10 simple yet meaningful short dialogues from “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” by Maxine Foti
“Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” is a light, funny and positive adventure book. As such, most dialogues relate to the action, and there’s little philosophical monologue. Still, Maxine managed to find a way to smuggle important lessons about life and values, into her characters’ short and casual dialogues. In this article, we will take a close look at different quotes, and analyze the hidden message.
Short Dialogue #1 – Irene criticized Edith for supporting Jet Mir in his mission to regain the throne.
EDITH: “I haven’t done it (helped Jet Mir) for love.”
IRENE: “Then for what?”
EDITH: “Justice. You know he doesn’t deserve his current fate.”
In this very short dialogue, Irene and Edith show contrasting beliefs. Irene thinks that love is the greatest force propelling us to stand up for somebody. But Edith makes her realize, love is not the only motivator. Being a highly empathetic and righteous person, Edith refuses to tolerate injustice. With her response, she tells Irene, she would support Jet Mir even if she didn’t love him, for she believes in fairness. This reminds us, we should stand up for injustice, always, whether we have some sort of relationship with the person in question, or not.
Short Dialogue #2 – Edith gives Amelia another chance instead of shunning her
EDITH: “Do you know why I’m here?”
AMELIA: “No idea.”
EDITH: “I’m here to listen to your version of the story.”
When Davika and Lumina made Edith realize that Amelia teamed up with Jet Mir, Edith took it bad. She didn’t speak to Amelia for a couple of days. She could’ve reported Amelia, or made her life living hell. Instead, she decided to first listen to her version of the story. She’s aware that there’s always more than one perspective and is willing to listen before taking the next step. This is a sign of incredible emotional maturity and great communication skills. It also teaches us all a valuable life lesson: if you want your relationships to be harmonious, you need to balance thinking with listening and let the other person talk about their motivations.
Short Dialogue #3 – Edith tells Amelia that she’s hurt but still cares about her.
EDITH: “I’m hurt by your actions, but (…) you were my friend. I want to believe in you.”
It takes guts to tell someone that they hurt you, and even more to admit that you’re ready to give another chance – simply because you care. Once again, Edith shows emotional maturity, and how conflicts should be handled.
Short Dialogue #4 – Amelia complains to Araminta about her mission.
ARAMINTA: “I guessed it, but who is going to know about it (the theft of artifacts)? Except Jet Mir and me?”
AMELIA: “Her Limpidity Tikalie used to say that the princess always wears her crown, even when she has a hat on her head.”
This short dialogue teaches us a lesson in integrity. For Araminta, integrity doesn’t seem to be a priority. She doesn’t see a problem with acting against oneself, if nobody knows about it. However, Amelia and Tikalie, both believe(d) that one should always be true to one’s values and morals.
Short Dialogue #5 – Jayden teaches Amelia about good and bad workouts
JAYDEN: “There is no such thing as a bad workout… unless you skip it.”
This simple yet powerful quote, shows us that results don’t matter as much as showing up for the practice. It’s much better to do a poor work out, rather than, skip it altogether for the sake of perfectionism.
Short Dialogue #6 – Amelia complains about people’s attitude towards her
AMELIA: “If everyone handles me like glass, I’ll never become better.”
Most of us feel like giving up, when encountering hardships. We are upset about our comfort being stripped away. However, Amelia understands that it’s impossible to grow up, mature, and get stronger, without undergoing trials. She’s in for the challenge, and excepts life to toughen her up. That’s the spirit! Don’t you think?
Short Dialogue #7 – Amelia gives orders to Amida during the earthquake
AMELIA: “Amida, do whatever you believe best, just save your life.”
Amelia doesn’t know, how to behave during earthquake and for this reason, she doesn’t give any specific instructions to Amida. On the contrary, she just tells her, to do whatever she believes is going to be best for her safety.
This is actually the best piece of advice that we can give to others. We won’t always know what’s best for those that surround us. But we can still support them, by encouraging them, to listen to their intuition and make their own judgment.
Short Dialogue #8 – Amelia says she will fulfill her promise
AMELIA: “Jet Mir kept his word, and you are here. Now it’s my turn to fulfill my obligations.”
We live in the world of empty words and unfulfilled promises, but not everyone is like that. It all boils down to one’s core values. For Amelia, a promise is of utmost importance. She considers it nearly sacred. She knows that once she promises something, she’ll stick with it, until the very end, even if it means much trouble for her. This attitude shows, it’s better not to make any promises, rather than break them. It also shows, we should think well about our choices, and be assertive, when necessary.
Short dialogue #9 – Taisuke tells Amelia that he’s from Sambath.
TAISUKE: “Will you think of me differently now?”
AMELIA: “No, no way, You’re always cool in my eyes, Taisuke.”
Sambath was an ancient mermaid kingdom, famous for its nightmarish blood cult. Taisuke had encountered judgment because of his origin, and he was scared to tell the truth to Amelia. However, Amelia’s response shows, she won’t judge him and that this confession doesn’t change anything. This teaches us two lessons. First, it’s not right, to judge anyone by their ancestry, nationality, or family history. Second, when we are friends with somebody, we should support them, always, even though they have shadows.
Short dialogue #10 – Amelia reflects on god Um-Nah-Mel’s history
AMELIA: “How is it possible I had forgotten about (…) the fact that one’s ancestry and genealogical reef didn’t matter as much as what was in one’s heart?”
Amelia was worried that she’d stop being an Antemidian because of her Nerlandese roots. However, by reminding herself of Um-Nah-Mel’s history (he migrated from Nerland to Antemidia), she stopped worrying. She realized that true home, is not necessarily the place where we’re born, but the one we consider home. Nowadays, we live in the era of migration, and might often feel confused, as to where we should be. This sentence clears the issue once and for all, both for migrants, and third culture children.
And what were your favorite quotes from “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony?” Let us known in the comment section below! We’re waiting for your voices!
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English: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6BJ6RG
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Italian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0953PN3Y7
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