Unfortunately, I’m
unable to attend my beloved Popular Culture Association in the South conference
this year; being laid off has had the paradoxical effect of giving me plenty of
time to think up paper/presentation topics but no income to share that work,
but such is life. Since there have been a few ideas bouncing around in my
head--midnight breakthroughs, all--I’m going to share them with you. I’ve
written with the assumption that my audience is familiar with the films I’ll be
discussing, so consider this a pre-emptive spoiler alert. Read on!
For Part 2, return next Wednesday. For Part 3, return the Wednesday after that.
***
While Beauty and the
Beast isn’t my favorite Disney movie, it IS my mother’s, so I’ve seen it
many times, and I do appreciate the hell out of it for several reasons. If ever
an animated film deserved to be nominated for Best Picture, this was the one (it lost to The Silence of the Lambs),
and it should have stayed that way, except the AMPAS made some changes a few
years back that allowed for more leeway when it came to animated films breaking
into that category. But I digress.
In addition to admiring the artistry of the film (those
stained-glass windows! the special effects! that ballroom!), I feel it’s one of
the better “princess” movies, thanks in large part to Belle’s spirit, personality,
and moral code. For example, has anyone else ever noticed that she is willing
to sacrifice herself on at least two occasions in order to save her father?
First she rides into the forest with Philippe and trespasses
in the Beast’s castle to find Maurice. Once there, she cuts a deal with the
Beast, offering herself up in exchange for her father’s freedom, in spite of
his protests. Later in the movie, she leaves the castle--admittedly, with the
Beast’s blessing--to help Maurice, who has fallen ill. This is one dedicated
daughter.
Yet, in defiance of the expectations of her time, she
refuses to sacrifice herself for the other men in her life. From the outset, we
know she doesn’t give a fig what the townspeople say about her; ain’t nobody
got time for that, in her opinion. She chooses instead to pursue her own
passion--reading--to the exclusion of much else, including, importantly, the
overtures Gaston makes. She knows he’s borderline illiterate and will force her
to change if she enters into a relationship with him; this would be
unacceptable to her, so she rebuffs him.
Near the climax, when Gaston informs Belle that she can
marry him in order to buy her father’s freedom, she is disgusted by the notion
in a way she was not by the prospect of living in the Beast’s castle, because
she knows there must be a way to save Maurice that doesn’t involve compromising
her own standards.
While this does parallel her situation with the Beast, Belle
doesn’t feel forced to trade places with Maurice in the castle; rather, she
makes her own, conscious decision (which tracks with Belle’s actions in the
Beaumont version of the fairy tale). If she allows Gaston to coerce her into
marriage, neither she nor her father can live with the consequences, because
even though it’s never said, only intimated, we know Gaston is the type of man
who would beat his wife into submission without hesitation.
Moreover, we know Belle continues to adhere to her strong
moral code even once she realizes she and the Beast are falling in love; rather
than stay at the castle with him and various enchanted housewares, she
continues her tradition of aiding Maurice, as discussed above. In Belle’s case,
the old cliché is true: blood is thicker than water.
And this is a good set of lessons for children to learn, I
think:
1) Do not degrade yourself by letting a bully win.
2) Make efforts to preserve your autonomy and personality.
3) Family is there for you and you should be there for them,
too (assuming that there isn’t any dangerous dysfunction at work).
4) Choosing a boy/girl/significant other over your own
interests or those of the people closest to you is detrimental to you and your
dearest.
Bonus lesson: it’s okay to be a bookish lady, because some
people will appreciate your nerdiness, and not just the bookshop owner
(although, can we be friends with that guy? He gives out free books!).
-Cate-
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