Written by Mermaid Mara
Today is the Respect For The Aged Day. Because of this, we have decided to write an article about older characters from “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony.”
Let’s start from the most important one: Chief General Asvald Altamira, the real ruler of Antemidia. General Asvald is one of the characters that Amelia respects most, for several reasons.
First of all, he’s the one who chose her to be the princess. This shows us one of the greatest and most important duties of the elderly: to help those who are younger find their path, and show them, how big things can be achieved.
Second, General Asvald is always willing to continue supporting Amelia, even if she makes mistakes. He understands that she’s still young and has the right to make wrong choices. General Asvald protects Amelia and her friends from other people’s attacks in the court; and he takes her goals into consideration, listening to her wish to stay in Portugal.
And third, in many ways, we can call him a “grandfatherly” figure for Amelia. She tries to find him during earthquake, after leaving palace, but is distracted, spotting Araminta.
Later, when she finds her mother’s portrait, and notices the woman’s military uniform with several army decorations, she instantly wants to talk to General Asvald about it.
Interestingly, Amelia doesn’t change her opinion of General Asvald, even after hearing about the crime that he had committed in the past (top secret spoiler, one we can’t disclose on this blog, but you can always read the book and figure it out for yourself!). It seems Amelia has full trust in General Asvald, and vice versa: he entrusts her with confidential matters of the country, such as the location of ancient tablets.
Does that mean, all elderly characters in Mermaid Princess Amelia, enjoy such popularity? The answer is no, unfortunately. Complex as it is, the novel shows us a full spectrum: on one side, we have great characters such as Asvald, and on the other – evil ones, such as Kolthida and Sokhanya, the demons ruling over the Mausoleum of Lost Symphonies.
Both women are portrayed as selfish, unreasonable, stubborn, and convinced that the world’s still at their feet. They’re also envious of their descendants’ health and magic, using complex rituals to rob them, and take everything for themselves.
There’s also the great problem of the mass exodus from Southern Baltic Sea. Even though Maxine Foti seldom partakes in any political conversations, this time, she made an exception, and wrote the sea’s story as a warning for her own country, Poland. To understand what she meant, let’s make a quick recap:
Sister princesses, Sawa and Mewa, are from Southern Baltic, an undersea country ruled by their traditional and strict parents. In order to win the society’s votes, the parents adopted a very conservative policy of ruling (focusing mostly on elders’ wishes, and forgetting about youth). This lead to a massive exodus from the country, until, there wasn’t anyone young left.
This story refers to the controversial situation in Poland, where there’s the cultural war between the conservative and liberal parts of the society.
By writing about the exodus, Maxine wants to remind Poland that even though it is important to respect the wishes of the elderly, adults’ and youngsters’ needs must also be taken into consideration, as they’re the current or future workforce.
Can the youngsters and the elders learn to communicate better, over time? That’s a good question. For sure, a certain openness is need.
When Amelia meets Taisuke out of the dojo, he mentions reading “The old man and the sea,” by Ernest Hemingway. When she asks him for the reason, he states it’s a school assignment, but he’s enjoying it nevertheless. The classic is in reality about a person’s fight with the troubles in life.
The fact that Taisuke likes this novel, shows, he can bond with the main character, and that’s something showing us that the youngsters and elderly can definitely understand each other and connect, even when they don’t have a personal relationship.
Don’t forget to call your grandparents today, by the way. Intergenerational friendships are great for both youngsters and the elderly, as they have profits for both. The youngsters can benefit from the elderly’s experience, and the elderly will surely enjoy having an interesting companion to chat with!
Related articles that you may be interested in:
- Is “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” a book good for kids and early teens?
- The mermen’s roles in “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony”
- The complicated brotherly relationship between twins Taisuke and Hansuke
- The sisterly relationship between Sawa and Mewa
- 5 intriguing but less known characters from “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony”
Grab your copy of “Mermaid Princess Amelia and the Lost Symphony” here…
English: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6BJ6RG
Spanish: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z8GK1JX
Italian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0953PN3Y7
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