The Tail of Emily Windsnap

There is an imbalance of power between the characters in the world of The Tail of Emily Windsnap, and this imbalance consistently works against Emily’s family and the families of lower-class individuals. Neptune proves to be the most powerful character among merfolk and humans alike, while within the human world, authority over Emily appears in the form of her mother and Mr. Beeston. Kessler’s main characters push back against authority to find happiness, while authority consistently attempts to restrict and limit the characters. The harm that can be inflicted by figures of power is explored, and the importance of personal autonomy against higher powers is emphasized throughout Emily’s story.

Power is initially examined through Emily’s experiences as a young person. Emily has wanted to swim for her entire life, but her mother has forbidden her. Once her mother agrees to let Emily swim, Emily is forced to see a hypnotist when she attempts to get out of swim class, and then must attend the class despite the possibility that she may transform in front of her peers. Emily is unable to control her own life, and this lack of control puts her in danger of being discovered in a school setting and restricts her from discovering her true identity until the events of the novel unfold. Due to Emily’s age, there is a power imbalance between her and the adults in her life, and this removes a sense of autonomy that would have otherwise allowed her to safely grow into her true self.

The most powerful being working against the Windsnap family is Neptune, king of the merfolk. In Chapter 8, Shona explains that Neptune’s trident gives him power over all the waters. With this power, he can create both destructive forces like storms and geographical constructs like islands, but Neptune only makes islands “when he’s in a good mood—so it doesn’t happen much” (99). This description defines Neptune’s relationship with power. Using his power to offer help is an afterthought compared to using it for destruction. When Neptune learned of her parents’ relationship, he enacted terrible retribution, imprisoning Emily’s dad and wiping her mom’s memories. As king, Neptune believed his position of authority gave him ultimate power over the lives of his people, an idea he still carries during the novel. Even when Emily pleads her case in the final chapters, Neptune’s sentence reflects the power he wields. Instead of letting Emily’s family go free, he releases them into a secret existence that he will monitor. If Emily’s family breaks his rules again, there will be more punishment, showing how Neptune still wields his power. This power severely limits Emily and her mother’s free will and, until Emily fights back, keeps the family separated. Furthermore, Mr. Beeston uses his personal relationship with Emily’s family to enact both his beliefs and Neptune’s will. Mr. Beeston’s relationship with Emily’s mom shows how trust becomes a weapon when it’s abused. Mr. Beeston has power over Emily’s mom and only by breaking that trust can she also break his hold over her.

Though her family is exiled to an island away from purely human or merfolk settlements, the idea of living among other families like hers makes Emily realize there is a place she belongs. In doing so, she gains the confidence and courage to stand up for herself in the human world as well. Revealing her mermaid nature, even if this deed is then wiped from memories to keep merfolk safe, shows that Emily no longer gives people power over how she feels about herself, completing her character arc. Neptune’s unchecked power, however, remains a conflict that affects all the characters at the end of this installment of the series.