Little Mermaid Interpretation

From an early age we get bombarded by fairy tales distinctly known for their images of fantasy and “happily ever after’s” in an attempt to mold our perceptions of the world and our behaviors. We are taught to distinguish between right and wrong and through these fairy tales, with their usual story lines of good triumphing over evil, a sense of hope and innocence gets etched into our psyche. Perhaps one of the most well-known and beloved fairy tales of them all, The Little Mermaid, has not only captivated the imaginations of both young and old but has been somewhat misinterpreted and recreated to from its original version by Hans Christian Andersen to become more appropriate and favored by society. Although the Disney recreation is quite more “kid friendly” and whimsical, it has however lost its essence and some of its morals; replacing them with different ideas and themes.

Hans Christian Andersen, the original author of The Little Mermaid or Den lille Havfrue, wrote the fairy tale in Denmark in the year 1837. Andersen’s tale portrays a more serious plot much different from Disney’s loveable adaptation. The story starts off with describing how there once was a widowed sea king who lived with his mother and six daughters. The sea grandmother would watch over the daughters and when each would turn fifteen years of age (all were a year apart) they were granted permission to go above water and explore. The story then develops into the experiences of each sister in order from eldest to youngest and describes how eager the youngest was to explore the world above. Andersen also mentioned how after they became old enough they were permitted to go anywhere they pleased and that occasionally the five sisters (excluding the youngest) would go...

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...es are better than softer ones for children, but they also both agree upon the idea that they help children understand more realistic concepts through the fantasy and help them cope with certain issues. Andersen’s The Little Mermaid was an undeniable masterpiece and had many valuable morals and lessons for children to follow. From the concept of maturation to loyalty and straying away from temptation, the mermaid was depicted as gentle and pure of heart throughout the fairy tale. Disney’s version, however, did spoil most of the mature and deep meanings of the story but did add a few good concepts; such as presenting a stronger and more opinionated mermaid and a less ignorant prince with more motive. Overall, the original served a deeper purpose and perhaps even benefited children more as opposed to the softer Disney version, yet both are great pieces nonetheless.