beauty and the beast
If you are even slightly familiar with fairy tales, you will have heard the story of Beauty and the Beast. But, which version do you know, and what is the moral?
Those aware of only modern cinematic depictions of the tale might say we learn along with Beauty that external appearances don’t equal internal morality.
The traditional literary tale from the 1600’s was an exploration of the female fears around marriage. With the majority of unions not based on choice but financial favour and family ties, there were many fears for women entering marriage. What would your husband be like? Would he subject you to all kinds of violent terrors, being in such a position of control and authority?
Fear the unknown. Be careful who you marry. These were the morals of the tale at that time — and the mission had somehow fallen on the heroine to civilize the beastly bridegroom through good looks and virtuous, accepting behaviour.
What I love about modern versions of the tale is how the focus has turned to the Beast: what he may represent and his potential to transform Beauty.
The Beast’s beastliness exists to teach Beauty something. He is no longer an external force to fear or a threat of male sexuality in a physical form. Instead, he exists within her and encourages her to explore her own female sexual identity.
In the Grimms’ version of the tale, “Snow White and Rose Red,” published in 1889, the presence of the Beast prompts the heroines to explore their sexuality. The story focuses on the girls’ excitement to roll around and play with the bear, whose animal nature speaks to their innermost desires and gives licence to their physical sensations.
In Angela Carter’s “The Tiger’s Bride,” which made its debut in her fantastic collection The Bloody Chamber in 1979, Beauty’s discovery of her own sexuality manifests as her own physical transformation into a beast. As her tiger husband licks her, Beauty’s skin falls away to reveal a layer of beautiful fur like his own. The gender divide dissolves along with the divide between human and beast to provide a lesson in mutual attraction and consent in a vivid, memorable, and vulnerable depiction that only the fairy tale can provide.
Fairy tale adaptations and themes continue to filter through into modern day fiction. They hold a powerful mirror up to our behaviour and reflect our deepest troubles and desires in a way that is unparalleled in other forms of literature.
What’s your favourite fairy tale? Have you wondered why?!
