The Little Mermaid: A Little Minority?

I just realized the other day that the Little Mermaid is a minority. I mean obviously, she has fins.

And then she decides she no longer wants fins, basically, she wants to assimilate.

Ariel is a symbol for "foreigners."

She is an alien. A sea creature. A mermaid. She wants to be human, to walk in the sand, to soak up the sun etc. And the only way she can become "human," the only way she can assimilate is to lose her voice, to be stripped of her agency.

Example:

"If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again!

- That's right. But you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, isn't it? Oh, and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know

- But I don't have any...

- I'm not asking much. Just a token really, a trifle. You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is... your voice

- My voice?

- You've got it, sweetcakes. No more talking, singing. Zip

- But without my voice how can I..."

Yes Ariel. How could you?

Only after the prince-of-humans falls in love with her and they are about to get married (via some witchcraft stuff) does she gain her voice back.

After she has fully assimilated into humanness.

After she is no longer a mermaid in any way.

Just saying, that's one theory.

Biggest example: