Hans Christian Andersen s The Little Mermaid Essay

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid is one of his most famous pieces of work and has seen volumes of adaptations in its lifetime. The tale is originally a depressing view into the hopes, dreams, and sacrifices of a young girl longing to be somewhere she doesn’t belong. However, most adaptations alter the tone of the story into one that is full of struggle, but mostly light hearted. It’s no mystery as to why most of Andersen’s tales are on the darker side, however comparing the old and the new and give us a deeper insight into both the times of Andersen and the times of the adaptor. Miyazaki’s Ponyo is a heavily adapted version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid that drastically changes the character archetypes to fit Miyazaki’s more feminist ideals in contrast to Andersen’s more classical views of women’s roles in society. These changes are primarily seen in the active role that Ponyo plays in the st ory instead of the passive role that the mermaid plays, Ponyo drives the story whereas the mermaid has the story happen to her. We can explore three primary moments in the film that highlight these shifts towards Miyazaki’s ideals: the betrayal of the mermaid to her father, the relationship between the mermaid and the ‘prince’, and the sacrifices the mermaid makes to live on land. Andersen places a large amount of his own experiences into the stories he wrote, and because of this we can see deeply into how he felt about certain issues. Miyazaki on the otherShow MoreRelatedIn The Year 2017 Morals Have Changed All Around The World1297 Words   |  6 Pagescontain messages for children that are inadequate for them. Specifically, â€Å"The Little Mermaid† sends messages to children that could frame their beliefs on how maturing works in a negative manner. 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