one of these canine raids, the author makes a direct reference to the Devil, writing, “A strange wild smell, something like sulphur, hung in the frozen air, stinging the nostrils, as in a room where a fire, smoking before going out, has left a scorched smell like He of the cloven hoof” (Lebey and Knight 11). Cloven hooves are found in animals like sheep, deer, and goats. The personal pronoun “He” infers that these cloven hooves belong to a human, as any other reference to nature is met with the pronouns “they,” “them,” and “it”. All this suggests that this simile is an easily understood comparison between nature and the Devil. This just further proves that humanity was scared of nature, and it helps justify their rationale for hunting.

The forest itself is described as “…stretched beyond, menacing and dangerous, full of the unknown, concealing the surprising and the supernatural” (Lebey and Knight 11). Describing the forest as “stretched beyond” gives the audience a good idea of how surrounded early humans felt. The word “beyond” suggests that the forest’s reach had no visible end. It’s hard not to imagine a raft in the middle of an endless ocean. Both the hypothetical raft and the aforementioned hamlets and villages are stranded, encircled by a not-so-obvious danger. The audience knows that the forest is dangerous because the first two paragraphs describe the animals who come from the woods to terrorize people – but also because the text uses the words “menacing and dangerous” to personify the woods. Writing that the forest is “full of the unknown” is important, as the word “unknown” will be repeated later in the text to explain what drives Man to be brave. To say that the forest conceals “the supernatural” indicates that not only is nature frightening to humankind, but it is almost incomprehensible – it doesn’t follow humanity’s rules; therefore, it is mystical and fantastical.

The story then shows us that humanity is able to defeat these evils – the story says, “…evil reigned only if heroes failed to confront its dangers” (Lebey and Knight 12). This sentence reveals a lot of information to the audience about humanity’s values. Saying that “evil reigned” strengthens the prior implications of mankind’s stranded identity. To reign over something is to predominantly rule something. The idea of nature (AKA evil) predominantly ruling over the world is an alien concept to modern humans, as the tables seemingly turned millennia ago. The text continues, stating, “It seemed that the one existed to give rise to the other,” (Lebey and Knight 12). The nonspecific nature of this sentence fragment is purposeful. Its obvious implication is that evil exists to make humans stronger, but it also implies that the existence of humans makes the surrounding evil more powerful. This one fragment opens up the possibility of an infinite cycle where humanity and nature progressively become more and more impactful on each other. With melting ice caps and other adverse effects of climate change, it’s safe to say that this relationship between man and the natural world is still in effect. The sentence ends by saying, “for humans do not show their mettle if left to themselves.” (Lebey and Knight 12). A rough translation into simpler terms would be that humans do not show their tenacity if there is no evil to brave against. 

The word “unknown” returns in the sentence, “In those days men identified with things that could lead them further into the unknown;” (Lebey and Knight 12). The last time the word “unknown” was used, it described the “menacing and dangerous” essence of the forest. Using a phrase as vague as “the unknown” in this sentence works great; it describes that humanity has an instinctual fascination with things it does not understand, as well as further exploring humanity’s association with forests and nature in particular. The story continues with, “they sought in all directions the extension of their physical and spiritual power” (Lebey and Knight 12). It seems humans have always been determined to take over everything, as demonstrated by the phrase “in all directions.” The sentence mentions both physical and spiritual power, and this is like saying violence and understanding. The order in the wording is crucial to understanding the implicit attitude humans have towards the unknown – destroy first, understand later. Since nature is akin to evil in this story, it would be fair to think that these early humans would try to defeat nature before they try to observe and reason with it.

All this is not to say that Man never tried to understand nature; in the next paragraph, the narrator says, “Man developed without dissociating or abstracting himself from the world,” (Lebey and Knight 12). When one dissociates or abstracts oneself, one removes oneself from one’s own existence and lets go of any attachments that are associated with one’s sense of identity. This remark demonstrates to the audience that whatever information that humans have accumulated about nature has been done so on a level that is ultimately trivial. If one wants to have a complete understanding of anything, one must put oneself in that thing’s position and make an effort to see the world from the perspective of that thing. In the absence of the dissociation and abstraction processes, no attempt is made to fully understand anything. 

Finally, the narrator discusses hunting, saying, “Hunting, so different from our own… maintained the extension of human power” (Lebey and Knight 12). To get better at killing something, one must learn its behaviors and use them to one’s advantage. This is the “spiritual” power mentioned before. Through hunting, people can demonstrate their spiritual power through the act of tracking and the use of animal calls. The kill itself is the obvious demonstration of the physical power humans crave. This sentence paints hunting as a necessary activity for humans to partake in to maintain balance in the natural world – but it seems like hunting is necessary to keep human beings secure in themselves, which is a lot less valiant than the former.

