5o Shades of Beauty and the Beast
Or … Adventures in creative learning, and other tales.
La Belle et la Bête, or Beauty and the Beast, was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, and first published in 1740.
Over the years, the story has inspired ballets, operas, plays, songs, music videos, and even computer games. At least twenty written versions, in multiple lengths and formats, have been published. Since 1977, it has been the subject of nine television shows and series. Twelve films have portrayed the story since 1946, with the most recent having been released this year. (2017)
For those of you who may, inexplicably, not know the story, here’s a brief synopsis. While some details vary from version to version, the basic plot remains the same.
- Beauty’s father is a single, widowed dad, battling to make ends meet.
Beast coerces him, with threats of death, to provide Beauty as a hostage. He complies. - A girl/young woman, Beauty — or Belle, in the original French, and the Disney version — is held hostage for her father’s life, in the castle/palace of The Beast.
- Beast was originally a handsome (of course), young prince, sorcerously transformed by a wicked fairy, to remain bestial, until he “finds true love”. Beast gets what he wants by manipulating Beauty and her father with a strange mixture of violent threats, apparent kindness, and kidnapping.
- Beauty, in spite of his abusiveness, falls in love with the Beast, who reverts to handsome prince form. Happily ever after …
Told so basically, the story of Beauty and the Beast sounds less like Disney, and more like a forerunner of 50 Shades of Grey, with Belle’s father acting as semi-reluctant pimp.
Beauty and the Beast was originally written in the style of classic, European folk tales, as popularised by The Brothers Grimm. These days, we entertain our children with watered down versions of these fairy stories, but they are actually much more than that.
Until quite recently, stories were a primary form of teaching, as well as entertainment. Folk tales were routinely used to teach life lessons, morality & ethics, and prepare children for the dangers of their world.
Our modern, “scientific”, dualistic way of thinking, assumes and teaches a single, “correct” answer to every question. While that works brilliantly in a purely factual, or scientific scenario, we all know that life often requires something far more complex and nuanced. Stories imbue teaching and learning with multiple shades of meaning, and application.
Viewed through our dualistic, either/or — right/wrong — black/white — single answer spectacles, we can really only see this story in one of two ways. (based on observed, social media comments & posts)
- The Disney-fied version, in which, everyone is good, except for the wicked fairy.
Beauty is a paragon of innocence and virtue, who is rewarded by becoming a princess.
Beast is an innocent victim, not responsible for his violent, abusively manipulative behaviour.
Any, and all blame is laid squarely at the feet of the wicked fairy. - Alternatively:
Beauty’s father expresses his cowardice by sacrificing his daughter to save himself.
The Beast is the epitome of abusive masculinity, riches, privilege, and power.
Beauty is young woman, betrayed, manipulated, dominated, and abused by male forces beyond her control. (her father & Beast) She eventually succumbs (Stockholm Syndrome?), and marries her abuser. For this, she is rewarded with wealth and power.
In other words, by our modern thinking, we judge the story, and each character, only as either good, or bad.
Viewing the world in a “scientific” manner definitely has many advantages, and I’m certainly not knocking it. However, when we misuse this methodology, by applying it too widely, it negatively impacts our world-view. We usually consider our modern thinking to be “better” , but our ancestors actually had a much wider, more nuanced view of life than we do.
When we read poetry, we don’t try to understand it by means of scientific thinking. That would be silly. Rather, we speculate on the poet’s conscious and subconscious messages. Then we consider any personal meaning and emotion in our moment of reading. Any and all meaning, derived from the poem is regarded as valid within our personal context.
We expect poetry to be nuanced, and complex, and we read it accordingly. Unfortunately, few of us read stories in a similar manner. Even more sadly, few stories are still written with this in mind. None-the-less, it is how stories are meant to be written, heard/read, and understood.
According to Biblical accounts, Jesus seldom, if ever, answered questions with a simple yes/no — right/wrong — either/or. Questions were answered with a story. This generally resulted in further questions, thought, and discussion.
Whatever anyone may tell you, this method of teaching was not novel to Jesus. For millennia before him, and centuries after, teaching by story was a common method of teaching. Jesus’ audience would have expected, and related comfortably to story teaching. It is only more recently, that we’ve begun to ignore the deep teaching and learning potential of stories.
We all know that mono-factual answers to complex life questions just don’t cut it. Yet, we still attempt to force-fit simplistic answers & rules to billions of complex individuals, environments and circumstances. One answer does not fit all.
Alternatively, questions answered with a story, provide nuanced, multi-faceted information. Everyone gets something of value, whatever their personal circumstances, or needs.
- Stories assume that questions are as important, if not more so, than answers.
- Stories help us learn to think, rather than dead-ending our thinking with a “correct” answer.
- Stories inform in ways that encourage further questions, and thought.
- Stories don’t deal primarily in facts, but they help us to deal with facts.
- Stories don’t reject fact, but they acknowledge the shifting tides of life, and include emotion, relationships, and morality.
- Stories help us discover, and apply information more personally, which helps us understand, and deal with our particular circumstances.
- Stories don’t just try to tell you “what is”. Stories deal with “what if”.
What if we put aside our dualistic thinking?
What if we stop judging everything as only right or wrong?
