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The Soul
The unnamed Mermaid is the object of the Fisherman’s affections, and though she is absent for most of the story she is integral to its development. When the Fisherman asks the Mermaid to marry him, she tells him she can only be with him if he gives up his Soul, and on account of his love for he readily decides to do so. Following this, for three years they live happily together in the sea. When the Fisherman is eventually tempted by his Soul to go back into the world, however, he commits a series of evil acts and finds he can no longer separate himself from his Soul, which prevent him from later returning to the Mermaid. The Mermaid subsequently dies, perhaps of heartbreak, and her body is brought up out of the sea by the Sea-folk. As the Fisherman clutches her dead body in despair he drowns, and both of their bodies are placed in an unmarked grave.
The Mermaid Quotes in The Fisherman and His Soul
The The Fisherman and His Soul quotes below are all either spoken by The Mermaid or refer to The Mermaid. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Fisherman and His Soul Quotes
"Of what use is my soul to me? I cannot see lt. I may not touch it. I do not know it. Surely I will send it away from me, and much gladness shall be mine."
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This quote appears toward the beginning of the story, immediately after the Mermaid has stated that she can only be with the Fisherman if he agrees to part with his Soul. These lines are especially notable because they raise a question of value—both material and immaterial—that will recur throughout the rest of the story. In particular, the Fisherman attributes no value whatsoever to his soul because he cannot physically apprehend it, and views it merely as an obstacle to be overcome in pursuit of romantic love. There is also a marked degree of naivete on the Fisherman’s part, as he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste.
“The love of the body is vile,” cried the Priest […] “and vile and evil are the pagan things God suffers to wander through His world. Accursed be the Fauns of the woodland, and accursed by the singers of the sea! They are lost […] For them there is no heaven or nor hell, and in neither shall they praise God’s name.”
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These lines take place when the Fisherman seeks advice from the Priest as to how to send away his Soul so that he can be with his beloved, the Mermaid. This passage is important because it demonstrates the aggression with which the Priest conducts himself, an attitude that seems to be a critique of a certain version of Christianity, namely the exclusivist and admonishing approach advocated in the Old Testament. Importantly, the Priest discounts the Fisherman’s love for the Mermaid on two counts: not only is love of the body “vile,” but because the Mermaid is a supernatural creature she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea susci
Now when the young Fisherman heard the words of his Soul, he remembered that the little Mermaid had no feet and could not dance. And a great desire came over him, and he said to himself, "It is but a day's journey, and I can return to my love," and he laughed, and stood up in the shallow water, and strode towards the shore.
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This section takes place after the Fisherman has spent two years in the sea with the Mermaid, during which time his Soul has failed to tempt him with prolonged and highly detailed descriptions of wisdom and riches. Indeed, the Fisherman proves impervious to these descriptions, stating each time that “Love is better” than all of the things the Soul tries to tempt him with. The fact that he is so quickly and easily tempted by the image of a girl dancing in her bare feet is, then, highly suggestive. It seems to represent a carnal temptation, and given that it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequu
And when he had robed himself with his robes, and entered in and bowed himself before the altar, he saw that the altar was covered with strange flowers that never had been seen before […] But the beauty of the white flowers troubled him, and their odour was sweet in his nostrils, and there came another word into his lips, and he spake not of the wrath of God, but of the God whose name is Love. And why he so spake, he knew not […] And in the morning […] he went forth […] and blessed the sea, and all the wild things that are in it […] All the things in God's world he blessed, and the people were filled with joy and wonder.
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The white flowers and their impact on the Priest are crucial to the story’s ending. Three years have passed since the Priest came across the dead bodies of the Mermaid and the Fisherman in the surf and refused to bless the sea, insisting the lovers be buried in an unmarked grave. When he encounters the flowers in the chapel, they cause an extreme shift in his temperament. This seems to mark a transition from the values of the Old Testament, which details a vengeful God who demands blind allegiance and loyalty, to those of the New Testament, in which God Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et u
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The Mermaid Character Timeline in The Fisherman and His Soul
The timeline below shows where the character The Mermaid appears in The Fisherman and His Soul. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Fisherman and His Soul
...net, he notes it’s extremely heavy, and then realizes he has accidentally caught a little Mermaid, who is fast asleep. He observes her appearance in detail, and finds her so beautiful...
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Now the Fisherman catches a huge amount of fish every evening because the Mermaid comes to sing for him. The song she sings is about all the creatures, natural...
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...him how he can send away his soul so that he can be with the Mermaid. The Priest is appalled at the request because “the soul is the noblest part of...
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...city in which she dances is but a day’s journey.” The Fisherman remembers that the Mermaid has no feet and cannot dance, and feels a great desire come over him. He...
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...or speak his words. He also expresses his desperate desire to be reunited with the Mermaid. The Soul attempts to distract him with descriptions of other fairer women, but the Fisherman...
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Eventually, realizing that the Fisherman’s love for the Mermaid is stronger than evil, the Soul decides “I will tempt him now with good, and...
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...cannot gain entry into the Fisherman’s heart, the Sea-folk bring the dead body of the Mermaid up into the surf. The Fisherman flings himself down upon her corpse, becoming increasingly distressed...
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...to bless the sea, but seeing the drowned Fisherman clutching the body of the little Mermaid, refuses to do so. He then tells the people to bury them in an unmarked...
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