The original story behind The Little Mermaid The Sea Witch informs her that if she kills the prince she will turn back into a mermaid and live, but Ariel chooses to sacrifice herself, throwing herself into the sea and becoming sea foam.

What's the real story behind The Little Mermaid?

While the original tale was likely influenced by folklore about mermaids and sirens, scholars have speculated that "The Little Mermaid" was also inspired by the author's own life, as some events in the story parallel his experiences with navigating family pressures, discovering his true identity, and pursuing love.

What is the real dark story of The Little Mermaid?

In the original story, The Little Mermaid is motivated by a fear of death and desires a soul and an afterlife in addition to love. The original Little Mermaid story is much darker and violent than Disney's version, with the sea witch brutally cutting out the mermaid's tongue in exchange for legs.

What is the original Ariel story about?

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen: Overview

As the plot develops, the Little Mermaid sacrifices her comfortable life as a mermaid to transform into a human in an attempt to win the affection of the prince. Ultimately the Little Mermaid is faced with a decision to either murder her beloved or die.

What is the dark theory of The Little Mermaid?

Ariel's Mother Was Killed By Pirates

The theory becomes darker with the suggestion that Captain Hook killed Ariel's mother, Athena. In The Little Mermaid II, Ariel has a flashback to her mother's death, when Ariel and her sisters were just children.

The Messed Up Origins of The Little Mermaid | Disney Explained - Jon Solo

Why is The Little Mermaid 2023 so dark?

While lighting itself isn't all that expensive, darkness can be used to hide a lot of things. Halle Bailey is not actually a mermaid, and so having the scenes be darker makes it easier to disguise the CGI work.

Was the original Little Mermaid black in the book?

The little mermaid in the book was white.

Here is how Hans Christian Andersen described the little mermaid: “They were six lovely girls, but the youngest was the most beautiful of them all.

What is the true ending of The Little Mermaid?

The climax of the remake closely follows the original 1989 animated film, with Ariel ultimately defeating Ursula. The film ends with Ariel and Eric getting married and embarking on a new adventure together, exploring uncharted waters on their own ship.

What happened to Ariel's mom?

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.

What is the dark story behind Sleeping Beauty?

A king who happens across the estate wanders in and finds the princess's sleeping body, fails to wake her and then proceeds to rape her. And if that's not bad enough, the princess later gives birth to twins while still unconscious — one of whom sucks the splinter from her finger and wakes her up.

What is the dark story of Beauty and the Beast?

In 1740, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve wrote the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale that's become so familiar, framing it as an allegory of arranged marriage: a beautiful young woman handed off to an ugly, rich noble who demands she leave her father and live with him forever (complete with a lavish bride price).

Is The Little Mermaid a Gothic story?

Even before we examine Ariel's audacious agencies, her potential villainy is immediately obvious in her status as a siren, a paranormal being. Unlike in other Disney Princess movies, where the hero and heroine must overcome gothic forces in order to reach their resolution, this princess is part of that gothic world.

What race is Ariel in the original Little Mermaid?

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 happens if Ariel doesn't kiss Eric?

Ariel was offered by Ursula to become a human for three days and would become human permanently if she shares a kiss of true love with Eric, but will turn back into a mermaid and be bound to Ursula for eternity if she fails to kiss Eric.

Why did Ariel turn into sea foam?

A tragic love story

She has 3 days to receive his passionate kiss so she can transform into a human being. If she fails to be kissed, she will turn into sea foam. The prince is captivated by her appearance but fails to recognize her - he only remembers being saved by a girl with a magical voice.

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.

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.

What is the overall message or moral of The Little Mermaid?

Disney's version portrays a more censored moral: one is able to achieve true happiness and acceptance by undergoing extreme change for the one they love. Through minor sacrifice and patience during said change, eventually they will gain the love and respect of those they changed for.

Who killed Ursula in The Little Mermaid?

Triton confronts Ursula and agrees to give up himself and his magical trident in return for Ariel's freedom. Ursula then uses the trident to expand into monstrous proportions and attempts to kill Ariel and Eric, but Eric manages to impale Ursula with the splintered bowsprit of a wrecked ship, and she dies.

Why did Disney change The Little Mermaid story?

Things like the walking on knives detail would have been way too dark for the film's target audience of kids. On top of that, the dark ending would have gone against the film's lighthearted tone. Disney's The Little Mermaid changes were also required due to Andersen's story structure.

Why is Prince Eric's mom black?

There are several instances when Eric's mother Queen Salina (Noma Dumezweni), who is Black and adopted him as a child when he washed up from the ocean, chastises him for his obvious love for beings that are considered other.

Which Disney Princess is black?

In Disney's nearly 100-year history, there has been only one Black Disney princess — Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog,” a 2009 animated feature starring Anika Noni Rose.

Is Ariel Black Little Mermaid?

Ariel, is a fictional character, with no defined skin color in her original material. She was originally written by a Danish author in the 1800s. She has been portrayed in ballet and movies by Asian, Russian, and mixed-race individuals, her cartoon depictions are typically pale.