By: Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Synopsis
A merchant, once wealthy and privileged, fell on hard times. Many of his children aided the family in their efforts to survive except for two of his daughters who spent their days lamenting there woes.
One of his children, referred to as Beauty, worked hard on the household and remained humble.
The Merchant’s favor changed when notice of a vessel carrying some of his effects had safely arrived. While the other two daughters asked for extravagant items, Beauty asked for a single rose as they did not grow where they lived.
Unfortunately, poor favor followed the Merchant and he found himself lost in a dark woods in a storm. He eventually stumbled upon a large manor with hay for his horse and a table of food set. However, no servants or owner came to join him at the table and after he ate he found a bed and slept.
On his way out of the manor he remembered his youngest daughter’s request and picked roses for her. Immediately, a Beastly figure appeared telling the Merchant that because he stole from him he would have to die. After begging for his life the Beast agreed to spare the man’s life if one of his daughters agreed to take his place.
Beauty offers herself as a replacement because she believes she is the reason her father faces peril. Her father fights he but ends up letting her take his place.
To her surprise, she was not killed that night and taken to her own room were a poem tells her she can have anything she asks for:
Welcome Beauty, banish fear,
You are queen and mistress here.
Speak your wishes, speak your will,
Swift obedience meets them still.
She asks to be able to see her father and a looking glass appears where she can look upon her family whenever she wishes.
At dinner, Beast asks Beauty if she thinks he is ugly. She explains to him that men can appear handsome on the outside but awful on the inside. Beauty is only skin deep.
After their conversation, Beast abruptly asks Beauty to marry him. Beauty says no.
For the next few months the Beast and Beauty enjoy their days together and at the end of each day Beast asks Beauty to marry him. After some time, Beauty tells the Beast that she values their friendship and that is all they will ever be.
Beast asked Beauty to promise to never leave. Beauty agreed as long as she could see her family one last time. Beast allowed Beauty to leave for one week but told her that if she did not come back in time he would die of grief.
The next morning Beauty woke in her father’s house.
When her sisters saw how happy she was they plotted to make her stay longer to anger the Beast so he would hopefully devour her. Beauty falls for their trickery and on the 10th day has a dream of Beast on the verge of death.
Beauty laid her ring on the table (knowing this would bring her back to the palace). When she woke in the morning she was back. She quickly ran to the Beast who lay dying saying that with her return he could die a happy man.
Beauty confessed her love for the Beast saying that she would marry him, Before her eyes he transformed into a handsome prince. The prince explained that he had been cursed by a fairy and the spell could only be broken if he found someone to marry him in his Beast form.
When they entered the palace Beauty’s family and the fairy stood before her. The fairy cursed Beauty’s sister to be statues in her sister’s court until they own their own faults.
The Beast and Beauty lived happily ever after.
Lessons & Takeaways
Sacrificing for the Ones you Love
Beauty takes her father’s place believing that she will die. She can’t bear to think that her father would suffer for gathering the rose that she asked for. I think she also knows that her siblings need their father and she doesn’t want to take him away when she has the power to stop it.
Beast sacrifice comes when he allows Beauty to see her family knowing that if she does not return he will die. In that moment he almost gives up his life for her happiness.
Beauty is Only Skin Deep
Probably the most obvious theme. You can’t judge someone from their tough exterior. Beauty’s sister are beautiful but horrible people. The Beast is a literal monster but kind and understanding. If you live your life only seeking beautiful things you will miss out on most of life.
Her sisters experience this when they are turned into statues. They are punished for seeking only materialistic things and possibly lose the rest of their lives because of it.
We can’t ignore the problematic plot. Beast may love Beauty but he has to find someone to break the curse. He would have married any of the sisters had they come to the palace. Honestly, I think any of the sisters would have agreed to marry him as well.
Yes, he is a big scary Beast but he has a giant manor and has the ability to give them anything they want. After living in poverty when the sisters value the finer things more than anything I genuinely believe they would have jumped for the opportunity.
It is an imbalance of power. The story wants you to think that Beauty has the power to save the Beast but the Beast is the one with the resources. The Beast is also big and scary, holding Beauty prisoner. Eventually, she was going to give in and marry him.
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