beauty and the beast
One of my favorite Disney movies has always been Beauty and the Beast. As a girl I thought Belle such a strong-minded, feminist-type woman, who bucked the conventions of her time and wanted more out of her life than the typical roles laid out for the bun-baking, baby making women of her small town. She even turns down a marriage proposal from the most coveted man in the region.
As a woman, I realize that Belle ended up running off into the bush and marrying the first man-beast she found there. Not sure if scrubbing pots and birthing dozens of offspring is somehow less provincial when done in a ramshackle, cursed castle.
But I digress.
This was Beast when Belle found him. Since the super hairy, ultra masculine character in this story never receives a name other than Beast, I shall continue to call him that without fear of offense.
See how her heart swells with love for the man she knows she can change this beast into?
What? You didn't know that the story was an allegory for every real relationship? That the Beast is the man you meet, love, and change for the better? Do you really think Belle would have married this big brute as he was? I'm going to give you a moment to visualize some of the problems with that scenario . . .
. . . seeing it now? . . .
Continuing.
Belle finds this big hairy bastard in the woods. At first she only notices the gruesome: he holds her captive, he's grumpy, he smells like wet dog when it rains.
As she gets used to him, she begins to desensitize to some of his less desirable aspects.
She realizes that there are some things she likes about him: he saved her from the smaller, less brawny beasts in the woods, he is wealthy, he has a big house, and he has no friends to detract from his devotion to her.
Belle decides that she will allow him to pursue her. She bats her eyebrows, swishes her petticoats and lowers her face demurely and innocently when she finds him looking at her. Soon enough he is wagging his tail and happily chasing her skirts around the castle courtyards. Belle continues to work her magic, and like any happy Man-Beast suitor, Beast quickly changes to please his new girl. He shaves, he growls less, he invests in some expensive flea and tick shampoo, and voila! Belle has created herself a suitable new beau.
She has finally molded him into someone she can introduce to her family with pride and soon they are married.
It is a beautiful day for a wedding. The lovely couple's friends and families are there to witness the blessed event. It is the most glorious happily ever after Belle could have ever imagined. She happily mingles with her guests, and watches her new husband do the same. He smiles and laughs with the menfolk and exchanges pleasantries with the women. He is the perfect picture of the groom of her girlhood dreams.
After the wedding, the guests wish the new couple well and depart, leaving Beauty and Beast to finally enjoy their new wedded bliss.
Belle is a wonderful wife. She sings with the birds and dances with the dinnerware. Her husband runs the castle with a firm but gentle hand. Each evening they meet in front of the fire to share their days and reconnect.
Belle still cannot believe her lucky stars. Beast is more man than even the most worthy of the townspeople could have ever hoped to be. She does not know what she could have possibly done to deserve him. He is amazing and attentive and perfect.
One day she notices a sock near the laundry hamper. She skips over, not missing a note in the happy little song she is singing. She twirls in the air, skirts ruffling, and flicks the sock into the basket with her ribboned broom. She doesn't mind picking up after her husband. He is such a joy, and it is with joy that she does this for him.
Beast is ever happy that Belle is always waiting for him wearing a smile and a clean apron when he arrives home. Even when he's had the hardest days with the inhabitants of his lands, he knows that she will be there to cheer him up.
Beast begins to relax with his new relationship with Belle. She loves him. She even loves him on paper.
Belle begins to notice a vague aura of wet dog on rainy days. She thinks it must be her imagination. She wonders if one of the servants is not keeping up with his hygiene. She must remember to ask Beast to talk with the men.
Beast begins to skip a few days here and there between shaving and bathing. After all, she loves him for him, what is a few whiskers between lovers? Surely he is just as handsome as ever.
Time passes, seasons change. Belle decides that the wet dog smell is definitely emanating off of her endlessly hairy mate. Beast decides that Belle is impossible to please. He would know if he was smelly, after all. They find themselves a little grumpy with each other.
Belle wonders if Gaston is still pristine these days. Beast remembers being able to leave his dirty socks wherever he chose. It was his castle after all.
The years pass and Bell and Beast continue to love and grumble at each other. Beast becomes his old Beastly self and Bell realizes that she really does love him. Because that's the true happily ever after, and he did save her from those wolves that time.
Because really, if Beast wants to let himself get Beastly, there's really nothing Belle can do about it, and she really really does love him, dirty socks and all.
And it does make her feel better that underneath all that fur is still the irresistible man-beast she fell in love with all that time ago.
