‘The Little Mermaid’ is a beloved fairy tale that has accompanied us ever since girlhood to womanhood. In every stage of life, we will have different feelings and perspectives regarding the core values of this 20 centuries old story. There are many variations and different cinematic productions of the ‘Little Mermaid.’ At times, we are told that the little mermaid is an infatuated girl, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of love and a life by the prince’s side. On other occasions, we are grief-stricken for the poor little mermaid’s fate, who had sacrificed her all yet was still met with death. By going back to the original work of Andersen, we see that his tale is much more than just a mere ‘kids’ fairy tale,’ as there are intrinsic values hidden in between the pages.
The story follows a young mermaid whose skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, eyes as blue as the deepest sea and a melodic voice so bewitching as if it was a gift from God. She lived with her father, who’s The Sea King, her grandmother and her sisters who all loved her dearly. For 15 years, the little mermaid lived in the love and care of her family, yet for 15 years, she always yearned to rise to the surface of the ocean. The dear young mermaid, endowed with courage, compassion and passion, drank the witch’s potion to turn her fishtails into human feet in order to pursue the love of her life- the prince. However, with every step that she takes it will feel as if she were treading upon sharp knives, and that the blood must flow. Regardless of the prices, the little mermaid was willing to give up her lovely voice, and endure the pain in exchange for a pair of human legs.
Despite initial expectations of a happy ending, the prince however still decided to deny his rights of being with his little mermaid whom he loved so tenderly, in order to marry a neighboring princess whom he thought had saved him. The little mermaid who had sacrificed everything in exchange for a chance to be by the prince’s side now is left heartbroken from her first love- a hopeful and profound love. What the little mermaid had sacrificed is perhaps almost unimaginable. From the darling daughter of The Sea King, with beauty and grace to mere foam on the sea, disintegrating into nothingness. To give up her last opportunity to live, which her sisters had to sell their precious hair to afford, to give up her 300 year life under the sea. She can no longer live as long as a mermaid, nor can she have an eternal soul as a human. From here, it begs the question: ‘Is it wrong for a woman to be proactive in her own life and in the pursuit of love?’
To this day, we realize ‘The Little Mermaid’ is simply not just a story about a young maiden, blinded by love and eventually met a tragic end. We realize it actually reflects the essence of feminism, the human yearning for happiness and a fulfilling life. The little mermaid was not simply chasing the prince’s love, but was also looking for a life worth living for (to live a rewarding life with no regrets, and to anchor the soul in the haven of rest). Perhaps, the little mermaid was discontented with her life under the sea, with the idea of leading such a long passionless life only to die. Therefore, she had sacrificed and fought for a life worth living, for a taste of love, notwithstanding the slim chances. We can ask ourselves: ‘ Why can’t women take charge of their own liking? Why should we hold out for men to make the first move?’ And perhaps, our little mermaid is like that. For a chance to live a human life, to travel to a place where only the immortal souls lie. Thus, this fairy tale may not have been the tragic love story as perceived- about a little mermaid so obscured by love that exchanged everything for the sake of love, yet still died as the salt sea foam. Rather it is advocating for women to live by their heart’s desire, to love passionately and to live fulfillingly.
The love here is the desire for a content life with no regrets, filled with various emotions, a life where she trades passion and love just to end up as nothingness. The chance to get what we wish for is not always present right in front of us; therefore, seeing the opportunities and seizing it ourselves is what makes our lives more meaningful and complete. Our little mermaid was torn between two difficult choices but she never once backed down because of fear. It was not that she could not feel scared or be hurt, and definitely, it was not that she did not treasure all the starry nights with her sisters holding hands and singing on the sea. Rather, it was because her love for the prince and her yearning for love are the strongest feeling of all. She chose to sacrifice all the wonderful things to have a new life. Maybe everything did not go the way she intended, and her heart shattered into pieces after knowing her love chose a stranger over her. With a knife in her hands, watching the man she loved be with another woman, she, painfully, gave up. No rage, no grudge. She pushed all of her greed and jealousy aside to get to another world. In the end, she, with her wholehearted love, became bubbles. “After taking one final glimpse of the prince, she threw herself into the sea, and gradually blended in with the bubbles.” She became one with the sea who did everything for her life with courage and kindness. Although she did not receive anything from the prince, that did not become the reason for her to harbor a grudge, she still died for love, that was what a woman with altruism and precious love would do. That is the love of a noble person. Normal people maybe cannot see it, but it was acknowledged by the Gods and they fulfilled her wish.
“Every little girl once dreamed of becoming a princess.” But we hope that before waiting for the prince to come and hold you, please be the one to embrace yourself first. We hope every one of us women can become the princess in our very own stories, with no need to depend on anyone.
Author: Nguyen Thuy Nga, Dao Thi Minh Hong
English 
Vietnamese
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