Footnoting Disney: The Little Mermaid

Published: March 7, 2020, 4 a.m.

(Lesley) The first of Disney\u2019s Renaissance films was a project in progress since 1930. Based on the writings of Hans Christian Andersen, the film updated the original tragic story for a modern family audience. In this episode, Lesley places the original story within the religious, cultural, and imperial context of its creation...while revealing a personal pain the author wrote into the mermaid\u2019s story.