The little Mermaid - Ariel is selfish - Disney Princess - Fanpop

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posted by RealityCheck

All right, first off a little history about myself. When I was a little girl I used to enjoy the little mermaid. Ariel was actually one of my پسندیدہ Disney princesses/movies.

Now that I am older however, I have just recently watched the little mermaid one, two and the third movie which is Ariel's beginning.

I couldn't believe what an awful role model she is and how selfish she is. I searched on the internet to find others with my similar view on her and I stumbled across this مضمون here: link

My مضمون here is solely debunking everything this particular person is going on about and finally displaying my evidence as to why Ariel is a selfish and poor role model.

The argument begins with Persephone713 explaining that people are using the word ‘selfish’ wrongly and that anyone who says so is not a true Ariel fan. I’d like to clear up right away that I am not an Ariel پرستار simply because I do not like characters who are bad people.

I used to enjoy her, yes, when I was a naive child who couldn’t see through all the fancy songs and cinematic stimulation. But I’ve grown and I’m not blinded سے طرف کی ‘hate’ یا ‘loyalty’ in my new opinion of her.

Selfish means: “One who is devoted to caring for oneself and ones interests, regardless of others.”

Ariel displays her selfishness the very first early stages of her life. (Ariel’s Beginning) She deliberately disobeys her father’s order throughout the entire movie all because she’s ‘bored’ and wants to have ‘fun’.

1.) In the beginning of the movie, Ariel (15) is bored and complains about wanting to do something else instead of just walking with her family which they do every morning as a tradition. Her sisters are against her idea because they don’t want to get in trouble. So, she tries to bring it up with her father, but when she’s denied that she goes ahead and fools around anyways. Despite potentially getting her sisters in trouble. Why did she do this? Because it’s not about what her sisters want یا her father it’s about what she wants.

2.) Another example is when Ariel stumbles across the موسیقی club and promises that she won’t tell anyone. But the very same دن she returns ہوم she’s tells ALL of her sisters. She does so because ‘she’ wants to share that with them and she doesn’t even THINK about her promise to the other members of the club یا what would happen if they were caught. Which is 10,000% مزید likely when it involves every single one of King Triton's daughters.

3.) In the end because of her ignorance and selfish wants. Everyone eventually gets caught and all the band members are put in prison and the rest of her sisters are confined to the castle. Which she shows absolutely no remorse یا regret for. Instead she attacks her father on his decision and brings up their mother... which is an excruciatingly painful subject for Triton.

All of her sisters can see the damage she caused their father and they all دکھائیں that they care سے طرف کی telling her to stop because she’s making things worse. Ariel’s older sister Attina tells her that she just doesn’t know when to quit. But despite upsetting all of them and even her father... Ariel selfishly runs away because she can’t get what she wants from her father یا her sisters. She LEAVES... all the while knowing how much she means to her father and that he had already suffered through the loss of his wife.

4.) Only at the end of the movie when Sebastian showed her the trinket that belonged to her parents, did she finally دکھائیں some resemblance of care for her father and what he was going through. And even then she didn’t feel sorry for what all she had done and all the trouble she had caused. Instead she decided that she needed to دکھائیں her father the trinket in order to bring back the ‘happiness he lost’ which is a very ignorant thought.

In fact Ariel does not achieve anything throughout this movie with the exception of getting her selfish want of موسیقی and a break in the boring, routine, structure her strict father had placed upon her and her sisters in Atlantica. The only reason her father changes his mind is due to the fact that Ariel is hit سے طرف کی torpedo-Marina and knocked unconscious thus causing King Triton to relive the death of his wife. I would go so far to say that it had nothing to do with the trinket and everything to do with a new found FEAR within the King that he may lose his rebellious fifteen سال old daughter if he doesn’t give in to her desires and whims.

5.) Which brings us to the اگلے movie: The Little Mermaid. It takes place a سال later with Ariel now 16 years old and being completely absent to the hugely important concert, that she was staring in, taking place at that very moment. Sebastian even states that Ariel never even bothers to come to rehearsals. Ariel is no longer interested in the موسیقی that she had fought so hard for just a سال ago. If آپ will that was ‘so yesterday’ and now her newest interest was the humans and their trinkets. We see the exact same scenario playing out again as she sings about the stuff she has collected and how it isn’t enough—she wants more. She wants to be up there with the humans which is, ironically, the سیکنڈ thing her father has forbidden within the kingdom. Now is it just me یا is this starting to REALLY sound like a rebellious teenager who wants all of the things that her daddy says ‘no’ to?

