The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid
By Hans Christian Anderson; C.A. Reitzel 1837 


Summary: When a mermaid turns 15, he or she is allowed to swim to the surface to watch the world above. Finally it is the Little Mermaid's turn. She sees a ship with a handsome prince, falls in love with him, and saves him from drowning in a storm. She longs for the prince and an eternal soul, so she visits the Sea Witch who sells her a potion in exchange for her tongue. By drinking the potion she will never be able to return to the sea. With her legs she will constantly feel like she is walking on sharp swords and will bleed. She will only get a soul if the prince loves her and marries her, but if not then the day he marries another, the Little Mermaid will die and turn into sea foam. 


My Review: This is an awful fairytale. The whole things made me very upset and sad. The Little Mermaid was an idiotic teenager who thought she knew what she was doing when it came to deciding her fate, but ended up dying. Who gives a random Sea Witch her tongue?! I was really confused by her thought process. Teenagers....you give them an inch and they swim all over-Sebastian. Yeah I must say this wasn't my favorite fairytale. 


Watch Out For: Nudity, being called dumb, tongue being cut off, blood, bargaining with the Sea Witch, and suicide.