The Heroine and Archetypal Characteristics of The Little Mermaid

732 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The summary of little mermaid

In the story, “The Little Mermaid” there are demonstrations that describe what a heroine is. A female character that is noted for special achievements represents the heroine in a story. Therefore, the youngest mermaid “Little Mermaid” represents the heroine throughout the story. The Little Mermaid is a mystical creature that longs only to seek the handsome prince she laid eyes on. “Once she became human, the witch said she could never become a mermaid again” (Anderesens 185). This is an example of how the Little Mermaid chose to do something incredible and dangerous just to accomplish something she only dreamt of. Not only is the Little Mermaid the heroine of the story, but she also exemplifies other archetypal characteristics. An original type, after which, other related things are patterned in a story embodies an archetypal characteristic. “The Little Mermaid danced for the Prince to show her affection” (Anderesens 185). Love has conquered her soul and has made her this affectionate creature. The Little Mermaid plays an essential part in the story, giving her the most significant role, and making her the main focus.
The understanding of the heroine in this story is imperative and helps the reader apprehend the overall theme and purpose. Early in the story, the first example of heroine actions is presented by the Little Mermaid rescuing the Prince. “When the Little Mermaid found the Prince, she carried him to the surface and laid him on the sand, kissing his forehead before swimming away from the beach” (Andersens 184). The Prince faced a near death experience, and if not for the Little Mermaid, his life would have been cut short. This is only one example, but throughout the story the Little Mermaid signifies the heroin...

... middle of paper ...

...er. The Little Mermaids innocence led her to crave more knowledge to learn about humans and their souls. Throughout the story those are the two main archetypal characteristics shown by the little Mermaid.
In conclusion, when reading a story with a female archetype there is an automatic insertion of the representation of a heroine. The Little Mermaid was honored for her brave acts and her fine qualities she had shown. She represents the lead female character that gave the overall story its true meaning and representation. Throughout the story the Little Mermaid exposed different archetypal characteristics that helped the reader comprehend the concept of the overall theme. Her innocence and the love that she showed saved the Prince’s life and her soul as well. When looking deep into a story, a heroine and her archetypal characteristics can play an essential role.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Characters in the story have a major impact on the theme of fantasy versus reality. The main character Connie, is a fifteen-year-old who exhibits the confusing, often superficial behavior typical of a teenage girl facing the difficult transition

    Read More

  • Examples Of Heroism In Walk Two Moon

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    A heroine's journey usually involves a female protagonist, however, the relationship with this story structure goes much deeper in this book.

    Read More

  • Analyzing the Hero's Journey in The Shannara Chronicles

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first protagonist the audience is introduced to is Amberle. Her story is surprisingly similar to the traditional hero’s journey despite being a heroine. A heroine’s journey traditionally has her becoming very masculine. Amberle does not, however. She is a competent fighter - part of her princess background

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Pan's Labyrinth

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is not often that a strong and significant female character is introduced in a movie and/or book as the main character. Pan’s Labyrinth, though not the typical fairy tale, introduces the viewer to three females that prove controversial and necessary to the plot, which passes the Bechdel Test, designed to identify gender bias in the media. There is Carmen, the loving mother, Ofelia, the supposed princess/innocent girl, and then there is Mercedes, Captain Vidal’s maid and rebel spy. These three women show different portrayals, different characterizations, of how women should defy the gender bias in films.

    Read More

  • Disney and Traditional Stereotypes

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Disney films, it is important for women to achieve the stereotypical characteristics of a woman, such as maintaining their beauty to capture a man, and being weak and less educated than male characters. The women in Disney movies are always beautiful, which help them to obtain a man. They are often encouraged to use their looks and their body to capture a man’s attention, and having a curvy, petite body is required in all good Disney women. The Little Mermaid is a 1989 movie directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, where “A mermaid princess makes a faustian...

    Read More

  • The Little Mermaid: Hans Christian Andersen vs Walt Disney

    2433 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” published in 1837, contains many patronizing nineteenth-century attitudes towards women, a value system that at least acknowledges the legitimacy of femininity shapes the fairytale. Unfortunately, Walt Disney’s 1989 film version of “The Little Mermaid” eliminates the values that affirm femininity in the original story (Trites 145)

    Read More

  • Cinderell Complexity And Beauty In Walt Disney's Cinderella

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cinderella is illustrated as a beautiful and dazzling young woman. She is tall, delicate and gently shaped with a soothing face. She has fair skin, pink lips, and shimmering blue eyes. Her hair is light parched orange, shoulder-length with cushioned bangs. She is a strong-minded and independent young woman who is truly graceful and charming in the view that she doesn’t let her anger and sorrow get the better of her. She is kind to all and is in no way is sculpted as naive or childish. She is prohibitively mature, perpetual and has shown that she can overcome her obstacles. The customary aspect of kindness and beauty is exemplified in Charles Perrault, as “Yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday, her dreams of happiness would come true.”

