"Beauty and the Beast"

English > Analysis
Film > Analysis, Criticism, Etc.
Literature > Children

A look at the morals and themes of the classic fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast", with a comparative analysis of the modern Disney film.

1,119 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast", has a touch of realism and, how unlike other fairy tales, brings out the prevalent theme that the two characters live together for a period of time before falling in love. It discusses its various themes, such as family, friendship, love, and the famous rose, in contrast to other fairy tales dealing with love, provides a summary of the tale, and evaluates the Disney film in relation to the original tale.

From the Paper:

"Walt Disney transformed Belle into a heroine for a modern generation, leaving the intended moral of the original story unaltered. Jack Zipes argues that "it would be a great exaggeration to maintain that Disney... totally divested the classical fairy tales of their meaning and invested them with his own" (333). Although the Disney corporation has animated and reworked several classic fairy tales over many years, "chang[ing] our way of viewing fairy tales" (333), I give them great credit for preserving the original morals and themes, while adding new elements and slight twists to add appeal for a twentieth-century viewing audience. I admire Disney's effort in "Beauty and the Beast" especially, for it has always been my favorite fairy tale and Disney animation as I was growing up."