In conclusion, “The Great Old Hunter” illuminates the intricate dance between humanity and the natural world, revealing a timeless struggle for supremacy. The text suggests that humans understand nature as evil, but humanity’s view of the wild seems to be a lot more positive in the contemporary era. If the ideals presented by the text were widespread, then this could explain why humans still tend to negatively impact the natural world. But it’s important to remember that the relationship between Man and nature is complex and changes over time. Stories from the past like this one teach about how people thought and felt in earlier times, but they also make us consider how humans think and act now when it comes to the environment. In order to try to solve the environmental problems of today, it’s important to understand how complicated our relationship with nature is and work toward a peaceful union that respects both humans and the environment. Understanding where we fit in the environment as a whole is important, should we want to face the difficulties of the future with knowledge and kindness.

Close Reading: The Little Mermaid

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Daniella Sanchez
Professor Pressman
ENG 305
3 March 2024  

The Little Mermaid and Coming of Age 

       In The Little Mermaid, the passage of girlhood to womanhood that the unnamed mermaid experiences when having eight oyster shells pinned to her tail on page 113 reflects the strict expectations and limitations held for young adult women of the Victorian era; The elements of attire and theme of pain suggest the hardships and deceptions of becoming a woman, teaching the difficulties of discovering one’s identity and societal expectations during the influential stages of maturity.  

       At the time the little mermaid turns fifteen, her time to broaden her horizons and witness the outside world in all its beauty has come. Her grandmother prepares her granddaughter for the event by dressing her in special attire, essential for a coming-of-age ceremony. The first item is placed on her head, a heavy wreath of lilies with pearls on each leaf: a laurel, as known in Victorian times, is meant for good luck, as the main character is about to embark on a new journey of self-discovery. Though her journey is as heavy as her wreath with pain and heartbreak, the little mermaid is seen victorious at the end of the story, signifying her newfound maturity as a woman.  

      In the language of flowers, white lilies represent not only innocence and purity but a sign of love towards the recipient by the one it’s given from. This shows the love and hope of purity (meaning that it is expected of the main character to remain with pure thoughts and actions, which is later shown hiding secrets from her sisters and running away) that the little mermaid’s grandmother has for her grandchild. Last, Victorians had the belief that pearls represented tears; The pearls in the little mermaid’s wreath give a foreshadowing of the tears she must hold back after realizing her hopes of marrying the prince are destroyed. However, the pearls in her wreath are also a representation of her transformation into a woman; Pearls are formed due to an irritant that is uncomfortable for the oyster, reflecting the pain that becoming a woman takes.  

        The last piece of attire, eight large oyster shells are attached to the little mermaid’s tail, she immediately lets her grandmother know that the decoration hurt her but is responded with the phrase, ‘pride must suffer,’ or as most women know, ‘beauty is pain.’  The analogy of the oyster shells and corsets is important to understand as in Victorian times, a young woman would start wearing corsets at the age of fifteen. What do corsets do? Besides hurting and misshaping the ribcage and organs its purpose was to restrain women, laced tightly this would restrict breathing leading to fainting. Because of this, women had to walk slowly, as if meant to not let them walk fast or run. The oyster shells and corsets represent being tied down, not wanting to let a woman come outside the box she has been placed in, hence the little mermaid mentioning the attire being heavy and expressing wanting to take it off as soon as possible. This symbolizes the desire of freedom to explore and learn new things after being molded to be what society expects of a refined and noble young woman who is soon to be wed off. Which in Victorian history, the ages of eighteen and twenty-six were the average age of marriage for women, this makes sense as to why the little mermaid ran away from home.  

        To conclude, the little mermaid now being seen from this new perspective is a young woman who has been protected and is suddenly being thrown into a new world of femininity filled with expectations that clearly, she wasn’t happy with following. Hans Christian Andersen gave a voice to young women who felt the same way as his little mermaid did and dreamed of liberating themselves from the strict society of the Victorian era. Through the portrayal of her attire and feelings towards the obstacles that she finds in her journey, not only does it bring light to a hardship of centuries but also opens a door for young women to relate to her situation and find consolation and motivation to break free.  

 Work Cited

 Bacchilega, Cristina, and Marie Alohalani Brown. “The Little Mermaid.” The Penguin Book of Mermaids, Cristina Bacchilega, 2019, pp. 113–130. 

Close Reading Assignment: Melusine

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Thavanh Pais

ECL 305

3/03/2024

The Romance of the Faery Melusine

‘The Faery at the Fountain’

In ‘The Romance of the Faery Melusine,’ the story revolves around a critical encounter between Melusine and Raymond as she visits a hidden fountain. This passage not only progresses the plot, but it also goes into deeper themes and character dynamics, providing insight into the complexity of the supernatural world and its relationship to human affairs.  In Chapter 3, titled ‘The Faery at the Fountain,’ the depiction of Raymond’s reiterated promise to Melusine symbolizes the delicate balance between trust and curiosity, highlighting the theme of secrecy within their relationship. Through Raymond’s oath to refrain from prying into Melusine’s mysterious absences, the text subtly explores the vulnerability inherent in maintaining secrets, particularly in the context of their intermingling human and supernatural realms. This pivotal moment not only underscores the consequences of transgression, but also serves as a place of broader societal anxieties surrounding gender roles and familial expectations.

