There was a thirty year gap between Disney’s third and fourth princesses. The Little Mermaid didn’t come out until 1989, and I would say that Ariel is the first really modern princess, at least in terms of being much more active in her own story.

To give background to that story, Ariel is the youngest of the seven daughters of King Triton, who is essentially ruler of the seven seas (and yes, as I understand it, each daughter actually represents a sea). She is loved and even doted upon, but her rambunctious spirit mixed with a fascination for the human world keeps her father’s nerves a little frayed. The big problem is that all things having to do with humans are forbidden.

And I think it’s safe to say that Ariel is completely obsessed with humans. The above picture is of her in the grotto that she has filled with her collection of human items. So much can be said about just this one moment. For one thing, it’s obvious that she doesn’t know the function of a single thing in there. She’s sticking eating utensils into a candelabra for goodness sake. However, it says so much about her natural curiosity. It’s her lack of knowledge that drives her. She craves understanding. Ariel knows very well that what she is pursuing is technically illegal. She knows her father would be furious if he found any of this stuff. But she can’t help it. It’s all a mystery and she is fascinated. And in this moment, she says one of the best lines in the movie:

“I just don’t see how a world that makes such beautiful things could be bad.”

I personally find that particular line very inspiring. Ariel sees the good in everything. Look at her. She’s holding a fork, and it’s one of the most special things in the world to her, because she doesn’t have any idea how commonplace it is. And the fork, knife, and spoon in the candelabra…I think that’s one of the cutest and quirkiest things I’ve ever seen. Everything excites her, everything is a new piece to the puzzle, and the more she finds, the more she wants to know. She’s developed a burning desire to go see the world above for herself. She longs to explore it and ask the questions only humans could answer for her. Actually, if I had to classify it, I would say Ariel has a very scientific/anthropological mind.

Well, she gets her chance. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the first ever Disney princess to rescue her prince. Pictured above is Eric, the lovable prince of a kingdom by the sea, and Ariel is taken with him immediately when she sees him on his ship. When a storm comes and overwhelms the ship, she jumps to his rescue and keeps him from drowning, knowing full well (at least in the back of her mind) that she shouldn’t. He is a human, after all. But for Ariel, I’m pretty sure that’s part of his charm. Not only is he handsome and fun, but he is a living representation of everything she is dying to learn and understand. And, representations aside, they have great chemistry anytime they’re on screen together.

So that’s it then. She can’t fight it anymore. Ariel is going to make contact with this human. She is going to pursue what she has truly always wanted: the impossible. The odds are certainly stacked against her. For one thing, where is her infatuation with Eric going to go, really? They’re, well, a different species. But even if that worked out, her father–the most powerful being in the sea–is heartily against all of this. Her chances of really getting to know the human world are slim at best. But Ariel dreams big, I’ll give her that.

And she believes in her dreams enough to stick to them even when King Triton finds out about everything.

Which doesn’t go too well. Now, I’d actually like to talk about the father/daughter dynamic in this movie, because it’s definitely one of the strongest parent/child relationships in all of Disney. Ariel has a great deal of conflict with her father throughout most of the movie, and it’s simply because they see things very differently. She is innocent and curious. She sees the good and assumes the best. King Triton, while he can get frustrated and be somewhat prone to outbursts, is the voice of experience. He’s seen the bad for himself. He knows how dangerous the world is. And deep down, he is just a father who would do anything to protect his family. Ariel sees his rules as unfair, as any normal sixteen year old would, I’m sure. And maybe they are sometimes. But it’s hard not to see where he’s coming from. He’s certainly not a bad guy, and overall I’d say he’s a great dad.

In any case, desperate times call for desperate measures, and Ariel seeks the help of Ursula the Sea Witch. Making an extremely risky deal (she only gets three days to win her prince, and she has to do it voiceless), Ariel is transformed into a human, something that she may have always wanted deep down, but never in her wildest dreams imagined possible. Now, this is where some controversy comes in. It’s a fairly common accusation that The Little Mermaid teaches girls to change for the man they want. I don’t know, though. Is Ariel becoming something she’s not? Is she putting up some sort of facade that doesn’t represent who she really is? Because I’m just not getting that vibe. If anything, I think this is when she finally gets to embrace who she really is. She didn’t fit in where she was. All she could ever think about, everything that felt natural to her, always revolved around the human world.

