Becoming Mermaid: Exploring Human and More-Than-Human Relationality

Abstract

The mermaid is a hybrid being, a product of human imagination that has dual potentiality; she can either uphold or challenge heteropatriarchal and able-bodied norms. She also has the potential to highlight human relations with more-than-human life. This paper explores the process of becoming mermaid in four performances that reinforce and/or challenge normate embodiment to varying degrees. One, at Weeki Wachee Springs, remains firmly tied to normate white heteropatriarchal values. Another, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, is a multivalent performance that both affirms and challenges dominant norms of embodiment. The others, solo performances by Amber DiPietra and Hanna Cormick, highlight the humanity of disabled people and the kinship among human animals and our more-than-human kin.