Towards the end of the chapter, Raymond reaffirms his commitment to Melusine, pledging, “On my life, I swear that never on that evening or that night will I do anything that might be to your detriment, and that I will, in all goodwill and honor, seek to know nothing about your absence.” This declaration, placed at the heart of the story, represents the delicate balance of trust and curiosity in their relationship.

The author’s phrasing in this line is critical for grasping the intricacies of Raymond’s promise. The repetition of terms like “on my life” and “in all goodwill and honor” emphasizes the solemnity and gravity of Raymond’s promise, while also highlighting the intensity of his concern for Melusine’s well-being. In this sense, the author’s phrase not only adds to our comprehension of Raymond’s character, but it also emphasizes the value of trust and integrity in interpersonal interactions. Through a careful examination of these linguistic choices, we can determine the level of Raymond’s devotion to Melusine and the significance of his vow in their relationship.

Furthermore, Raymond’s promise not to inquire into Melusine’s strange absences highlights the idea of secrecy that pervades their encounters. Raymond not only exhibits his trust in Melusine by acknowledging the presence of her secrets and declaring his desire to respect her boundaries, but he also tackles the vulnerability that comes with keeping such secrets. This sensitivity is heightened by the magical factors at play, as Melusine’s supernatural nature adds another degree of intricacy to their connection. The presence of magic in their relationship adds a layer of uncertainty and risk, as Raymond wrestles with the ramifications of Melusine’s supernatural nature and the mysteries it entails. The magical factors in play heighten the stakes of their connection, as Raymond navigates the complexities of loving someone whose identity is veiled in mystery and whose nature is bound by concealment.

Examining the passage’s broader societal implications reveals echoes of contemporary concerns about gender roles and home obligations. Melusine and Raymond’s relationship follows traditional gender norms, with Melusine embodying the archetype of the enigmatic, enticing woman whose secrets must be kept at all costs. This picture reflects firmly held societal expectations about women’s behavior and the preservation of their virtue. Raymond’s promise to comply with Melusine’s request can be read as a symbol of patriarchal notions of care and guardianship, in which women are frequently reduced to the role of passive beneficiaries of masculine compassion. The language used in Raymond’s pledge, with its focus on safety and honor, supports this view by emphasizing the power dynamics at work in their relationship.

Melusine’s reaction to Raymond’s commitment reveals the complexities of her character and the psychological turmoil she experiences as a result of her magical nature. Melusine appreciates Raymond’s vow to safeguard her secrets, but she is also well aware of the dangers of divulging her true identity. Her reluctance to truly trust Raymond stems not just from a fear of betrayal, but also from a profound sense of loneliness and otherness that comes with her exceptional existence. This internal conflict deepens and enriches Melusine’s character, underlining the psychological toll of living a covert and dishonest life. Melusine’s fear may also derive from centuries of societal conditioning, in which women were frequently ostracized or prosecuted for breaking from social norms. Thus, her apprehension about exposing her actual self reflects a larger struggle for acceptance and belonging in a culture that fears and misunderstands the supernatural.

Finally, the consequences of transgression are prominent in this section, serving as a warning about the hazards of surrendering to curiosity and crossing boundaries. Raymond’s promise to Melusine is more than just a gesture of goodwill; it marks a watershed moment in his life, a moral reckoning that forces him to confront the consequences of his actions. Raymond’s desire to unravel Melusine’s mysteries exemplifies a fundamental human impulse: the intrinsic curiosity that drives us to seek out the unknown. Nonetheless, his determination to keep his promise demonstrates the value of integrity and self-control in the face of temptation. Also the consequences of transgression transcend beyond Raymond’s personal relationship with Melusine; they resonate throughout the story, affecting the course of events that follow. Raymond’s decision to keep his pledge sets off a series of events that will eventually decide the fate of their relationship and the lives of others around them. In this way, the repercussions of transgression serve as a potent reminder of the interconnectivity of our acts and the impact they can have on ourselves and others.

In the intricate weave of “The Romance of the Faery Melusine,” Chapter 3, titled “The Faery at the Fountain,” is a profound investigation of trust, curiosity, and concealment in the magical realm. Through a detailed investigation of Raymond’s promise to Melusine, we uncover levels of complexity that go beyond the storyline, diving into deeper cultural fears about gender roles and familial expectations. As we explore the complexities of Raymond and Melusine’s relationship, we are reminded of language and narrative’s enormous ability to explain the human experience. The delicate interplay between trust and curiosity highlights the complexities of human dynamics, while the issue of concealment deepens our understanding of vulnerability and the consequences of transgression. Beyond the story, this attentive reading challenges us to consider the lasting relevance of issues like trust, secrecy, and vulnerability in our own lives. Through the prism of Raymond and Melusine’s journey, we are urged to evaluate the influence of our actions on ourselves and others, as well as the value of integrity and self-control when faced with temptation.