The Soul In David Long's The Little Mermaid

So opens a story, “about tragedy and brokenness in human life,” as said by David Long (Verburg, p.30). The little mermaid suffers with her last breath not gaining her love or returning to her family. She becomes foam, as her only wish for a soul is lost. Yet, what exactly is a soul? How could someone gain one? What is the purpose of one? Who has one?

Humans are born with a soul. Humans, “non-material beings temporarily housed in physical bodies,” as said by Nancey Murphy. The conscience lives inside the physical form of the human body. The soul is the human mind, exacting what makes everyone an individual. It discerns everyone no longer being just a hollow husk. Andersen explains through the little mermaid’s eyes that only humans

In order to get their soul returned, they must do good deeds, as written in The Little Mermaid. “Because of the purity of her endeavor, she has been turned into one of the daughters of the air, who travel about the world making helpful breezes blow.” (Cravens, p. 642) By doing good, a person could get a soul. Souls are meant to be pure, no longer defiled by the contents from Pandora’s box. Andersen brings in the “Christian message of selfless love,” as said in The Influence of Disney on Children’s Literature. A person must do enough good deeds as to offset the wrongs they have done and will get an immortal soul. The little mermaid had done enough good to be given a chance at a soul, which is explained in The Influence of Disney on Children’s

Some say that the concept of a soul is just a wish to be a real boy. I’m no Pinocchio when I say that I do believe in the soul. I want to with all my being. I need to with all my heart.

I grew up close to my family that so much of me dreaming without them in the dream, frightens me because my family isn’t there with me. I need to feel them with all my five senses and any fictional other senses.

I need to know that when my dad leaves he’ll be with my mom, still scolding us with lectures of what we’ve done wrong. When my stepmom goes, I will hear her yells in my ears and feel her smacks of warning on my hand. When my older brother goes, he’ll continue to give me a mountainous amount of attitude as he talks. When my older baby brother goes, he’ll still call my car cheap as he revs up his engine. And finally, when my younger sister goes, she’ll still be frustrated and angry with any mentions of the Wizard of Oz being in relation to her and blush and giggle with any mention of her fictitious honeys.

Without them I would be cold inside and out. That’s probably why the sun is so warm and bright because all the souls gather there to watch their loved ones, still arguing with us giving off the blistering heat and silent treatments of cool weather