![]() This is particularly troubling because the story hinges on acts of mutilation: the mermaid must give up her tail and her voice to gain the possibility of a human soul. I argue in this essay that the third of these pairs-in particular, the "body" half of the dyad-is often neglected in considerations of Andersen's tale. This is a story that is as divided as the mermaid herself, an unstable compound of earth and sea, nature and religion, and body and soul. ![]() ![]() But sentimental responses to the story often conflate these two strands, obscuring the complex relationship between them. On the one hand, the tale is often remembered as a sentimental, gently tragic love story on the other hand, it is a morally uplifting celebration of the human soul. Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" ("Den lille Havfrue") is easily one of Denmark's most identifiable productions.1 The iconic statue of Andersen's mermaid that stands on Copenhagen's waterfront is an unofficial national symbol and a major tourist attraction, and the story itself continues to be a mainstay of local and international collections of fairy tales and children's literature. ![]()
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