The Lightness of the Sexual Being: A Short Reflection on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”

Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Little Mermaid,” have been adored by children and their parents for decades. The tale shows an astonishing quality to Andersen’s early fairy tales, which allows the reader to sense his keenness on the meaning of human sexuality on this genre. The author used the short narrative form so that he became more conservative, catuious, and concise for delivering his ideological compromise between his religiosity and understanding of human nature. “The Little Mermaid” is one of the tales that draws the reader on “universal preoccupations” of femininity, self-concept, and self-actualization. Andersen’s intentions and authenticity of this tale should not be overlooked.