As an adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” “The Fisherman and His Soul” is written in a style that is reminiscent of fairy tales. This comes across in Wilde’s use of ornate and archaic language. Take the following passage, for example, when the Witch asks the Fisherman why he has sought her out:
“What d’ye lack? What d’ye lack? I know a flower that grows in the valley, none knows it but I. It has purple leaves, and a star in its heart, and its juice is as white as milk. Shouldst thou touch with this flower the hard lips of the Queen, she would follow thee all over the world. Out of the bed of the King she would rise, and over the whole world she would follow thee. And it has a price, pretty boy, it has a price. What d’ye lack? What d’ye lack?”
Here, the Witch uses archaic language often found in fairy tales (such as “shouldst,” “thou,” and “thee”) alongside rich descriptions (such as her description of a flower with “purple leaves, and a star in its heart, and its juice is as white as milk”). The way the Witch repeats “What d’ye lack? What d’ye lack?” at both the beginning and end of her short speech is also reminiscent of the way untrustworthy characters often speak in traditional fairy tales.
Wilde’s use of repetition throughout the story has both a fairy-tale and biblical quality to it. For example, events often occur in sets of three—the Soul visits the Fisherman once a year for three years until he convinces the man to abandon the Mermaid for him, and it's not until three years after the Fisherman and Mermaid's deaths that the Priest has a change of heart about their relationship. It is also notable that every time the Fisherman and the Soul reunite the Soul uses the same language: “Come nearer, that I may speak with thee, for I have seen marvellous things.” Fairy tales tend to have this cyclical and repetitive quality to them.
Wilde’s use of repetition and prolonged anecdotes (via the Soul’s pages-long descriptions of his solo adventures) also mirrors the writing style found in the Bible. This was likely intentional on Wilde’s part as, in the story, he is making a point about the positive potential of the Church. In fact, the story ends with a formerly harsh and judgmental priest embracing the Christian tenant of unconditional love.
