She evolved for love, but what did she trade off in the process? Will the little mermaid ever bridge the gap between beast and human? 

This graphic rendition of the classic children's story by Hans Christian Andersen illustrates my reading of the dark, masochistic tale of unrequited love and pubescent angst, which few today even know this tale to be. 

As a young child reader, I had the good fortune of being introduced to the Little Mermaid, not through Disney, but through Freya Littledale and Daniel San Souci . I processed unspeakable feelings through San Souci’s gorgeous illustrations of the Little Mermaid’s grief stricken countenance. I hope to return to today's readers some of that long forgotten catharsis of the tale of heroic suffering and the dark night of the soul.