A Beautiful Monster

Evil mermaid

Monsters as mentioned in this week’s lecture is the hybrid between human and non-human, they have the ability to frustrate our desire to know them. Studying monsters helps us to understand ourselves, it shows the struggle to be human and reveals the strive for redemption. We spent most part of the lectures discussing how different types of grotesque monsters reveal about us, and our fear of death. The discussion of the famous bible monster, Leviathan, reminds me of the unusual type of “monster”- the beautiful and seductive, human-and-fish-hybrid: Mermaids.

Mermaids are mythological creature that has been around for a long time in many different countries and cultures. Some cultures regard them as sacred, some consider them as evil. The most famous mermaid comes from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” written by Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen’s religious value is expressed in his mermaid tale, some believe that the scene where the mermaid- Ariel gives up everything to be immortal is a symbol of converting beliefs or even religion. In “The Little Mermaid”, mermaids are not portrayed as grotesque monsters, they are presented as beautiful, lovely and kind-hearted creatures. Moreover, in contrast to Leviathan who is represented as a monster of the sea that is totally opposite of God, in “The Little Mermaid”, Ariel’s father- King Triton is a mythological God in Greece, the king of sea. Andersen may have gotten his inspiration from Greek mythology, though the story of “The Little Mermaid” is in fact an adaptation to the mermaid story in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

Greek God King Triton, Ariel's father.

The storyline of the mermaid tale is very similar in both the Brothers Grimm’s and Disney’s. The story surrounds an adventurous mermaid who always hopes to be something different, and wishes to get out of water. Both stories show how desperate the mermaid is to be more human instead of a hybrid creature, and even though “mermaids” are not commonly seen as monsterous, their representation in both films function similarly to the monsters we discussed in class. Mermaids in another way also show us the struggle to be human, and the strive for redemption. In “The Little Mermaid”, Ariel gives up her eternality for love, and eventually gets a happy ending, though in the original mermaid tale, the mermaid has to sacrifice her life for the happiness of the man she loves.

Ariel's happy ending.

Different cultures have different perception of what mermaids are. “The Little Mermaid” was a hit in North American culture, and might have led people to perceive mermaid as beautiful, sacred creatures, though some cultures still see mermaids as a symbol of evil, manipulative creatures. Mermaids are a type of monster that functions like a combination of Vampires and Zombies. Especially in Brothers Grimm fairy tale and “The Little Mermaid”, the mermaids’ desperation to be human helps us to understand ourselves and shows the crawl to redemption just like Vampires function in the media. For the mermaid in Brothers Grimm, she reaches her redemption and finds grace when she gives up her immortality and ultimately decides to sacrifice everything for the man she loves, as for Ariel, her happy ending is her redemption and what she gives up for love is her moment of grace.

Monsters can teach us how to be more human, and mermaids are an interesting monster to study since there are so many different perception of what they really are. While Brothers Grimm’s story illustrates the unpredictability of reality, Disney shows achievement and success, though in both stories, it is the mermaids’ faith for love that gives them hope. This expresses the importance of faith in what we believe in, as well as the idea of hope. Even though mermaids are hybrids of human and fish, but in contrast to Vampires and Zombies, mermaids’ beauty and graceful appearance not only attract adult audience but as well as children, allowing younger audience an opportunity to study monsters, to confront the unknowable, and to find hope.

"The Little Mermaid" statue in Langelinie, Copenhagen. Based on the original fairy tale that she waited for the prince who never came, and ultimately died.

Cowan, Douglas. “Stalking Life: Fear of Death and of Dying Badly.” In Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen, 123-66. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 200.

Santana, Richard W. and Gregory Erickson. “Demons, Aliens, and Spiritual Warfare: Belief and Reality.” In Religion and Popular Culture: Rescripting the Sacred, 138-68. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008.