And when she gets her wish, she takes to it instantly. Her entire world has been overturned. If she wins this little bet with Ursula and gets her prince in time, she’ll never get her voice back (and she was known for her beautiful voice); not to mention, she’ll never see her father or sisters again. If she loses, she’ll likely end up transformed into some kind of weird pet to add to Ursula’s collection. But she’s not afraid. In fact, she can’t think of anything right now except the exhilarating fact that she has legs (and toes!). She is, in a word, thrilled. Finally, she feels right.

And, as a side note, if Snow White was, say, the sweetest Disney princess, and Cinderella the classic, and Aurora maybe the most ideal, then Ariel has got to be by far the most sensual of the Disney princesses. And while I definitely mean to say that she’s just outright sexy (certainly showing the most skin, for one thing), that’s not the only thing. After all, for much of the latter half of the film, she can’t talk. Ursula has taken her voice away. So, much like Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Ariel relies heavily on nonverbal communication. And if there is anyone who is even more expressive than Aurora, it’s Ariel. Her face just says everything, and she’s just so darn cute.

Given Ariel and Eric’s obvious chemistry, and even though Eric was rather resistant, the pair just couldn’t help but hit it off. By day two, it’s starting to look like Ariel is going to win. But alas, Ursula doesn’t play fair. She turns herself human and casts a spell on Eric. Now she’s going to marry him, and using Ariel’s voice, too. Again, things look hopeless.

Well, Ariel has herself a good cry and then jumps straight into the action again. With the help of her friends, she does stop the wedding and release Eric from the spell. However, she doesn’t get her kiss in time and changes back into a mermaid, being then dragged back into the sea by Ursula. She lost. The contest is over. But the story certainly isn’t.

Because there are those who love her. King Triton is the first to come to her aid, showing up literally seconds after they hit the water. He winds up taking Ariel’s place in payment of her contract, which is what Ursula had hoped for in the first place. With him out of the way, she takes up his trident and his crown, and suddenly, they are dealing with a villain whose power has increased a hundredfold. The final battle ensues.

Now, while Eric does strike the ultimate blow and kill the Sea Witch, thus saving the day (like any good prince), at this point, Ariel has already saved his life twice. Three times, if you count saving him from marriage to Ursula. So really, this is feeling more like teamwork than the prince-saving-princess cliche. In all honesty, I never once felt like Ariel was the damsel-in-distress type. She needs help sometimes, but that’s normal. Everybody needs help. That’s what friends are for. And loved ones. That’s just one of the many things that Ariel shows us.

So the battle is over. The villain is gone. But Ariel is back where she started, only now with a bit more experience. And there she sits, watching the man she loves, but notice she’s not going to him the way she did before. She’s holding back, and she’s sad. She gets it now. She has a better idea of where her father was coming from. The world is dangerous. Her love is risky. And now she’s not so sure she’s willing to give up her family for the sake of her dreams. But her father gets it now, too. And, because he loves her, he wants her to be happy.

“I guess there’s just one problem left…How much I’m going to miss her.” –King Triton, just before he turns his beloved daughter into a human

Ariel dons a gorgeous 80s style wedding dress and marries the human prince of her dreams, simultaneously reconciling with her father.

And they lived happily ever after. (Later having a spirited, brunette daughter named Melody who would dream of being a mermaid.)

If I were to take anything from this movie, it’s that the world is dangerous and beautiful. It teaches the value curiosity and of embracing who you truly are. And that no matter how strongly you might disagree, those who love you will never stop loving you.

Ariel has a loving heart, but she isn’t perfect, and she has to learn some of this stuff the hard way. But in the end, love wins.

Stay curious, everybody.