In this week’s reading “The Day after the Wedding,” Undine by Froqúe, one particular passage  that stood out to me is when Undine explains to her lover the absence of mystical creatures’ souls. They can only obtain a soul “by the closest union of affection with one of your human race (pg. 105).” Undine dives deep (pun intended)  into a thorough monologue informing her newly wedded husband Huldbrand on the existence of elemental beings that appear like mortals, who are even “more beautiful” and “far superior” than human beings. Strange enough, despite their superiority to human beings they don’t possess a soul. Which raises the question of anthropocentrism, and how humans are indeed seen as superior in this tale. Why else would Undine leave her home behind along with her family to live a life on land? Yes, she’s in love and devoted to Huldbrand but this isn’t just merely a marriage of romance and passion, but a marriage of transaction. Undine yearns for a soul and by marrying a human she is assimilating to the way of human life on land. Undine’s father, a powerful prince of the Mediterranean Sea, wanted his daughter to have a soul even though it is mentioned how she’ll endure much great sufferings of those endowed. An all-powerful mystical creature of his status sees the importance of a soul, but there are implications that none other than the human has one. No other living thing has a soul, further pushing the idea of anthropocentricism. 

This chapter also has strong tones and themes of Christianity, which entails that humans and their connection to religion somehow makes them more superior than other living beings. There is such a distinctive line between humans and their desire to separate themselves from nature and religion (more specifically Christianity) thickens that line and creates a boundary. Udine assimilates by begging the priest to forgive her for her past behaviors and to “pray for the welfare of her soul.” 

Although this chapter was focused on the reveal of her true identity, the chapter begins with an epigraph that made me connect with present day systemic racism. I’m unsure if this is a far reach, but the epigraph discloses Huldbrand’s heart turns from Udline to “his fellow mortal Bertalda.” Despite Udine’s assimilation, Christianization, and deep devotion for Huldbrand it still wasn’t enough. He found comfort in a human, and became weary of Undine’ s otherworldliness. To the world and to him Udline is a fish first, a human second. Similarly from my own experience (especially back when I lived in a predominantly white area) I felt like I was always seen as Asian first, and American second. No matter the assimilation that poc immigrants attempt, or if poc were born in the states there is still a label of “otherness” to us in a euro-centric America.  Why else are we called “Asian American?” Hardly ever do I come across someone identifying themselves as white American, they’re just American.