Argumentative Essay On Mermaids

Why are people enchanted with mermaids? Is it because they have perfectly flowing, magical hair?

Is it their strategic use of shells as a torso covering?

Mysterious, powerful and possibly immortal, mermaids have been featured in ancient folktales as well as modern films. When mermaids surface in trendy movies, a whole new generation is charmed. Some of these include:

Miranda (1948)

Night Tide (1961)

Splash (1984)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Magic Island (1995)

Aquamarine (2006)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Half Supermodel, Half Fish

A mermaid is technically and anatomically “a legendary aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish.” Mermaid characters appear in the tales

This concept has also surfaced in folklore – and in The Thirteenth Year, a 1999 Disney film. Mermen, however, are usually depicted as wilder and uglier than mermaids and typically aren’t interested in humans.

The Mermaid Myth

The idea of mermaids started a long time ago – probably influenced by the Sirens of Greek mythology.

Sailors and pirates often believed that mermaids brought bad luck and would bewitch them into giving up their treasures. They also feared mermaids would drag them to the bottom of the sea.

Some famous mermaids include:

Atargatis, a legend dating back to 1000 B.C. To punish herself for accidentally killing her beloved, she tries to change herself into a fish. Only the lower half was transformed.

The Little Mermaid, from the tale by Hans Christian Andersen. She risked her life to follow a shipwrecked human prince. After he marries someone else, she evaporates into sea foam.

Sedna, an Inuit legend. While being rescued by her father, Sedna fell into the sea and grew a fish tail.

And let’s not forget the Starbucks mermaid, chosen to represent the Seattle-based coffee company because they wanted a nautical mascot. Her image is loosely based on a Nordic