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How The Characters Depicted In Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid

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Any child who was fortunate enough to be raised anywhere except the underside of a rock has certainly been exposed to Walt Disney movies at some point in his or her life. One of the most famous of these childhood classics is “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”. Most children and parents alike probably assume that this colorful tale was woven straight from the brain of Walt Disney himself. However, to the shock of most viewers, this feature film draws its premise from Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairytale, “The Little Mermaid”. Although both stories feature the same “little mermaid” as the protagonist, the presentation of this mythical creature has evolved drastically from the original fairytale. This essay will identify the changes made in the …show more content…

The roof is formed of shells that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen” (Andersen). The proceeding quote contains vivid imagery and a strong vocabulary to describe the castle in which the little mermaid resides. Andersen plays special attention to detail throughout his tale to ensure his readers can place themselves in the scene. Walt Disney, however, utilizes simple dialogue between characters and relies on cinematic elements to tell his version of the story. Ariel, the little mermaid, describes her prince saying, “No look, he’s breathing. He’s so beautiful” (Disney). This lack of description provided by the characters in Disney’s modernization suggests that this film is designed to entertain a cinema audience. This tendency of Disney’s work indicates that popular culture is evolving into something that is easily captivated by catchy songs and “pretty colors”. Modern day audiences would rather watch a simple movie with juvenile dialogue than take the time to read the beautiful piece of imagery found in Andersen’s original

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