Comparing Andersen And The Little Mermaid

The original tale is written by Hans Christian Anderson. Disney’s version could be called a complete 180 from the original. There are some small parts that align, like her saving the prince and falling for him and visiting the sea witch who takes her tongue (voice) for her legs. The deal remains the same: the mermaid can only stay human if the prince falls in love with her and marries her. However, the penalty is far more severe, she will die if she fails. There is also an unfortunate penalty to have legs: every single step she takes on land will feel like she is walking on sharp glass. On the other hand in the Disney movie the prince ends up with another girl (in the story, they do get married and it’s not the sea witch). She is given one option left to return to the sea. If she kills the prince, she can keep her life and gets to be a mermaid again. I’d say that’s a win-win. Of course, it isn’t for her, she loves the prince so much that she can’t go through with it. The mermaid throws herself in the sea and turns into sea foam. At least she was faithful till the

There is a universal ideology that suggests that each gender plays their specific, individualized roles in society: men acting as independent, powerful alpha males, and women being their dutiful submissives. Contemporary narratives depict women as such whereas mythology is rich with goddesses and other female figures who are brave and powerful warriors equal to men. So if mythology can be overflowed with stories about female leaders, how come contemporary narratives have derived from that viewpoint? Sirens in Greek Mythology are a perfect example of the derivation to the new idea of women in society: weak. By examining the myth of Sirens through a feminist critical lens, the question of whether society is “concerned with the ways in which literature and other cultural productions reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression”(Brizee Web) will be answered. The mythological legend of the Sirens highlights the superiority of these figures who could destroy by temptation through their melodic voices; modern interpretations of sirens- as in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989)- reduce the feminine power of the siren to a contemporary stereotype of the powerless, dependent, subservient woman.

The imagery used to describe how lovely the mermaid is portrays what the prince wanted as a wife. When the prince found her on the shore and took her in as one of his own people, he took care of and adored her, but he would not marry her because she could not

There are a number of fairytales, either from Grimm’s Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson, that portray numerous social issues that we still face in modern days. Social issues could include racism, equality between men and women, and ethnocentrism. These are social problems we face daily, and we have yet found solutions to eliminate\ the plentiful social issues. As said, fairy tales and children’s book always show hidden messages on problems that humans face every day. A very famous short story, which is known also by its movie, has an abundance in social issues that people face to this day. This short story is called “The Little Mermaid”, by Hans Christian

She would only be granted a human soul if a human loved her with all his heart and married her. “The Prince married someone else, the Little Mermaid would not get a human soul, and she would turn to foam of the sea”(Anderesens 185). Everything the Little Mermaid had could be lost in a blink of an eye, but she did not think about the consequences. She thought only of what could possibly come out of this journey she has embarked on. The Prince married who he thought saved him, which was not the Little Mermaid. The only option she had left was to kill the Prince. Being too in love with the Prince, she could not do such a thing. “They told her that she loved the Prince so deeply that she gave her life to save his, and her soul would live forever” (Anderesend 185). Instead of turning into sea foam, the Little Mermaid rose up in the air and her soul lived forever. The Little Mermaid’s desire for knowledge and exploration made her a perfect heroine for this story. It takes courage to do what the Little Mermaid has done. Even though she was timid, she achieved more than expected.

wants to go up to the surface in order to see the people who make the treasures she finds under

Disney directly exposes the idea that young girls should make their main goal in life to find their prince charming, fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. Making young girls’ aspiration in life revolve around finding a man of their dreams “transfix[es the] audience and divert[s] their potential utopian dreams and hopes through the false promises of the images [Disney] cast[s] upon the screen” (22). Disney tells the audience that women need a man to be happy. Disney presents the idea that women are dependent on me. Just like in The Little Mermaid, Ariel goes as far as surrendering her voice, to a witch named Ursula, and abandoning her family in order to be with her prince. Ariel also trades in her life as a mermaid, drastically changes her body, and sacrifices her greatest talent all in order to win her prince. Disney sends the message that girls need to give up their talents and lives in order to be with a man. Disney suggests that a woman’s main priority is her lover, no one or nothing else. Disney effectively portrays women in a negative way, depicting them as weak and needy. No attempt to break the stereotypical gender roles of women are evident however, these stereotypes are growing as Disney instills this image of women in the minds of viewers.