6.) Ariel is seen with her friend Flounder, who she’s seen clearly bullying and manipulating to have her own way which is to explore the ship. فلاؤنڈر, موآ is clearly frightened and just wants to leave, and Ariel’s solution is to مزید یا less scare him into continuing to follow her.

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Now I’ve seen arguments of others saying that she does care for her friend because when the شارک is attacking she goes back for him. We’ll I’m here to explain, that is completely invalid because SHE was the one who put him in that position in the first place. Why? Because SHE wanted to explore the ship. It wasn’t about the safety of her friend, that is not what mattered to her.

7.) اگلے is when she remembers the کنسرٹ and returns to her father. She apologizes, but her sincerity isn’t there. Through her expression and how she lashes out moments after being scolded, دکھائیں that she didn’t really care. She didn’t care that her father, her sisters and Sebastian were completely humiliated سے طرف کی her absence.

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Even as Sebastian scolds her further she has the same uncaring expression. It’s like she’s treating the whole thing as a joke and doesn’t see why they are getting on her case so badly. She ‘forgot’ and کہا she was ‘sorry’ wasn’t that enough to put the whole thing behind them.

8.) فلاؤنڈر, موآ comes to her rescue at that point and tries to protect her, but accidently speaks of the seagull getting her مزید in trouble and she has the nerve to get momentarily angry at him.

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Then she has the audacity after what she’s done with the کنسرٹ to snap at her father and treat his concern again like it wasn’t a big deal. That she’s old enough to take care of herself and for him to مزید یا less get off her back. Which is extremely selfish دیا the fact that the reason why her father has forbid interacting with humans is because her mother was KILLED سے طرف کی humans. But that of course doesn’t at all matter to her. What matters is simply what she wants.

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9.) Now to debunk a few things کہا in that other article. The person who wrote it quotes Ariel saying “If I become human I will never get to be with my father یا sisters again.” This supposedly means she cares deeply for them. But this is the only time in the entire movie آپ see her think about that and to سب, سب سے اوپر it off after she says that Ursula tells her that she’ll have her man and that life is full of tough choices. In the end Ariel picks a man she’s only ever met once and never looks back.

10.) This one irks me the most. The person quoted Ariel saying “Daddy I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I DIDN’T KNOW.” Which is a ball faced lie. Ursula explained the ENTIRE scenario to Ariel and she KNEW 100% that Ursula was an evil witch. But she went ahead anyways to get what SHE wanted and didn’t care about the consequences یا how it would affect everyone around her. She was just thinking about herself. The end.

Conclusion:

I am not saying Ariel didn’t care at all about anyone around her, but I am saying that she is selfish and caused a lot of damage to get what she want. It doesn’t matter if everything worked out in the end of the فلمیں because that is simply placed there for the desired ‘happy ending’.

It also doesn’t matter if she sincerely کہا “I love آپ daddy” at the end of the movie because ACTIONS speak much louder than words.

Ending Notes:

I’m sure people will argue over stupid things and nit-pick at this and that. But the evidence is all there throughout those two فلمیں she was the main character in. آپ just need to open your mature little minds to see it.

Sparklefairy375, UnholyNoise and 18 others like this

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Tygers_Eye I STILL LOVE YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE! I have yet more evidence for you regarding Ariel's selfishness. She constantly blows off and abandones Sebastian. Whenever he's in the middle of talking or addressing her, she just swims away. When he first discovers her collection, he takes her by the hand and says "Come with me, I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink..." she spots the lights, and immediately swims up to the surface, then up to the ship, ignoring Sebastian's pleas for her to come back. After she falls in love with Eric, Sebastian stresses about keeping it a secret, but she barely even tries. (Which is how her dad catches wind.) When Sebastian asks her to "get her head out of the clouds and back under the water where it belongs," she keeps ignoring him. He has to physically swim in front of her face to get her to pay attention to him, but even then she keeps tuning him out throughout the song. Notice she's visibly daydreaming as he sings unless he physically grabs her chin or dances on her fin. Otherwise? Ariel's tuned out. What annoys me the most is when Sebastian gets a bunch of undersea animals to throw the huge "Under the Sea" shindig for Ariel. Does she have the courtesy to watch the whole thing, or at least let them know when she's leaving? NO! Flounder comes up to tell her he has a surprise for her, and SHE IMMEDIATELY SWIMS AWAY! To me, there's nothing more rude than someone just walking away when you're in the middle of addressing them, and Ariel does this constantly. She's not interested in what other people have to say unless it's something SHE'S interested in that moment. She feels like doing something else? She'll just swim off. Selfish: Putting yourself over or instead of someone else. Ariel CONSTANTLY puts her own desires before others. Whenever she feels like doing something, she'll just do it, without any regard for other people.

disneygirl7 I agree, but I still love Ariel <3 In fact, her flaws are what makes me love her.

