Tag Archives: penguinbook

Sociologically Swimming

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Melusine’s story of her fall at her own hands of destruction really drew my attention, because it reminded me of such a common sociological theory: symbolic interactionism. In her story, her devious behaviors against the king force her mother to punish her to become half serpent every Saturday, in her mind, effectively cursing her from any man ever wanting her. Once she gets married, she shuns him every Saturday, with this consequence that she would isolate him should he ever approach her.

In symbolic interactionism, the idea of labeling develops an association within people’s minds about how these labels hold weight. When juveniles are labelled as criminal from a young age, they internalize this mentality and shift their thinking to continue to act out because they have been deemed by society as these deviant beings, and recognize this as their only possibility for life. Melusina does the same, acting in an attempt to get revenge and even the score, but becomes branded as this evildoer by the curse set. Her inability to drop this act, to admit to her husband the reality of her behavior and her situation seems to reflect how this societal reaction theory acts within her.

His reaction, even when their kids are born as mutants, proves how her mentality surrounding it is an entirely internal thing: “still Raymond’s love for the beauty that ravished both heart and eyes remained unshaken” (Penguin, 86). His love for her in every sense transcended the reality he discovered until it presented real life effects, and one son was burned by the other. It’s then that he lashes out, and insults her the way everyone else had, and the story confirms its impact on her: “Melusina’s anxiety was now verified” (86). This confirmation from the one they love, in spite of the obvious nature to the audience that their avoidance caused it, feeds into this narrative of theirs and their destruction of this facade that they care not about perception of them, that they solely care for manipulation and power.

Her exit with him, her sincerity in grief of having to part with him actualizes that she did feel deeply for him and all of her behavior spiraled from this moment of childhood irrationality. It reflects how deeply our nature as human beings is to protect ourselves, and how our actions truly are all reactions to the perceptions in life, which stem from labels. The labels placed on mermaids as trivial childhood beauties or creatures of deception intended to destroy mankind’s sanctity, the labels we place on individuals as inherently kind or inescapably criminal, even the labels used commercially to lure us in regardless of how harmful, indicate how little we truly recognize how the ever-changing and important nature of everything within society. Our inability to decipher reality from what’s being presented lies at the heart of the tale, as a moral warning utilizing a monster and its nature to prove how our interpretations cannot always be correct.

Odyssey and the Sirens

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The reading that stood out to me the most this week was in the “The Penguin Book of Mermaids”. The epic poem about Odysseus is famous for its thrilling account of challenges he overcomes throughout his journey, one of them of course, involving his encounter with the Sirens. I was fascinated by the way the Siren was used as a symbol for pleasure in a non-physical way. As stated in the book, “Homer’s sirens sing a song that promises knowledge- a wisdom that bridges worlds-instead of pleasure” (10). I immediately thought about knowledge as temptation and how this has been used throughout time, somehow it seems it’s always been linked to women (ex: Eve). I began to wonder what this says about how we view the two and why they are always intertwined. I think there’s something really odd about this intellectual temptation narrative because It’s not ever explicitly implying that learning is a bad thing. In the reading they literally say, “learn new wisdom from the wise!” (11) maybe not as a form of manipulating him but as an actual invitation to higher knowledge. Reading it from this lens, curiosity then becomes disguised as something negative. It’s important to note that the reason why this matters is because society has a long history of fearing what the knowledge of knowing can do to power structures as it exposes injustice.

Sirens – humanity’s curiosity

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When reading ‘Odysseus and the Sirens’, it brings to attention that Sirens and Mermaids were originally separate entities in mythology. While later depictions of mermaids emphasize about their beauty and seductive natures, Sirens were not characterized by the same sexualized traits. Rather it was their powerful songs that define them as noted in the line on page 9, “it is the power of their song and music rather than their appearance that characterizes them across time”. Alongside what the songs held.

In the passage from the poem, the Siren’s song is the main focus, as it can be read Odysseus is curious about the contents.

‘In flowery meads the sportive Sirens play, Touch the soft lyre, and tune the vocal lay; Me, me alone, with fetters firmly bound, The gods allow to hear the dangerous sound. Hear and obey; if freedom I demand, Be every fetter strain’d, be added band to band.’

I believe Sirens may have been a metaphor for the human curiosity that drives some of us to explore the unknown, but also the possible dangers coming with that pursuit. Odysseus wanting his men to restrain him so he could listen to the Siren’s song fully may represent how there must be limits and restraint to avoid being destroyed by it. The song symbolizing new knowledge, which can both enlighten and consume someone if not approached with caution. This could’ve aligned with early sea travel, that the ocean held mysteries able to benefit earlier humans but also held within it dangers that did claim many ships and lives.

