Beauty and the Beastis a beloved fairytale, one that parents read to their children before bed. This story was adapted into a movie by Disney. It would be easy to get lost in the musical numbers, the dazzling artwork, and the superficial story that we are all familiar. Thereare multiple layers to this movie and perhaps after examining it through a social psychology lens the overall meaning of the movie will be different. The main characters within this story are the Beast, Belle, Maurice, Gaston, and the villagers and the servants of the castle.
The movie begins with a selfish and unkind prince refusing to allow an old woman to shelter from the cold within his castle. The old woman was an actually a beautiful enchantress who curses the prince into the form of a beast and places a spell upon the castle and all who live there. The servants are turned into items that represent their position within the castle.
Belle and Beast
Belle (Disney)
Beast (Disney character)The housekeeper becomes a teapot, the butler a clock, and the dog a footrest. The only way to lift this curse is for theBeast to learn to love another and earn her love in return, then the spell would be broken. By turning the prince into a Beast, the enchantress hasdehumanizedhim and with the servants by taking away their human appearances. The Beast grows through the movie from being rough and quick to anger, to being more human in his actions towards Belle. He finds himself falling in love with her and wanting to make her happy. Thejustification of effortis viewable through this transformation. The Beast finds himself believing that Belle will only ever see him as a Beast and nobody could love a Beast. He is unsure how to handle that which he desires the most, the...