AllegroGiocoso Fantastic article! While I do like Ariel for other reasons, like her charm, her determination, her vision, and just how fun she is, I think she's very selfish and an absolutely terrible role model. And I also think she was really bad to Flounder and Triton for the reasons you said. Your analysis was excellent, and it made me rethink about some scenes that I haven't really thought about in a while... and yes, I'm now reconsidering where Ariel is on my princess list, I tend to fluctuate a lot with her because of her pros and cons. This is one of the most well-thought articles I read on Fanpop, and all of your points make sense IMO =).

Tygers_Eye ALSO! Funny how, after Sebastian discovers her secret collection, Ariel just expects him to keep her secret even though he's a tiny little crab and her father is king of the sea. Sebastian is her father's subject, bound by his laws, and can get severely punished for disobeying. Ariel disobeys? Her dad will just scold her. This gets worse later when Sebastian tries to stop Ariel from going to see Ursula, and she snaps "Why don't you go tell my father? You're good at that!" Um, first off, when did Sebastian agree to keep your secret? Secondly, what have you ever done for him? Why is he obligated to keep your secrets even though you just make his life harder? Third, [i]he's your father's subject[/i]. The consequences of him not telling could be worse than you just losing your stuff. But do you care? NO! You got denied what you wanted, so his job/freedom/life/whatever is worth less. Again, despite the way she repeated ignored his warnings, Sebastian saves her from drowning and takes her on land. There, Sebastian freaks out about how "He'd say he's gonna kill himself a crab, that's what her father'd say!" Ariel tunes him out, even smiling in amusement as she picks seaweed out of her hair. But when Sebastian decides to "march meself straight home" she SUDDENLY feels invested in what he has to say and tries to stop him. [b]I repeat:[/b] When Sebastian is talking about how her actions will get HIM in trouble, she doesn't care (even finds it amusing). When he decides to do something that'll get HER in trouble, or deny her what she wants, SUDDENLY she cares what he has to say and tries to stop him. And again expects him to keep her secret because... she wants it, therefore she's entitled to have it, therefore he's obligated to put his well-being on the line to help her get what she wants. And once Sebastian agrees, Ariel kisses him, puts him down, then promptly forgets he exists again. Ariel has no further use for Sebastian, and so promptly forgets about him and focuses on herself and what she wants. [b]I often see people cite Ariel saving Sebastian from Grimsby's plate as "proof" that she is kind or thoughtful,[/b] just like how they often cite her saving Flounder from the shark. Like Flounder though, [b][i]Ariel put Sebastian in that position in the first place[/b][/i]. She never cares about or does anything to help him, but just expects him to help her. Then doesn't bother to keep track of him even though he's putting his shell on the line for her, then seems to remember he exists after he's presented right in front of her, then makes the barest effort to help him. In fact, when she's later in her room, [b]Sebastian says "I hope you appreciate what I do for you!" and Ariel just ignores him and keeps walking.[/b] That scene always makes me so angry. Every time I see it, I think "OF COURSE Ariel doesn't appreciate anything you do for her! That would require she care or think about someone other than herself and what she wants (in this case, human stuff, human world, and Eric), and we can't have that! Even though you risked and almost lost your life to help her, why should Ariel bother feeling gratitude or concern for your well-being?" I've got many more examples, but these are the biggest ones.

TheFabulousFAN I love you.....your article was flawless. Much better than I ever could explain this subject. I Ariel is my least Favorite princess and most kids I know love her and it's annoying but their just kids I love this article for all it is thank you soooooooo much for your article

Tygers_Eye ^ I don't fully mind little kids liking her because they probably don't know any better (though I was bothered by her when I was a kid and didn't realize why until I saw the movie again as a teenager and realized I thought she was ungodly selfish) or even people that say they like her but admit she's flawed. It's those that say Ariel's so kind, caring, and/or compassionate that I think "Did we watch the same movie? Apart from bailing two characters out of the danger she put them in (Flounder to the shark and Sebastian from Grimsby's plate) Ariel is NOT kind or compassionate to those she is not interested in. (Yes, she saves Eric from drowning, but she likes humans and had fallen in love with him. He's on her radar of things she cares about.) She is selfish, self-serving, inconsiderate, etc."

