De la mica sirenă la Ariel
From Little Mermaid to Ariel

Summary/Abstract: The predominance of the mermaid figure in Western culture in the early modern era, when a number of European powers began to explore, claim and colonize areas of Africa and North and South America seem to have facilitated the spread of this symbolic figure in other cultural contexts. This paper aims at a contextual and analytical reading of the most famous story that has as its central character a mermaid – The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen – and its adaptations for television and cinema. The whole process of becoming the little mermaid is one characterized by the duality of her experiences. Not only does she have to negotiate the process of physical and mental development, but she also has to deal with the implications resulting from her decision to transform from mermaid to human being. Thus, we aim to analyze and document some of these processes during the transition from folklore to literary tradition and media.

• Details
• Contents