# the Siren — Short Fiction character guide

> the Siren in Short Fiction by E. M. Forster.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0037-the-story-of-the-siren

## Snapshot

A mythical figure whose story draws a young man toward a ruined Italian coast, where savage people once tried to keep her and died.

## Who they are

The Siren belongs to a tale told of a stream that has changed its course and a place now in ruins, where a father and daughter narrowly escaped death. She is the object of a quest that pulls characters away from the safe, babbling concerns of landlords and governesses toward something older and more dangerous. Her story matters because it tests whether deliverance is Providence or accident, and whether those who hear her can return unchanged.

## In the story

### [The Story of the Siren](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_13_se/chapters/the-story-of-the-siren)

Mythical creature said to live in the sea, unable to surface due to priests' blessings.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_13_se/characters/the_siren
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_13_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_13_se/characters