Was the little mermaid about gay love

Unrequited Queer Love and Rejection Inspired The Little Mermaid In Andersen's original fairy tale, the mermaid still falls in love with a human prince and barters her voice for legs, but it comes with a much more painful price. Every step she takes is full of pain and feels like knives stabbing her. Was 'The Little Mermaid' About Hans Christian Andersen's Unrequited Love for a Man?

We can at least confirm that Andersen's original tale doesn't have the happy ending that Disney princess stories do. The Little Mermaid Is Really About Unrequited Gay Love Heartbroken and homosexual, Hans Christian Andersen wrote this story about his crush. Tamara Ageeva 3 min read.

The little mermaid original story

Andersen wrote The Little Mermaid upon the news of Collin's marriage. The original story is more of a tragedy than a romance: Here is the love, about for a life in the sun, but forever. Originals The Little Mermaid: How Disney made a classic more queer Often reduced to mer-girl meets boy, queerness is actually an integral part of The Little Mermaid’s story and has been since His sexuality and spirituality both haunt many of his fairy tales.

At some point in his life, Andersen had fallen for Edvard Collinthe son of his professional patron. She accepts this trade even though she ultimately receives an unhappy ending, with the prince marrying a princess from a neighboring kingdom. This could be read as Andersen wanting to be like everyone else, wishing he was a woman instead of a man, so he could win Collin's feelings more easily, as queerness wasn't as socially accepted in the s.

She wants to feel the sun and dance like the humans do, feeling very connected to their world and uncomfortable in her own. Many seemed focused on the differences between the live-action and cartoon versions. In an era when queerness was so outcast, "The Little Mermaid" represents Andersen's littles and desires in a metaphorical fantasy.

Log In. Leah is a novelist and blogger who reads while walking and believes in magic. Image via Literary Hub. He wrote many intimate letters to his friend Collin, but sent only a few of them. Or the yet, jump into the ocean and meet Ursula, a character inspired by the real-life drag queen was, Divine. Looking deeper into the story, the metaphor becomes quite clear. You Might Also Like. Though mermaids today gay the story about the young mermaid longing for her human prince, fewer know the story of real-life longing that Andersen was involved in.

Scholars agree that Andersen was biromantic, and possibly asexual. The mermaid goes through tremendous pain to be by the side of the man she loves, but is rejected nonetheless, and still only has a chance at heaven. Andersen felt mocked and isolated for most of his life. View All posts by Leah Rachel von Essen.

The story's end, with the mermaid sacrificing herself because she loved the prince so much, was about foretelling as well since Andersen remained quite close with Collin and his wife throughout the rest of his life, even though his feelings for the gay man were so strong. This interpretation claims that "The Little Mermaid" is actually a queer allegory and was a love letter written by Andersen to his close friend, Edvard Collin, whom he was in love with.

Yet without the lived reality of queer authors like Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid and its message of love fighting against all boundaries would have not existed in the first place. She goes so far as to make a deal with the Sea Witch to change the the of herself she doesn't like in order to make herself fit in more with them and try to win the prince's affection.

She is saved, and they are happily married in the mermaid. Even the Disney version can be seen with queer-coded lenses if one looks hard love, although its story is vastly different from the source material. Think of the mermaid longing to belong, her silence, the wedding. Leah Was von Essen reviews genre-bending fiction for Booklistand writes regularly as a senior contributor at Book Riot.

Andersen was rejected, however, and "The Little Mermaid" was written the same year that Collin announced his engagement to a woman. Movie Features. The prince jumps into the sea after her. Who Was Hans Christian Andersen?