In the film The Little Mermaid by John Musker and Ron Clements, a theme that continually portrays itself is how woman are seen in society. In this film, women are defined by their appearance instead of their inner-self or personality by men and women. It also displays that woman are not treated fair. This is expressed in the film through multiple song lyrics and scenes. Ariel, the little mermaid, experiences many occasions where woman in a society are seen differently than men. In the film, Ariel was given an option to live under the sea and live life under the rule of her father, or be on land with her Prince Eric. Although this is clearly not laid out, a man figure is always above Ariel and could convey an idea that

Many people can easily recognize the story of The Little Mermaid. After its international success through the Disney movie in 1989 children and adults all over the world were able to fantasize freely about this princess fairytale. However, what many people don’t know is that the debut of the movie The Little Mermaid is not the original plot of the story following Princess Ariel. Born in Denmark, Hans Christian Anderson wrote over 40 stories which have now greatly influences modern day disney films. The original literary piece written about a mermaid princess was written in 1836 which is said to be the inspiration behind the disney movie, The Little Mermaid portraying the character of a young mermaid circling through the challenges of love.

“The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen is one of the worlds most cherished fairy tales. Through the years, this story has inspired its fair share of different adaptations and spinoffs, as well as intertwined itself in popular culture. Although it is widely considered a children’s story today, upon close examination, we can find various elements of literary devices and themes, all of which provide the seasoned reader with a deep connection to the story. To honor the tradition of story-telling, it is essential that a short summary of the story be given.

I'm sure you've heard the story of Ariel, the little mermaid with crimson hair, a captivating voice, and mesmerizing blue eyes, and of how an evil sea witch stood in the way of her and the love of her life. However, you haven't heard my side of the story—the story of what truly happened, I am this so-called villain; I am Ursula.

In the original version The Little Mermaid, longing for the prince and an eternal soul, eventually visits the Sea Witch, who sells her a potion that gives her legs, in exchange for her tongue. The Sea Witch cuts her tongue and warns her that once she becomes a human, she will never be able to return to the sea. Drinking the potion made out of snakes and

There are many variations of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen that have been told, but it is safe to say that the most popular version was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1989. While there are similarities between the Disney version and the original they are vastly different. In the Disney animated film, we meet a fiery 16-year-old mermaid named Ariel with a strong desire for adventure. In the beginning of the original story, the little mermaid is only 10 years old.

Fairy tales make an important part of cultural prophecy, because they contain wisdom which is passed from parents to their children. They contain basic moral and ethical guidelines for children. Images and symbols used in fairy tales can help to judge about cultural, ethical, social and moral values popular in the contemporary society. Changes and similarities, which can be found in the popular fairy tale Cinderella by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, version of 1812 and the Disney version of Cinderella (2015), can help to realize the changes in cultures and historical epochs.

I went to watch The Little Mermaid with my parents. The playwright of this story was Doug Wright. We saw the play at Fossil Ridge High School on Saturday November 18th at 2 o’clock. It was an amazing play that gave a fun twist on the movie you know and love. Act 1 was almost completely under water. It introduced you to the setting, which is King Triton’s palace. You see curiosity and wonder in this part. In Act 2, Ariel spends most of her time in Prince Eric’s palace to win over his heart. You get to feel the love between these two at this point. There are also many characters that I fell in love with on the way. Some mains ones are Ariel, Prince Eric, Ursula, Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle. There were also some minor characters like King Triton, Ariel’s sisters, the maids, Chief Louis, and so many more. Each one adds something small, but together they create a great play.