A Mermaids Body is the Blame for Male Insecurity

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The part of this week’s reading that interested me the most was a part of the section titled “Their Bodies, Our Anxieties,” which essentially covers how, throughout history, humans have always been “deeply unsettled” by mermaids and the liminality between humans and mermaids, which is what creates that anxiety. The book makes a great point about how humans’ anxieties about mermaids originate from our attraction to them. As I continued to read, we approached the issue of gender within the merefolk community. In early modern British culture, “a woman who oversteps the boundaries…[is] defined as monstrous” (xiii). It is ironic because then we see how in Odysseus’ interactions with the Sirens, he is considered a manly man who is heroic and strong for not falling prey to them. These stories that we will read about the merefolk will definitely bring up our expectations about gender within their community.

What I found to be the most bizarre is the interpretation of a mermaid’s tail when deciphering whether they were “available” or not. If they are “represented as having a single fishtail marking them as having some control of their bodies,” and “having two tails, perhaps suggesting sexual availability,” (xiii). Again, absolutely insane. The idea that something as arbitrary as the number of tails could be a coded message about a woman’s chastity or their sexual “openness” shows how much these myths and stories were shaped by patriarchal anxieties. People projected their fears and desires onto mermaids and ultimately reduced their bodies into a code to be deciphered and enjoyed by male viewers. Mermaids could have been represented as a symbolic or purely fantasical form, and they’re not; it’s very disturbing to realize that creatures as fascinating as they are were not exempt from being sexualized and categorized based on their supposed virtue. In a modern analysis of the situation of one or two tails is almost as demeaning as being asked, “How many bodies do you have?” That is quite literally what was being asked of mermaids..

The reading this week shows how different storytelling has continuously reinforced these cultural norms about gender and sexuality, it was normalizing the surveillance of women’s bodies and their behaviors through the most fantastical imagery; their literal tails. By placing such messages in myths and stories, societies have been hiding misogyny under the guise of such entertainment in storytelling.

Mermaids and Mo’o

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In an introduction to The Penguin Book of Mermaids Christina Bacchilega and Marie Alohalani Brown define monsters etymologically as “That which reveals, that which warns”. Going on to say that “Biform are signs, then, that often serve as admonition for humans not to cross borders and incitement to do so.” (xii) This definition reveals our classroom perception of mermaids represented on maps. Easy to perceive as a place to stay away from, or a place to colonize, to humanize.

In their collection of mermaid mythology our authors notice that duplicity and demonization are most prevalent in European societies and reflect an anthropocentric worldview. Furthermore, these tales exhibit a society’s relationship with water.

As it does between nations, races, and religions, always being depicted as the other, as the permeating being, inherently demonizes. Concealing a merperson’s environment strips the capability of sympathy and relatability of their circumstance, “the experience is conveyed as a disappearance form the human world—the only proper social world—into an abyss that is not described. This silence in the narrative furthers the perception of the captivating mermaid as monstrous.” (xix) Not only are these European tales monsterizing the mermaids but they are monstering the ocean itself.

In contrast, Hawaiian myths of the mo’o “renowned for their loveliness” offer a reflection of a society with an animistic world view. “there are no tales of men who try to tame their mo’o partners, because the mo’o, like the features of water they embody, cannot be contained or domesticated.” (xx) Hawaiian water deities display a respect for the ocean and for “nonhuman life”.

A European, monstrously depicted mermaid reveals a fear of the other as well as a fear of the ocean. And what lies beneath the ocean, a fear of the unknown. On the other hand, a respect towards water deities, like mo’o, embodies respect towards the ocean and therefore respect for life itself, no matter the form.

How Aquatic Humanoids Challenge Our Boundaries as Humans

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After reading “Introduction: The Stories We Tell about Mermaids and other Water Spirits”, one of the things that stood out to me when reading is when the authors said the following: “There is something deeply unsettling about a being whose form merges the human with the nonhuman. Whether they dwell in flesh or salt water, aquatic humanoids raise questions about what it is to be human and what lies beyond a human centered world” (xi).

It uneases us when aquatic humanoids, real or imagined, suspend between the human and the nonhuman. Through their very suspense, stranger like entities challenge us to reconsider the very concept of human existence. By expressing characteristics of the familiar-human faces, voices, gestures-and the aquatic traits such as scales, fins, or tails, they destabilize fixed categories such as nature and culture, human and animal, and land and sea. This ambiguity becomes crucial for there is, in fact, no way to confront the limitations of a human-centered worldview.

