In the beginning there was Beauty and the Beast

Ah, my favorite rant. Many times I've typed this out on reddit, only to delete it. Because what's the point. Maybe you're rolling your eyes "great, another rant about how this movie promotes stockholm syndrome. I've heard it before."

WRONG!!

Nothing makes me writhe in agony more! Are people incapable of using their minds? Can you not look beyond what is offered you?

So many people hear Beauty and the Beast and think Disney. Great. I LOVE Disney, and the amazing 1991 film honestly shaped who I am today. But like many of Disney's films it's based on a fairy tale, and they took great liberties. Is this a problem? NO. Movie making is hard business, particularly in animation. Every second is painstakingly planned. It's a delicate process.

So let's look at the original tale. No, this one doesn't come from Grimm or Anderson. Nor does it even come from Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont like many think. It comes from Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740. And even she took inspiration from others. We could rabbit on through the ages, but the tale as we know it evolved from the 1740 version.

And what is the tale? If we take the basest of looks at Disney's version we see a bully of a Beast holding a girl hostage. If we look a little closer we can see that she does it for her father who pleads with her not to. "I'm old! I've lived my life." And here is where Disney made their biggest blunder. In the original tale Beauty has sisters, and it's kind of her fault that her father angers the Beast. Without their father, the girls will starve or be forced to do unpleasant things to survive. Beauty makes a mistake and seeks to repair it herself.

Here's the basics. Rich merchant has 3 daughters. Rich merchant become poor and they are forced to move to the country and live a life of poverty. Beauty tries to grow usd to their new life as quick as possible, while her sisters just sit around and bemoan their loss of a luxurious life. When their father gets word that he may be rich again Beauty's sisters beg for silks and jewels. But Beauty knows that whatever money her father may get will go towards his debts. She decides to humble her sisters by making a simple request. A rose.

Indeed, the merchants earnings go towards his debts and he is still poor. He travels home, but is lost in a storm. Whn he is about to perish he comes upon a great palace in the woods. There he is waited on by invisible servants. When he has healed and leaves to return home he spots a garden of roses. Thinking to grant at least one of his daughters' wishes he plucks a rose for Beauty.

Instantly the Beast is upon him. Either he must die for the theft or one of his daughters must come of their own accord to save his life. The Beast promises he will not harm the daughter and sends the merchant to his family. He tells his story and explains he will return to the Beast's castle. But in the dead of night Beauty steals his horse and goes to the Beast. She tried to humble her sisters. Was that right? Was it her place to try and change them? Had she not asked for a rose her father would have simply come home with a strange tale. In that age, there is no way for women to support themselves. They are too poor to attract husbands.

She knows she is to blame so she goes. She simply promises the Beast that she will stay. That is all. A promise. Of course, in the Disney version all he asks of her is a promise. But there's the threat of his temper that one can assume frightens her as well. But the core is, all that keeps her prisoner is a promise to stay. Many times the Beast tells her she could leave him and he would die. He even tells her she could come back and steal his riches once he's dead. He does not have the power to pursue her should she leave. But she made a mistake and is determined to fix it.

He never tells her of his curse. She falls in love with him over time and the spell is broken. Her honor and integrity are rewarded with a handsome prince. In some versions of the story, the sisters' bitterness turns them to stone. The point is.... it's not stokholm syndrome. Hopefully my rant has changed the world! At least, a little.

Salutations

I, like many people, often find myself ranting at the air. I have thoughts and opinions. Maybe you'll agree with me, maybe not. I'm just here to spill my thoughts.

Things I am: Female, married, stay at home mom, a reader, lover of movies, watcher of cartoons, a bit peckish.

Things I like: fantasy in all media types, particularly fairy tales.

Things on this blog: my thoughts on books I've read, cartoons, movies and anime I've watched, and video games I've played. Also, probably poor grammer.