What I have learned:

In the beginning of this course, I was very unsure of the course content and what exactly I would gain from this experience. Not in a bad way, but I thought it would simply be a fun class about mermaids (which it definitely ended up being!). However, I also gained much more than just an enjoyable period. I learned a lot about critical thinking and close reading, especially considering stories I have already had prior knowledge of like the Little Mermaid. I also learned a lot about human perspective and how everything is subjective. For example, everything depends on having an “other” in order to exist, like we know something is what it is based on the fact that we know it is not another thing. The most interesting and impactful idea that I have taken from the course I think is the importance of the ocean. We have talked a lot about territorializing and land-centric ideas with roots in our very language, thus shaping our worldview to elevate human importance. I learned that I definitely have fallen to that skewed worldview all of my life, and finally learning to shift my entire perspective is impactful when trying to open my mind and branch out of my limited views. This skill is transferable far beyond this class and shifting from land-centric to inclusive, fluid, thinking about the ocean, but it will also aid me later on in life when trying to see from other people’s perspectives who share different experiences and identities than me.