TheFabulousFAN Heck, I like Merida better than Ariel. Ariel only likes Eric for his looks anyway (making her even more selfish ) she just like look at dat man over there not even realizing he EATS FISH, and she saves him. Triton was right about the humans, plus she put the whole ocean in danger. Without even saying more than "I didn't mean too, I didn't know." She is just terrible but her movie glorifies her and people praise her (even adults) and that is what bugs me. I thank RealityCheck for posting this he/she is an intelligent writer much like You, Tygers_eye. I hope this Article will enlighten more people even if they still like Ariel, they should be very aware of her flaws and not be unreasonable when people insult Ariel.

Tygers_Eye ^ Thank you, I agree. I'm not afraid to admit I don't like Ariel (anymore) but it's amazing how many people act like I said I like kicking puppies when I say I don't like Ariel. More than a few people have also said I was an idiot and an Ariel-hater like it's somehow the same thing. Really, she has way more fans than haters but any time anyone says boo about her her fans act like it's this overwhelming attack. I once heard someone call Ariel "the Bella Swan of Disney" and I actually agree. I think people are fundamentally selfish (even me) and Ariel is a selfish, self-serving protagonist of a movie that portrays her selfishness in a deserving light. The same way Bella Swan only ever thinks about #1 and #2 (herself and her shallow love interest) but is still presented as a universally beloved saint that deserves to be fawned over and get everything she wants, so does Ariel. I think many girls see themselves and their desires in Bella and Ariel, and so excuse her flaws while overblowing her virtues, and get super defensive when people insult her because they feel like people are insulting them. I'll admit I'm just as guilty when it comes to Belle and Mulan because I see a lot of myself in them, and when people say that Belle is snobbish or Mulan is bland, I feel like they're calling me that. At least I admit it though. I get annoyed with the people that completely flip when someone says something even mildly negative about Ariel (even if it's indisputably true, like when she does x action in film). Like you, I think it's fine to like a princess no matter how flawed she is, but the person should at least admit and acknowledge the flaws. P.S. I like Merida more than Ariel too. Unlike Ariel, she fully acknowledges, takes responsibility for, and actively tries to make amends for her selfish actions. She's even willing to give up the thing she wants most (her freedom by getting married) to bring peace to the kingdom. Ariel can't even stop mooning over Eric long enough to apologize for nearly endangering the entire kingdom after being repeatedly warned not to (by Sebastian) just to pursue what she wanted.

RealityCheck Thank you everyone for you compliments. There will always people who act that way over characters, actors, singers, etc. and they can't be reasoned with. I think the healthiest approach to situations like that is making an article that proves your points and perhaps find other individuals who feel the same way. But sadly you'll most definitely not change everyone's mind and that's fine too. Tygers_Eye: I wanted to say that you brought up very valid and good points too. There were certain things that I didn't focus on that you covered and it just aided my argument. I can also debunk those who defend Ariel in regards to saving Sebastian's life from Grimsby's plate. First off what exactly is she and everyone else at that table eating? Crabs and she shows absolutely no remorse for that fact. There is also the case that the chief tries to kill Sebastian in the little mermaid 1 and in the little mermaid 2 the chief still works at the palace and ironically enough he does try to kill Sebastian again. Why didn't Ariel fire him? Because she didn't care or think about what happened to Sebastian. I also wanted to mention that I dislike how Ariel proves to be an unworthy role model, but in the end of the movie she's glorified for her rebellious behavior. She's given everything she wanted. Which I would have been fine with if she had some form of remorse for what she had done. :/ Other's have also argued that because Ariel is devastated when her father is transformed into that awful looking critter that she truly cares about him. But, not even a minute after that she immediately goes after Eric and she's never seen checking on her father again. Instead at the end of the movie she sits up on a rock and stares out at Eric and doesn't even notice her father's presence until he actually transforms her into a human. So, there are plenty of valid reasons supporting this article and I'm glad others out there agree with my views. And again, for those who like Ariel, that's fine but just always remember when you are a 'true' fan of something you must always accept them as a whole, which means their flaws too. ^^

324anna I TOTALLY AGREE! CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR EXCELLENT AND WELL-EXPLAINED ARTICLE! I love Ariel's bubbly personality and determination, but I believe that she's definitely a selfish brat.

