The central story of The Little Mermaid is, of course, 16-year-old Ariel's identity crisis. She feels constrained by her patriarchal mer-society and senses she doesn't belong. She yearns for another world, apart from her own, where she can be free from the limits of her rigid culture and conservative family.

Why is Ariel only 16?

The decision to fix Ariel's age at 16 years old was also likely to appeal to the target audience of Disney's version of The Little Mermaid. Her age makes sense to the narrative of the story as it's driven by her curiosity about the world and her identity crisis; relatable themes for many at the same stage of life.

How old is Eric if Ariel is 16?

Ariel and Eric

Ariel was just 16 in The Little Mermaid when she made a deal with the sea witch Ursula so she could pursue Prince Eric, who was 18, on the land!

How old is The Little Mermaid supposed to be?

Ariel's interests and desires are all relatable experiences for teenage girls, which is why she was portrayed as being 16 years old in the animated tale, with her love interest roughly the same age too.

How old is Ariel in The Little Mermaid when she gets married?

The primary events of the film take place over the span of a few days, and I assume that the ruined Eric/”Vanessa” wedding was immediately repurposed to Eric and Ariel's, so she was at most 17 when she married Eric (if she had a birthday during that time and we didn't see it), but more likely still 16.

The Little Mermaid 16 | Princess | Stories for Kids | Fairy Tales | Bedtime Stories

What ethnicity is Ariel?

In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish. As Ariel is half fish, she cannot be categorized by our ethnicities and races.

What happened to Ariel's mother?

While it is known that her mother perished, there is no story attached to the event. However, much later, in 2008, an animated The Little Mermaid prequel revealed that Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople.

Why is Ursula not a mermaid?

Rather, Ursula's appearance is radically different from her family, and she sports tentacles that look like a permanent black dress. It's possible Ursula is not a mermaid in appearance because she and Triton did not have the same mother or father. If they're half siblings, Ursula's tentacles make more sense.

How old is Ariel's boyfriend in The Little Mermaid?

According to the film's screenplay, Eric had just turned 18 in the film, which would make him two years older than Ariel.

What color was the original Little Mermaid?

Since the animated feature film had a white mermaid as Ariel, some people are angry that Disney has gone with a black actress in the live-action. Some people also believe that Hans Christian Andersen described the Little mermaid as a white mermaid in his book.

Is Ariel 15 or 16?

Ariel is 16 years old in the animated film, which certainly lends to her willfully young behavior, but makes her quick marriage to Eric a little worrying. The live-action remake ages the mermaid by two years, noting the change in the production notes by pointing out that Ariel's a "spirited 18-year-old."

Did Ariel marry Eric at 16?

In the animated film, Ariel's 16, something which made her quick marriage to Eric within a few days of meeting him cringeworthy. Disney's production notes for the live-action film note that Ariel's a "spirited 18-year-old."

Are Ariel and Eric married?

At the end of the film, after King Triton uses his magical trident to transform Ariel into a human, she leaves the sea to live in the human world. She and Eric marry and live happily ever after.

What age is Elsa?

In the first Frozen movie, Elsa's age was 21, while Anna was 18. Considering Frozen revolved around Elsa's coronation, it's refreshing to see that Arendelle waited until she was a more appropriate age to receive the queen title. Frozen II occurred after a 3-year time jump, with Elsa now 24 and Anna 21.

How old is Moana?

5) In the film's novelization, Moana's age is given as 16. This makes her the only Disney princess to be voiced by an actress younger than herself. Moana was released on Cravalho's 16th birthday.

Why can't Ariel talk in The Little Mermaid?

In the 1989 animation, Ariel gives up her voice to Ursula the sea witch in exchange for legs. While Ariel is hesitant, Ursula reminds her that she will have no need for her voice above water. I was curious to see how the live action adaptation would navigate this complex plot line.

Why is Scuttle a girl?

Scuttle is not only changed from male to female but is also now a diving bird instead of a seagull. "This was done specifically so that Ariel would only meet Scuttle underwater, because, at the start of our story, Ariel has never dared go above the surface," director Rob Marshall said in production notes.

Why is Eric adopted in Little mermaid?

We also learn more about Prince Eric.

In the live-action version, all of that changes. We learn that Eric, now played by John Hauer-King, is not a prince by birth— he was adopted by the king and queen. It's suggested that Eric's biological parents died in a shipwreck.

Who is Ariel's mother 2023?

Actress Noma Dumezweni is a confirmed cast member of the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, but the part she will be playing remains a mystery. All that has been revealed is that her character is new to the remake and wasn't part of the original 1989 animated film.

Is Ursula black or white?

She has light lavender skin, short white hair, and her body, from the waist down, is black with six tentacles dotted by violet suckers.

Is Ursula a drag queen?

Ursula was initially going to resemble Joan Collins, however, basing the character on Divine made much more sense. "It just seemed like a funny and quirky idea," Minkoff added, "to take [Ursula] and treat her more like a drag queen."

Did Ursula have a daughter?

Meet Uma, fierce leader of the high seas, daughter of Ursula, the sea witch, and the newest villainess-in-training in Disney's Descendants 2!

Why do Ariel's sisters look different?

One theory is that each of Ariel's sisters represents different oceans that are home to various cultures and ethnicities. It's pretty problematic to have mermaids who all look the same representing such an expansive underwater world.

Is Ursula Triton's sister?

In this novel, Ursula is King Triton's younger sister who was betrayed by him as a child for choosing a tentacled form instead of a mermaid's tail, and grew up as a human in the town of Ipswich with an adoptive human father.