As a woman, I realize that Belle ended up running off into the bush and marrying the first man-beast she found there. Not sure if scrubbing pots and birthing dozens of offspring is somehow less provincial when done in a ramshackle, cursed castle.
But I digress.
This was Beast when Belle found him. Since the super hairy, ultra masculine character in this story never receives a name other than Beast, I shall continue to call him that without fear of offense.
See how her heart swells with love for the man she knows she can change this beast into?
What? You didn't know that the story was an allegory for every real relationship? That the Beast is the man you meet, love, and change for the better? Do you really think Belle would have married this big brute as he was? I'm going to give you a moment to visualize some of the problems with that scenario . . .
. . . seeing it now? . . .
Continuing.
Belle finds this big hairy bastard in the woods. At first she only notices the gruesome: he holds her captive, he's grumpy, he smells like wet dog when it rains.
As she gets used to him, she begins to desensitize to some of his less desirable aspects.
She realizes that there are some things she likes about him: he saved her from the smaller, less brawny beasts in the woods, he is wealthy, he has a big house, and he has no friends to detract from his devotion to her.
Belle decides that she will allow him to pursue her. She bats her eyebrows, swishes her petticoats and lowers her face demurely and innocently when she finds him looking at her. Soon enough he is wagging his tail and happily chasing her skirts around the castle courtyards. Belle continues to work her magic, and like any happy Man-Beast suitor, Beast quickly changes to please his new girl. He shaves, he growls less, he invests in some expensive flea and tick shampoo, and voila! Belle has created herself a suitable new beau.
She has finally molded him into someone she can introduce to her family with pride and soon they are married.
It is a beautiful day for a wedding. The lovely couple's friends and families are there to witness the blessed event. It is the most glorious happily ever after Belle could have ever imagined. She happily mingles with her guests, and watches her new husband do the same. He smiles and laughs with the menfolk and exchanges pleasantries with the women. He is the perfect picture of the groom of her girlhood dreams.
After the wedding, the guests wish the new couple well and depart, leaving Beauty and Beast to finally enjoy their new wedded bliss.
Belle is a wonderful wife. She sings with the birds and dances with the dinnerware. Her husband runs the castle with a firm but gentle hand. Each evening they meet in front of the fire to share their days and reconnect.
Belle still cannot believe her lucky stars. Beast is more man than even the most worthy of the townspeople could have ever hoped to be. She does not know what she could have possibly done to deserve him. He is amazing and attentive and perfect.
One day she notices a sock near the laundry hamper. She skips over, not missing a note in the happy little song she is singing. She twirls in the air, skirts ruffling, and flicks the sock into the basket with her ribboned broom. She doesn't mind picking up after her husband. He is such a joy, and it is with joy that she does this for him.
Beast is ever happy that Belle is always waiting for him wearing a smile and a clean apron when he arrives home. Even when he's had the hardest days with the inhabitants of his lands, he knows that she will be there to cheer him up.
Beast begins to relax with his new relationship with Belle. She loves him. She even loves him on paper.
Belle begins to notice a vague aura of wet dog on rainy days. She thinks it must be her imagination. She wonders if one of the servants is not keeping up with his hygiene. She must remember to ask Beast to talk with the men.
Beast begins to skip a few days here and there between shaving and bathing. After all, she loves him for him, what is a few whiskers between lovers? Surely he is just as handsome as ever.
Time passes, seasons change. Belle decides that the wet dog smell is definitely emanating off of her endlessly hairy mate. Beast decides that Belle is impossible to please. He would know if he was smelly, after all. They find themselves a little grumpy with each other.
Belle wonders if Gaston is still pristine these days. Beast remembers being able to leave his dirty socks wherever he chose. It was his castle after all.
The years pass and Bell and Beast continue to love and grumble at each other. Beast becomes his old Beastly self and Bell realizes that she really does love him. Because that's the true happily ever after, and he did save her from those wolves that time.
Because really, if Beast wants to let himself get Beastly, there's really nothing Belle can do about it, and she really really does love him, dirty socks and all.
And it does make her feel better that underneath all that fur is still the irresistible man-beast she fell in love with all that time ago.
****
On a completely unrelated note, have you seen my Bea . . . husband's new beard?
Love you honey. xox
:)
Love you honey. xox
:)
Comments
And it's no secret that I LOVE me a bearded man, so of course I love the new beard!
Manly!! Grrr!
Tiffany... You. Are. Awesome.
I actually contemplated deleting it before I even put it up here, thinking maybe it was really dumb. But I figured, I found all those pictures, and took the time to write it in the first place, so here it is!
Glad you liked it.