What if we start seeing, and appreciating the multi-faceted wonders, challenges, and even pitfalls of life, beyond dualistic judgement?
Good stories deal with people, and people are complex, multi-dimensional beings, living in complex environments. Beauty and the Beast’s track record, after more than 250-years, indicates that it is a very good story.
With that in mind, let’s revisit this story.
The eminent psychologist, Carl Jung, reminded us that folk tales and myths, such as Beauty and the Beast, are more than just diverting entertainment.
Jung stated that in such stories, all characters can, and should be viewed as aspects of our own personality.
Every individual consists of multiple aspects/personas. For instance, I am simultaneously father, son, husband, friend, child, teenager, etc. These roles and age-informed personas, prompt me to behave differently, according to circumstance. All the versions and roles that I am or have ever been, exist within me. It’s crowded in me.
With that in mind, Beast may represent my immature, ego-driven self, that wants to love, but doesn’t yet, know how. This self roars at the world in frustration. This Beast-self, tries to get what it wants by manipulation, threats, violence, and anger. I think of this as my teenage self.
Beauty may personify my ideal self — the me that knows, and wants to do what is right. Beauty is my potential for sacrificial love, kindness, and strong gentleness. However, Beauty is initially naive and untested — the bud on the vine, not yet fruit, let alone a fine wine.
Beauty’s Father might be the me that feels disempowered, bullied, and afraid. This aspect of me, when threatened, can be forced to act against my beliefs and wishes. To protect myself, this me might sacrifice my daughter — or at least allow her to sacrifice herself. To protect myself, this me sacrifices other parts of me.
Well, viewed like this, the story takes on a very different meaning, doesn’t it? If these are all aspects of me, then judgement of them, is judgement of myself.
Suddenly, I can’t just dismiss Beauty’s father as a coward, undeserving of the life, for which he’s willing to sacrifice his daughter. How can I judge myself, for sacrificing myself? How does a coward judge a coward?
If the Beast is me, and I am the Beast, then how can I judge his anger, manipulation, and selfishness without judging myself? How can I judge my own anger and manipulation without anger and manipulation? Is an angry, manipulative, abusive judge able to make a fair judgement … on himself?
What about the young prince? Before the curse, Beast was a handsome young prince, full of the potential for valour, majesty, dignity, and love. Can I judge my inner young prince for deserting his promise? Surely, that is not his/my fault? Surely, that is the fault of the wicked fairy!
The wicked fairy doesn’t appear in person, and yet, she is possibly the most important character in the story. Without the wicked fairy, and her curse, there would be no story at all. Simple as that!
I really don’t want the wicked fairy to be me! But of course she is. The wicked fairy is the voice in my head and heart that says, “You’re not good enough, You will fail.”. You are your own wicked fairy when you are manipulative, temper-driven, selfish, or use your power to get your own way, or to put yourself down.
Jung labelled this aspect of our psyche, the “shadow self”.
If the young prince had not become the Beast, and experienced the evil that lurked within him, he would never have become The Prince, able to truly love Beauty. If the young prince had never experienced loss of control, he could never have become The Prince, who was willing to cede control to love.
If Beauty’s latent selflessness had never been tested, she would have remained the bud that never blossomed, and never bore fruit. Without the wicked fairy, Beauty, the girl, could not have become Beauty, The Woman, able to love the Beast for himself, in spite of his beastliness.
But, here’s the real kicker!
If these characters are all aspects of me (or you), then this story is not just about self-development. If all these characters are me (you), then actually, this story is about the process of learning to love all aspects of myself (yourself).
- My Beast-self must learn selflessness and humility, and that true power can only be found within powerlessness.
- My Beauty-self must have the courage to test the latent good within. Seed must germinate to plant, so that bud can flower, and fruit.
- My Father-self must conquer the fear, that is his expression of ego mixed with powerlessness.
- And all of them, in their new-found unity, must then turn, together, and embrace my shadow self — my wicked fairy-self.
The only way that all this can happen, as the story tells us, is by means of love.
- Beauty cannot blossom without expressing selfless, fearless love, for her father, and the Beast.
- The Beast cannot be conquered by force, but can be transformed by love.
- The father’s cowardice will persist until he knows that he is loved, and doesn’t stand alone.
- The wicked fairy will continue to curse, and create distance, until she too, is loved into community.
So, once again, I challenge you all, as I am currently being challenged. (even more than usual)
- Look inside yourself, and let each inner character, tell their story without fear of judgement or censure.
- Learn to love all aspects of yourself, through all the challenges, frustrations, and trials that will accompany that process.
- It is only once all your aspects begin to find peace with each other, and to value each other, that they can be united in love, and discover the blessing, in what was meant as a curse.
- Then, united in love, go in search of your “wicked fairy” — your shadow self. Thank her for the blessing of her “curse”, and love her into yourself too.
I began writing this post as a response to all the fuss I’d seen on social media, following the release of the latest Beauty and the Beast film.
Originally, I just wanted to bring some balance to the discussion. Then I thought it was also a good way to promote the neglected art of story-telling as a teaching form.
Although you may find it hard to believe, the magnitude of the challenge at the end of this post, caught me by surprise as much as any of you. It was not planned. I hope you all find it challengingly helpful.
As usual, I’d love to hear from you — whether pro or con, question or suggestion — or anything else.
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Thank you.
