Baptism scenes add symbolic value to many significant literary works. If characters have near death experiences with water, it is a way of showing rebirth and their differences after the incident. An example of this is "The Littlest Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. This happens after the mermaid Ariel comes out of the ocean to experience human life with her new human legs. When she comes onto the shore she feels like a new girl. She is never the same girl after she comes into human life from living under the sea. She realizes that she never wants to live life in the ocean any more, but instead learn and live with humans. She eventually falls in love with a human prince, but is constantly reminded that her time on land is limited. People try to get her to go back into the water, but Ariel has learned that that can no longer be the way she can live. She learned and experienced so much on land that the life that she once lived is unrelated to the life that she has grown accustomed to living.
This story is very spiritual because as it is explained in the book, when mermaid souls die, they become part of the foam in the ocean. Ariel later is taught that human souls have a shorter human life than mermaids, but when the human dies, the soul has eternal life in Heaven. This eternal life can only be achieved, however, if Ariel can get true love's kiss, true love from a prince and to be married. Ariel not only wants to learn and live with humans, but she also wants to achieve this eternal life. This is what motivates her in her decision to get human legs from the Sea Witch.
After Ariel comes from the sea, she was forever changed. She learned that the life under the sea was not how she wanted to live. Even children's stories can have deep symbolism such as baptism scenes like this one. As situations change, so does the character of the characters in the stories.
This story is very spiritual because as it is explained in the book, when mermaid souls die, they become part of the foam in the ocean. Ariel later is taught that human souls have a shorter human life than mermaids, but when the human dies, the soul has eternal life in Heaven. This eternal life can only be achieved, however, if Ariel can get true love's kiss, true love from a prince and to be married. Ariel not only wants to learn and live with humans, but she also wants to achieve this eternal life. This is what motivates her in her decision to get human legs from the Sea Witch.
After Ariel comes from the sea, she was forever changed. She learned that the life under the sea was not how she wanted to live. Even children's stories can have deep symbolism such as baptism scenes like this one. As situations change, so does the character of the characters in the stories.