    Read More

  • Sexism In Disney Movies

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Disney movies have a very narrow view of what women should be like. Since the arrival of the first Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the idea of it has expanded, but rather marginally. There is a clear distinction of what a young women should be and what she shouldn’t be. Those who do not fit the mold of Disney’s expectations are cast aside to become villains, but those who do, end up becoming the damsel in distress. Ultimately, these stereotypes are what influences young girls who watch these films, and can have devastating effects on their self worth and change their idea of what it means to be a women. Films like Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,

    Read More

  • The Little Mermaid Comparison

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    In both Hans Christian Andersons “The Little Mermaid,” and Disney’s version of the story, the main character— a young and beautiful mermaid— waits anxiously for her fifteenth birthday to venture from her father’s underwater castle to the world above the water. As the story carries on the mermaids priorities change; her modest and selfless nature is revealed towards the end in Andersen’s version. However, Disney’s version encompasses a rather shallow ending and plot throughout. The theme found in comparing the two versions reveal that Andersen’s substance trumps Disney’s entertainment factor in fairy tales.

    Read More

  • The Thousand And One Nights Vs Medea Analysis

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    Due to traditional stereotypes of women, literature around the world is heavily male-dominant, with few female characters outside of cliché tropes. Whenever a female character is introduced, however, the assumption is that she will be a strong lead that challenges the patriarchal values. The authors of The Thousand and One Nights and Medea use their female centered stories to prove their contrasting beliefs on the role of women not only in literature, but also in society. A story with a female main character can be seen as empowering, but this is not always the case, as seen when comparing and contrasting Medea and The Thousand and One Nights.

    Read More

  • The Wonder Of Imagination In Deborah Ross's Escape From Wonderland

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “Escape from Wonderland” by Deborah Ross, the writer explains how the fictional characters are admired. Although they seem to be sending a bigger message to young girls. The writer talks about drawing a line between fantasy and reality. In the end Ross’s objective is to show how some Disney characters break the femininity and imagination tradition. Which can have an effect in children and how they value their own ability to have unique visions. By comparing Alice in Wonderland (1951), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) to heroines like Arabella from The female Quixote. “Charlotte Lennox’s (The Female Quixote illustrates both these conservative and progressive plot patterns, for it both draws upon and criticizes earlier romances, which themselves often both celebrate and punished female imagination and expressiveness. Therefore, like Disney’s movies today, which also use material from romance and fairy-tale tradition”, (pg. 473, Escape from Wonderland). Young women may not only begin to fantasize about a grandeur life more exciting than reality but to be disappointed with society in the workplace and relationships. For example, Meredith from Brave she is a princess that wishes to have a different life than what her mother has planned for her. She refuses to get married and have the duties of a princess. She wants to have adventures and be

    Read More

  • The Little Mermaid Short Story Analysis

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The mermaid swam with her prince toward the beach. She laid him in the fine white sand, taking care to place his head in the warm sunshine, far from the water. She also had to give up her voice, which she had done so willingly, endure tremendous amounts of pain to have the legs of a human, and give up her life as a mermaid as well as never be able to be with her sisters at the bottom of the ocean again. The little mermaid passed all of the tests that the universe threw at her, but in the end, she did not get to marry the prince and this is a great example of a message from the author that life can be unfair sometimes.

    Read More

  • Feminism and Fairy Tales

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    A prolific exemplification of the ideal female virtues portrayed in fairy tales is Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper”. Perrault presents the ideal female fairy tale character through his portrayal of Cinderella. Cinderella is a tame and forgiving individual who subjects herself to the will of her father, stepmother and s...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Cinderella

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is this element of hope in a true fairytale that creates the support for a protagonist to overcome the opposing force that has been thrust onto them. A genuine fairytale is said to have the element of, “A innocent character [placed against] the evil character who normally loses somehow,” (Gokturk) which is seen as Cinderella is chosen by the prince over the evil step-sisters at the ball. As human beings with a developed moral system, it has been seen that the more deserving, mistreated character is favored to succeed in the story. Cinderella is seen as this “underdog” character in her quest to find love with the prince and overcome her step-sisters’ mistreatment. As Cinderella is mistreated by her new family, sympathy is built for the emerging protagonist and hope of her to conquer her situation follows. The underdog of this story grows in favorability to be picked by the prince due to the societal belief that the more deserving candidate should overcome their opposition. If there was no sense of hope thought the story of Cinderella, this story could not be categorized as a true embodiment of a

    Read More

  • The Underlying Truth about Disney’s Princesses

    1780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the years, Disney has presented many movies to their audience—most having a Princess as the protagonist. These movies became a babysitter for most parents in the early stages of their child’s life. Most people found these movies as relatively harmless. The obvious assumption about the Disney Princesses is that they only desire true love since almost every movie ends in romance. Parents just viewed these movies as romantic movies on a child’s level. However, these movies were not solely intended for an audience of an age that can be counted on both hands. They were intended to speak to “an intelligent and active audience” (Sumera 40). However, there are many people who disagree with the ways of the Disney Princess movies. The disagreements lie within the portrayal of women gender roles in these movies. It is argued that Disney portrays women as a being nurturing individuals without any control over their identity. The women are unable to think for themselves, because they are uneducated, and they are quick to fall in love with the first man that pays them any attention. However, this is not completely true. The people that are against the portrayal of women in the Disney movies are failing to recognize the underlying concepts in these movies. For example, Belle, in Beauty and the Beast, was well educated, Mulan went to war despite the consequences, and Merida, in Brave, stood up to her mother in refusal to marry. The Disney Princesses desired intelligence, bravery, strength, and independence—not true love’s kiss.

    Read More

More about The Heroine and Archetypal Characteristics of The Little Mermaid

Open Document