Essay on beauty and the beast! Help please!?

Question

My essay topic is as follows

Rent and watch the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. Explain how Disney constructs the relationship between men and women differently from the way Angela Carter does in "The Tiger's Bride"

So i don't expect any of you to go and read the tiger's bride
but if any of you have watched and still remember beauty and the beast ( i never saw it) can you tell me how they construct the relationship between men and women?
for example things like abusive, kind, accepting and how you know that?

THANKS

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The way Disney constructs it, the initial relationship between Belle and the Beast is verbally/psychologically abusive (he yells/snarls at her, locks her in her room and instructs that she doesn't eat unless she eats with him; eventually frightens her so much that she runs away from the castle and is nearly mauled by a pack of wolves. The Beast saves her from them: it is the man's role to physically protect the woman, although he can also physically intimidate/threaten her).

Eventually, though, her kindness and compassion make the Beast fall in love and become gentle: the woman 'tames' the bestial instincts in the man, because she is skilled in nurturing and empathizing with others' emotions. Finally, her declaration of love returns him to human form: a woman's love has a civilizing/humanizing effect. And then, of course, they are married and live Happily Ever After, which was inevitable, really.

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thanks

Answer 2

In disney's version, Belle was wanted by Gaston - the town's hottie. He was a hunter/drinker - Man's man. Everyone LOVED him. But Belle. Gaston wanted to marry her so she could have his kids, clean his laundry, cook his dinner - be his 'little woman'. Seriously - I know. But she liked to read and and wasn't about to settle down with this troglodyte - she gets to Beast's castle (dad was trapped) and here Beast HAS to schmooze her. HAS TO - cause if he doesn't he's cursed to remain the way he is (blasted fairies) Anyhoo - it all works out. Beast introduces her to HIS library and well, it pretty much went to love from there....