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There is no Beast...

After watching Beauty and the Beast for the millionth time with my 3 year old, I've come to the conclusion that there is no Beast.

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The early characterization of the Beat and Gaston are extremely similar: violent, brutish, boorish, ill-mannered. Neither one can read. Belle reads a book of fairytales at the beginning of the book that majorly foreshadows the plot twists of the movie to come. I theorize that Belle brings home the book--and that is where her elaborate fantasy begins, starting with when Maurice's invention implausibly works, sending him away. She starts reading and imagines him to be the merchant in the classic fairytale.

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Instead, Maurice is present for Gaston's proposal to Belle--and gives his blessing for them to marry (he speaks favorably of Gaston earlier in the movie). Belle and Gaston are married immediately, and the entire rest of the film is Belle's fantasy of reforming her violent, tempestuous husband into a well-mannered Prince. This is why the villagers don't recall the presence of the castle in one day's riding distance, and why Belle is not shocked by anything she encounters in the enchanted castle--in fact, she's excited by them. They're her fantasy, drawing from the fairytale. The violence that happens to Maurice is a result of Belle's mixed feelings toward him for marrying her off. Belle also imagines the castle full of companions who can give her what she's been lacking in her village life: a mother figure, pets, a nice child (instead of six sons who are just like Gaston), educated and cultured friends.

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In the end, Belle hopes that the prince inside will triumph over her true husband, but she's worried that he'll return to stab them both in the back, metaphorically speaking. Still, despite the fact that she isn't able to lift her curse even in her fantasy, she can only imagine for herself a happy ending.

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(None of this works for the live action version, which explains away the villagers' ignorance and draws fewer parallels between Gaston and the Beast.)

Written by u/FoxenTheSnow
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