Why Ariel gave up her voice
Ariel never gave up a voice for a man she has just met and hadn't talked to.
Ariel gave up her voice because she didn't value it. And she didn't value it because people around her didn't value it. They praised it when she used it for show, for singing for an audience that wanted to hear the sound but never listened to her words.
She felt unheard her entire life, misunderstood, alone, isolated. Sure, she has friends, like Flounder, Sebastian and more in the animated series, like Gabriella, her sisters, Urkin, etc. They all loved her but didn't understand her. Looked at her funny when she opened up about her love for the human world. Was even berated by some, like Sebastian and her father. She never felt heard. So, yeah, for everyone else, even the audience, is like: this girl is so stupid, she gave up her beautiful voice for legs.
Because with legs, she can stand, as she always wanted. And she never needed her voice to make Eric fall for her, or the castle's staff, with her personality, always overshadowed by her voice, she won everyone's hearts. With her blubby, spontaneous, happy, curious personality, she made the prince fall for her, made him forget that 'beautiful voice' he fell for (until Ursula put a spell on him, that is). Ariel felt heard for the first time, without a voice.
She didn't give up her voice for a man, but because she was so tired of not being heard, that she never saw the value of her voice, because nobody showed it to her beyond shallow reasons. She learnt, along with everyone else, how important her voice AND words are.
That's why I always felt related to her. I was always heard when it was convenient, if I expressed an opinion the adults around didn't like, I was shut down, belittled and patronized.
Your voice MATTER, will always MATTER. It doesn't matter how way you communicate. Look at Gabriella, in the animated series, she was mute but she still communicated and was heard by her octopus friend.
Please, NEVER let anyone make you believe your WORDS hold no value. Not even yourself.