Aquatic creatures in tales or movies often confuse our sense of belonging and difference. By defining themselves against the opposites of civilization versus wilderness, body versus environment, and self versus other, humans create these distinctions. A mermaid or sea spirit dismantles these distinctions by existing in both realms and refusing to be neatly categorized. In this manner, with their existence, they point to our dependency on simplifications that might oversimplify the genuine complexity of being. If something can be both human and not human, then what marks the boundary of humanism itself? This question settles with immense power in an age of ecological crisis, wherein human survival is interdependent with the nonhuman world.

The image of the sea only further intensifies the presence of aquatic humanoids. Unlike the somewhat steadfast land, the ocean represents fluidity, instability, and unknowability. It diminishes the idea that humans are always in control. Aquatic humanoids living in that represents uncertainty in itself. They embody the notion of a lure into the abyss and a refusal of human-centered control. Their hybridity conveys distinctive meanings: that identity and existence require relationships that breach perceived barriers-between bodies, species, and environments.

In a wider sense, these aquatic humanoids are not just mythical creatures of fascinating creatures, they also remind us to realize the limits we have as humans.

These aquatic humanoids remind us that we humans are not the center of everything and that contemplating a life full of possibilities beyond ourselves is a consideration of a more intertwined and interdependent world.

Mermaids and the Environment

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When I first think of mermaids I think of fantasy, danger or beauty, not the environment. However, after reading “Introduction: The Stories We Tell About Mermaids and Other Water Spirts” (Penguin) I noticed that mermaid stories are deeply tied to water and our relationship with the natural world. Mermaids are more than just a mythical being. I think they symbolize the way humans view nature as both beautiful and essential to life but also as threatening.

On pages xiv-xv the reading explains that the stories of water spirits reflect “Our fascination with and fear of female bodies and of water and our dread of predators or poisonous creatures that live in or near water” but also our dependence on water for survival. Water gives us life but it can also take it away. I think this connects to the way mermaids are portrayed. Beautiful, fascinating, but also dangerous. Just like the ocean, mermaids attract people while still having the power or capabilities to destroy them. 

This reading also showed that mermaids are global. They appeared in stories from Europe, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. On page xv, it points out that these mermaid myths were spread through colonization and trade. I think this shows how universal water is. All cultures develop different versions of mermaids or water spirits but they all share the same experience that water is something stronger than we can control. 

One line that stood out to me on page xx is “Water spirits, like water, are powerful, unpredictable, and inspiring- that is, both terrifying and wonderful”. This explains why mermaids act as a symbol to remind us of water’s beauty and mystery but also of its dangers. Today, oceans are threatened by pollution and climate change. I think mermaids could become an image for environmental awareness and show that it’s our responsibility to protect it. Overall, I enjoyed this reading and it made me see mermaids as not just a fantasy creature but as a reflection of humans relationship with water. 

Week 3: The Relationship between Man and Mermaid

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Mermaids. Often described as beautiful, majestic, half woman – half fish hybrids, roaming the deep waters of the ocean and visiting land for a glimpse of mankind. The myths surrounding hybrid sea monsters have existed for centuries upon centuries – and yet, I have begun to see as we dive deeper into the immense history of these wonderful beings, there seems to be similar patterns regarding storytelling that have remained stable since the dawn of human to mermaid relationships.

One particular example I want to focus on is discussed in the Penguin Book of Mermaids: Introduction, in regards to the romantic relationship between mermaid and man. Of course, the same as many others, I know of many tales in which the hopeless romantic mermaid falls in love with her mysterious Human male counterpart, and typically, by the end of the story, has given up her life in the sea to be with him. As mentioned in the book, there is a trend in which mermaids come to shore expected to be “domesticated” to fit the idea of a perfect wife and mother. The mermaid is seen as wild and carefree, something the human male must correct to integrate her with his society. This directly correlates with the misogynistic viewpoints and stereotypes we still see today. Correlating with what we have discussed in class, the church used mermaids as a scare tactic – something for men to be cautious of. In other words – the dangers of women and their femininity. Why is it that the mermaid is expected to conform to the human male society and not reversed?

I do not know any mainstream or popular stories in which a merman falls in love with an onshore woman, ready to give up his life at sea for her. The story is deeply rooted into our society’s misogynistic and patriarchal beliefs centered around how women should act and behave in the company or relationships of men. This aspect of mermaids and sea monsters in general (including selkies) is something I never imagined spending so much focus and attention on, yet the representation of mermaids as “objects” vs a being is something I am very interested in diving deeper into.