Everyone has their own opinion on the validity of "The Little Mermaid" and what it teaches its viewers. Some say it teaches young women to change their whole life for a man they don't even know. I've heard people say it encourages girls to go against their parents' wishes and do whatever they want. Then there are the defenders who explain Ariel teaches us to follow our heart and chase our dreams. In my opinion, none of these stances are as important as what I've taken from "The Little Mermaid" as an adult.
After Ariel first sees Prince Eric celebrating his birthday, a storm sends the ship to its watery grave. She rescues him and for the rest of the movie, Eric is obsessed with finding the mystery girl who saved him. He doesn't remember a lot about her, other than her voice. (He apparently doesn't recognize Ariel when she gets legs, even though I'm pretty sure he had a clear look at the girl's face).
As soon as Eric finds Ariel on the beach, he asks her if she is the one who saved him. Obviously, as Ariel gave her voice to Ursula, she cannot confirm her identity and Eric still believes there is another girl out there that he is meant to marry.
Eric and Ariel grow closer as they spent time together and he gives her a tour of his kingdom. His happiness is evident as he learns more about her spunky personality, despite the fact that she can't speak. From his stare at dinner, to the way he smiles as they dance, it's clear Eric grows affectionate toward Ariel. Yet he is still shown to be hesitant as he wonders where the dream girl who saved him could be and if he will ever meet her.
Grimsby's words of advice to Eric are so important:
So often we put people up on pedestals whether we've actually met them or not. We have this picture of someone perfect out there for us who we just haven't found yet. We can't get it out of our heads that the person of our dreams is still out there waiting for us to find them. Sometimes we get so caught up in a fantasy that we forget those who are right in front of us. If we always assume we can find someone better, we might lose the one person who actually was.
This, in no way, is advice to settle, because we all do deserve the very best. We all deserve someone who makes us genuinely happy 99.9 percent of the time. This is, however, advice to see people as they are and not compare them to dreams we make up in our heads. Although Eric didn't materialize the girl who saved him in his imagination, the thoughts prevented him from really seeing Ariel's true, caring soul. (Why else wouldn't he "Kiss the Girl"?!?!?!)
I see "The Little Mermaid" not only as a girl's journey to find where she feels she belongs, but also as a reminder to open your mind to the wonderful people around us. When we picture how our lives should be and who we should spend it with, we limit ourselves. To me, "The Little Mermaid" teaches us not to be limited. Not by the circumstances we were born into, and certainly not by ourselves.
