Gender Stereotypes In 'The Little Mermaid'

Throughout history, by oral or by means of written literature, stories have been passed from generation to generation to mark an occasion, explain the unfathomable, or to spread knowledge. The creation of these stories help teach us about our history and spread past experiences while helping society improve upon existing ideas and bridging cultural, linguistic, or age-related divisions. The fairy tale is one of the most popular and well read genre; incorporating ‘ageless’ and ‘classic’ fairy tales such as the Little Red Cap, Beauty and the Beast, and Rumpelstiltskin. However, one of the underlying features of this popular genre is the usage of gender politics and the critique of certain values such as the level of assertiveness and dominance.
For instance, in Hans Christian Andersen's “The Little Mermaid,” the seventh and youngest daughter is taught about the realities of being a woman. When she complains about preparing for her first journey above the water, her grandmother emphasizes that “pride must suffer pain,” (2) implying that everything comes at a cost, especially beauty. Throughout “The Little Mermaid,” the value of silence is repeated to a virtue and integrity, whereas the importance of external appearances was accentuated. The mermaid endures the torment and blood from her newfound legs and cutting out her tongue to be with the one she loves although she is not wanted by the man she loves (2). Before the seventh daughter gets her tongue cut, she asks the old sea witch what is left of her if her voice is taken away. The old sea witch says, “your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes; surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart” (2). This firmly asserts the idea that women do not need to be vocal, since women have their beauty and appearances to use to their advantage. Furthermore, throughout “The Little Mermaid,” the seventh daughter was portrayed to stray from the typical stereotype, showing her as rebellious and