truth76 She was selfish in "Ariel's begging" because she was young (teen) but in "Return to the sea" she was grown up almost a mother she wasn't selfish anymore.

shanyuisboss Wow. I mean like WOW! That was absolutely phenomenal! I mean really, that was just fabulous! I love Ariel but I have to admit, her attitude towards things she wants is very selfish. I mean, even if she is a teenager, not teenager is THAT stupid. It's just unbelievable how stupid she is. I never really got to explain it in this way though. But you, you just said it perfectly. I thinj everytime this topic is brought up I would like to link your article. This says everything perfectly. I'm favoriting this for sure! PERFECT article! Just perfect! I wish people analyzed her this way rather then letting her charm make the, have biased opinions.

324anna Also everybody says that she was so good because she saved Eric, but she saves him only because he's handsome and WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE SHIP? They all died, but Ariel instead of helping them too, she let them drown and sat next to Eric to sing

shanyuisboss ^Exactly.

324anna I am a teenager and I'm younger than Ariel, but I would never abandon my friends and my family just like she did for a guy!

TheFabulousFAN This shouldn't be an opinion article because it's the truth

Tygers_Eye RealityCheck, you brought up a really great point about Ariel being fine with eating crabs for dinner. It always bothered me how Sebastian explains how humans eat fish during his "Under the Sea" ditty, but it never comes up again. Since Ariel becomes human, SHE doesn't have to worry about getting eaten, so of course she's fine with it. As you said, the they eat nothing but sea food at dinner (Louis' Le Poisson song illustrates that) and she has no problem. I would have liked Ariel and the film a lot better if she got upset or had a moment of disillusionment at the dinner table. Something like, "Oh my God, they really do eat fish. I feel awful. I can't eat this." But nope. And like you said, Louis repeatedly tries to kill Sebastian but Ariel lets him keep his job.

324anna ^ I agree with you Tygers_Eye!

Mongoose09 Fantastic article! I agree with you 100%, you basically put my thoughts into words. I haven't seen the sequel/prequel in a long time but with them included it makes her selfish bar go from 100 to infinity. It especially always bothered me how she completely brushes off Sebastian's thoughts and views - I'm not saying she necessarily has to agree with him, but to completely ignore someone who's only aim is to try and help you is just plain rude. I also don't like the way she treats her father; he's not perfect by any means but he's only trying to protect her like any good parent would do (the only time I disagreed with his actions is when he destroys her collection as that was unnecessary, but otherwise I understand his point of view regardless of the prequel). She only listens when it concerns her or her journey, otherwise nope. It's fine if people love the character, that doesn't bother me, but what does bother me is when people completely overlook her flaws and act like they're non-existent. It's okay to adore a character but still notice and be aware their flaws. Jasmine is my favourite DP but I admit she's way too forgiving of Aladdin's lies and can be intimidating or brash in certain situations. Admitting to a character's flaws doesn't mean you love them any less; Ariel clearly has flaws and when fans try to justify every single action by stating that she's 'like every other teenager' it's infuriating. Sure, she's determined which is admirable but that doesn't mean she's any less selfish. In my experience the Ariel fans (I'm not saying all!) are the most likely to take it as a personal insult if you don't like their favourite DP. Lastly I don't think she learns from her mistakes or has any remorse or regret for her actions... her 'apology' at the end doesn't come across as sincere to me, more of a "sorry I got caught, I didn't mean for you to find out this way" rather than "I'm sorry my actions have endangered you all" Again, great article!

shanyuisboss ^I agree.

Minion_Lover No, duh. Mermaids are supposed to be mean!

pretty_angel92 I LOVE THIS ARTICLE

8804 I dislike this article. It just reinforces the extremism of the feminist belief that any girl who falls in love with a guy, or deviates from an "approved" course of action is a horrible person. This is not the case. But you guys are all welcome to be by yourselves in that sour line of thinking.

lililc i actually agree that she is selfish , thats why i like her better in the second movie

RealityCheck Thank you again for everyone talking in here you all brought up amazing points and were very polite to each other. ♥ I'm reading this years later and it was so incredible reading all of this again. In reply to 8804: I wanted to reply to you saying that you clearly didn't read my article because at no point did I mention Ariel falling in love being what made her selfish. That was never the focal point at all. So, clearly you came in here skimmed over my writing and then wrote a very ignorant comment based on your own views all the while insulting others. I hope in the future you learn to fully read over things you want to critique and also be mindful of others.