The Differences of Andersen’s and Disney’s Version of The Little Mermaid
As a young child, I was introduced to the Disney version of the Little Mermaid and have seen it many times in my life. I had always assumed that the movie version was the original version. When I recieved the book list of this class, I was thrilled to see that we were going to read the Little Mermaid. When I read the Little Mermaid, I realized how different Andersen’s version was from the Disney movie. The two versions are very different but they also have similarities. One of the main differences between Andersen’s version and Disney’s version of the Little Mermaid is that the Disney Movie portrays the Little Mermaid in a sexist way, while Andersen attempts to break the stereotype of women in the 18th century. In the Disney movie, Ariel is very dependent on a man even though she is smart, courageous and resourceful. In Andersen’s version, “In all three instances that "love" and "soul" are coordinated, the soul is placed last, in the climactic position, because the mermaid considers happiness in eternity more important than happiness on earth. “ But in Disney’s version, her only goal is to get married. The sea-witch’s bargains are…show more content… (http://www.latrobe.edu.au/childlit/StWebPages/MelissaCossens/index.html) But, In Andersen’s version, she wants a soul and in the Disney Film, she wants a relationship. The Disney film has a very obvious message, which is, “If children are needlessly repressed, they may rebel by developing obsessive behaviors that cause them to reject their identity”. This lesson seems to appeal to adults more than children even thought the Little Mermaid is a children’s film. In Andersen’s version, the Little Mermaid originally wants a soul but in the Disney movie, Ariel is originally very materialistic.
conclude as to how Disney may influence children’s identity. I’ll be looking specifically at the three movie Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled, along with other research material. I’d like to keep