This author makes some good points about Little Mermaid.

Now, aside from the obvious class situation (both Eric and Ariel are the children of royalty), this is a pretty decent feminist tale. A feminist girl gets taken in by the claims of the patriarchy that the best way to get the man she wants is to shut up, and it backfires completely. The only way she gets what she desires is when she presents her entire self, not just her beauty. The evil witch (while it’s a bad archetype) is only pretending to offer Ariel a chance at freedom — like many of the bad influences on women and girls today, she speaks the language of freedom while conspiring to make Ariel even less free than before (by making her a wraith). The patriarch realizes that he’s been a real bastard and manages to actually be happy for his daughter in the end.