Who Is The Little Mermaid To Me? 🧜♀️❤️📚
My Thoughts On The Story:
I grew up with Hans Christan Andersen’s Little Mermaid not only being a big part of my childhood but a big part of myself, my personality. When I read this story I don’t read a children’s fairy tale, I read a story of a brave young mermaid who fought for what she wanted by braving over the boundaries that threaten her back.
She was brave to wait her turn to go to the surface whilst listening to her sisters’ adventures longing for her own, she was brave to save a human, brave to ask for an eternal soul, brave to leave the ocean to go after the love she wanted, and brave to sacrifice herself for what was right. To me the little mermaid was never just a majestic sweet fragile creature, she was always a strong, brave, fearless, boundless being letting nothing hold her back. Though this is a story meant to preach to children that you may never get what you want in the end it is also a story of having some bravery to at least try.
My Thoughts On Andersen’s (The Father Of Mermaids) Creation:
Before mermaids were just viewed as magical creatures who would either cause death or bring good luck both within the folktale of many cultures and literature. But thanks to Andersen he had created a new celebrated definition to mermaids. He had fathered mermaids within entertainment, both literature and movies, to be brave curious otherworldly creatures with nothing holding them back from longing, understanding, and experiencing.
I even believe any girl can take up a mermaid personality simply if she is just brave enough to ask for what she wants. And even, if she can be brave enough to step out of whatever ocean she treads to do so, go after it and step onto new lands whilst letting nothing hold her back.
If you like’d this post be sure to like and comment your praise or thoughts. I would appreciate it since I’m trying step onto my own new lands trying to find an online presence as a literary critic and aspiring author. Thank you my fellow mermaids!🧜♀️🧜♀️🧜♀️❤️📚📚🧜♀️
#book #books #bookish #bookaesthetic #booksoflemon8 #mermaid #mermaids #BookReview #booksoflemon8 #bookshelf
When I think about Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Mermaid,' it's always been much deeper than just a children's story for me. Many people search for the plot and storyline, and while the basics are known, the underlying meaning and theme are what truly resonate. For those unfamiliar, the story centers on a young mermaid who falls in love with a human prince after saving him from a shipwreck. Her biggest desire, however, isn't just the prince; it's to gain an immortal soul, something mermaids don't possess. To achieve this, she makes a perilous deal with the Sea Witch: her beautiful voice for human legs. Each step she takes on land feels like walking on sharp knives, and if the prince marries another, she will die and dissolve into sea foam. Despite the immense suffering, she bravely pursues her dream. Ultimately, the prince marries another princess, believing her to be his rescuer. Given a chance to kill the prince and return to her mermaid life, she refuses, choosing to sacrifice herself and turns into a spirit of the air, with a chance to earn an immortal soul through good deeds. This summary really highlights the difficult choices she faced. This brings us to the theme of the little mermaid. While some might look at her actions and think, 'she should have just take what she got and be happy with it' or question, 'why does she even try?' – implying she's spoiled and selfish for wanting more – I see something else entirely. Her journey is a profound exploration of unrequited love, sacrifice, and the longing for something beyond one's natural existence. It’s a powerful narrative about identity and belonging. She doesn't just stand where she belonged; she actively desires a different destiny, pushing beyond the boundaries of her world. The idea of her being 'brave' is central to my own understanding. She wasn't just chasing a boy; she was chasing eternity, a soul. That's a huge, existential quest! The pain she endured, both physical and emotional, demonstrates immense resilience. Hans Christian Andersen, the creator of this timeless fairytale, crafted a storyline that forces us to question what we are willing to do for love, or for a deeper purpose. It’s interesting to compare this to the little mermaid Disney story. While Disney's Ariel is also brave and curious, her primary motivation is clearly the prince and experiencing the human world, with the ending being a happily-ever-after where she gets both. Andersen's original plot, however, is far more somber and complex. It emphasizes the pain of transformation and the ultimate, selfless sacrifice. The original characters, like the Sea Witch (who is more of a neutral, transactional figure than purely evil) and the Prince (who is kind but oblivious), serve to highlight the mermaid's internal struggle and choices rather than being clear-cut heroes and villains. For me, the meaning of the original Little Mermaid is not about failure, but about the sheer courage to pursue an impossible dream, to endure hardship, and to make a choice rooted in pure, selfless love, even if it leads to personal annihilation in one form. It's a reminder that true bravery isn't always rewarded with a storybook ending, but with the dignity of trying.
