<P> Set prior to most of the film's action, "Part of Your World" is the second proper song in The Little Mermaid, and takes place in Ariel's grotto before she meets Eric . A character song used to progress the plot, "Part of Your World" resembles a monologue in which Ariel expresses her desire to become part of the human world while reveling in her expansive collection of discarded human items and artifacts . Singing about her interest in exploring the human world and learning as much as she can about it, Ariel performs the ballad while gazing up towards the surface longingly, wishing that she could be human herself and live among other humans . "Part of Your World" reveals that Ariel feels repressed and unhappy in her current environment despite her belongings and royal lineage, "want (ing) to be a part of something else ." A wind - up toy resembling a woman dancing is used to demonstrate that Ariel would much rather be like her . The character also sings the line "What's a fire and why does it...What's the word? Burn!" to Georges de La Tour's painting Magdalene with the Smoking Flame to indicate a similar sentiment . Offering character development, the song explores and voices the inner goings - on of Ariel's mind . Ariel's craving for adventure makes it difficult for the character to enjoy her current surroundings while knowing there is much left for her to explore, causing her to grow increasingly despondent; "change", a non-physical concept that cannot be purchased or stolen, is the only thing that could make her truly happy . In the meantime, Ariel uses material belongings to fill the void of what is missing from her life, attempting to live among humans vicariously via what she has salvaged from sunken ships . Voicing her frustration over being confined to the ocean, Ariel is not shy about what she wants, choosing to belt out her desires instead . The Animated Movie Guide author Jerry Beck wrote that the song "capture's Ariel's yearning so intensely that when she extends her hand toward the surface we long to reach out with her", ending with Ariel gesturing while sighing longingly and descending back down to the ocean floor . </P> <P> "Part of Your World" serves as The Little Mermaid's theme song . The entire film is defined around "Part of Your World", which provides the film with momentum within its first 15 minutes . As "the heart and centre of the score," several instrumental versions of "Part of Your World" are heard throughout the film in the form of a leitmotif, overtures incorporated into its orchestral score . Although the theme belongs to Ariel, it remains "the film's most consistent thematic idea" and is thus manipulated throughout The Little Mermaid to various affects for other characters as well that range from melancholic to sinister . The film's main title is a choral arrangement of the ballad, performed without any lyrics . After Ariel rescues Eric and returns him to safety on a nearby beach, she sings a shorter reprise of "Part of Your World" to him as he regains consciousness . A distorted version of "Part of Your World" plays while Triton destroys Ariel's grotto, Eric constantly plays the melody on his flue to show that he continues to be haunted by the memory of the mysterious girl who saved his life, and a brass arrangement of the song is heard while Ursula magically transforms into a human named "Vanessa" in order to trick Eric into marrying her . Lastly, a final choral version, entitled "Happy Ending", is performed after Ariel and Eric's wedding . </P> <P> Crystal Bell of MTV wrote that the ballad "gives Ariel a purpose, reveals her deepest desire--to be where the people are--and shows us a glimpse of her strengths, vulnerabilities, and individual quirks", while establishing Ariel as an outsider . Writing for The Atlantic, Akash Nikolas agreed that as the film's "I Want" song, "Part of Your World" follows Disney's trend of establishing the main character as an outcast "set apart from society by some innate desire" as Ariel literally longs to be belong to a different world . Film critic Theresa Basile identified "Part of Your World" as a song that belongs to an adventurer who wants to explore new environments . Zaron Burnett III, writing for Thought Catalog, described the selection as a ballad in which "a curious young woman...who doesn't fully understand the world she longs to be a part of, bravely dreams of how she can move into a new world, and reject the limitations of her father's world (read: patriarchy)", identifying Ariel as "a young feminist ." Meanwhile, the New York Daily News film critic Kathleen Carroll identified "Part of Your World" as a "typically plaintive solo" that helps establish Ariel as a Broadway ingenue . Distinguished from earlier "wish songs" that discuss searching for "happiness in everyday life", "Part of Your World" is about longing to abandon normalcy in favor of seeking happiness elsewhere . Comparing "Part of Your World" to "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella, Entertainment Weekly writer Esther Zuckerman observed that the song proves how different Ariel is from Disney princesses by whom she was preceded . While Cinderella's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" is a passive song performed in third person, Ariel's number "is brimming with agency" to demonstrate the character's thirst for knowledge . Zuckerman credits Ashman's lyrics with providing Ariel with a personality, something she believes Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty (1959) lacked, while giving Ariel a motive that is not romance - oriented . Additionally, "Part of Your World" is delivered directly to the camera as opposed to an audience of woodland animals; Ariel appears as though she is speaking directly to young girls who are watching the scene . </P> <P> The context of "Part of Your World" and the fact that it occurs before Ariel meets and falls in love with Eric is often used to defend Ariel against critics who accuse her of sacrificing her talents for a man . Boing Boing's Caroline Siede explained that Ariel "just happens to end up with a prince in the process of achieving her larger dream" to become human . Similarly, Sophie Katz of The Odyssey Online wrote that the song proves that Ariel "doesn't give up her voice only for a guy . She already wanted to be' part of that world .' The prince was a bonus ." Writing for Yahoo! Movies, Gwynne Watkins penned "There's little doubt that Ariel's crush on Prince Eric strengthens her resolve to be part of the human world . But crucially, her love of' the world above' is established long before she sets eyes on the prince" during "Part of Your World". Laura Stampler, writing for Time, agreed that the character "(fell) in love with the human world before she even knew who Eric was" because "she has always dreamed of being a' part of your world"'. Ariel sings "Bright young women, sick of swimmin', ready to stand" to indicate that she fantasizes about "living in a feminist - friendly society where she can speak her mind freely and grow intellectually", demonstrating envy towards women who are capable of doing this on land . However, Time's Laura Stampler joked that Ariel will find the human world disappointing "considering my dad definitely still reprimanded me (even though I had legs)." In the reprise, the lyrics "Part of that world" are replaced with "part of your world" to distinguish that the character is now referring to her feelings for Eric, whom Ariel had not yet met when she sang the original song . </P>

When does ariel sing part of your world