Disney Princess Article: Why Belle Reads Fairytales

17

posted by hisblueeyes

The question, "Which princess do you think is the smartest?" is asked very often and every time it is asked, there are those people who pick Belle. There are the people who not only pick Belle, but comment, "Because she reads." Then, there are the people who think that is a dumb thing to say, and begin immediately saying stuff like, "She only reads fairy-tales." Every time this process has been repeated I have wanted to say something like what I am about to say, but never got the chance. So now I'm going to say it.

I think many people forget that Beauty and the Beast is not set in 2011. It isn't set in the 1950's, either. It is set a long while back, before laptops and iPad's and cars. Before gigantic bookstores with every book genre and every book title you could possibly think of. Belle lives in a small, provincial town, and the only "library" is a little bookshop with maybe two or three shelves. There aren't any trucks that come into town every week, with stacks & stacks of the newest books. No, in Belle's library, the books in there are probably the only books that are in there for months at a time. At the time Belle was alive, there also probably wasn't a Harry Potter or a Great Expectations. The only books that were probably in that library were fairy-tales. Not thin paperback fairy-tales with pictures, no, the thick, complicated, original versions of fairy-tales. Have you ever read the original version of The Little Mermaid? It's not something just anyone can read.

Another thing I think people forget is that Belle was a dreamer, a dreamer who wanted to escape her boring town. Books like Pride & Prejudice offer no escape. Fairy-tales? Now those are something. Reading books like those, of far of places, dashing sword fights & a prince in disguise were possibly Belle's only source of comfort in that town she so wanted to leave. They offered her adventure that she couldn't have. If you think that it is very childish of Belle to read such stories, put yourself in her place. Pretend that's all your library had. Pretend you need to flee where you are, but you can't, and unfortunately, Harry Potter doesn't exist yet. She also states that she's read all the books in

I'm going to end this article with the wise words of someone who has written a very fairy-tale like series himself:
Some day, you will be old enough to start reading fairy-tales again. - C.S. Lewis

Portia0623, Sparklefairy375 and 15 others like this

Swanpride Good argument - What people also tend to forget: Belle read all the books available in her little town. I really doubt that all of them were fairy tales (I'm sure that there were some philosophical excurses between them at teh very least). Yes, she picks out books with stories - but what kind of book would you rather reread, the book with the stories, or the sience book? My reading interests are very diverse, but for a reread, I would chose a story book too. And which book would you read to a someone else? A story book, naturally. Plus, you learn a lot, even if you read just stories - for example, I have never been to sea, but I know most of the nautic words because I had a thing for pirate stories for a while. Not just the made up ones, but also the real ones, which descripe parts of a ship.

sumerjoy11 Wow, this is very good! I really can relate to this article. I live in a boring town and my only escape for me is either reading or drawing. Of course, most of the things I read or draw are Diney related. People call me immature just because I still like Disney and I'm 16, but Disney helps me not only to escape the ridicule and boringness, it also helps me to dream. I never really looked at Belle from this perspective before, until I read your article.

DreamyGal You make a good point, but I disagree with what you said about Pride and Prejudice offering no escape. That is one of my favorite novels; one of the main reasons I love it is because it takes me to a different place; a place where men were gentlemen and women were ladies...the language was proper and elegant...people actually bowed to each other whenever they met. And actually for the longest time I have thought that Belle and the Beasts relationship is very similar to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

hisblueeyes ^Oh, I love Pride and Prejudice too, it's one of my favorite books. I just thought it wouldn't offer Belle much escape, because it might make her feel like her town is even more provincial - reading about such elegant towns.

Swanpride I think Pride and Predudice wouldn't mean much to Belle, because it carricates a society, Belle knows next to nothing about. We can understand the "jokes" and the critizism in the book, because we have enough second source material to understand it, but I'm not sure if that would apply to Belle, too.

DreamyGal Well, we all have our opinions, I think Belle would've liked it...especially the romance.

princesslullaby ^I think Belle would've like it a lot too. I don't remember where in the movie it says Belle read every book in the library. I know she says "Have you got anything new?" But that doesn't mean she read every book on the shelf. Maybe only the ones that interested her ran out, so she's hoping for a new one. I know quite a few stupid people who read a lot, and I know quite a few smart people who rarely read. I'm not entirely sure Belle reading thick fairy-tales is a concrete argument that she's smart. And I really doubt Belle would read philosophical books, not that she's not smart enough, I don't see it particularly interesting to her. I understand why Belle reads fairy-tales, I never found it frivolous of her to do so. But I think when people comment saying "Belle is smart because she reads" it is a poor argument, but what aggravates me is when people say Belle is the SMARTEST princess because she reads. Throughout the movie, I find Belle to be an intelligent, capable person, but she doesn't do anything extraordinarily genius. She has a sensible set of smarts, but I don't find her to be the most clever or the smartest.

hisblueeyes ^I completely agree, I'm not saying she's the smartest, and I do think "because she reads" is a stupid argument. But I also think saying "she only reads fairytales" is a stupid thing to say when your trying to tell people Belle isn't the smartest one. That's what this article is about.

princesslullaby My guess is Belle does only read mainly fairy-tales, but the occasional other genre. But yeah, I don't see how reading fairy-tales would give an indication of intelligence either way.

KataraLover I love that Belle reads fairy-tales and it's one of the reasons I like her. But I just don't think that sayings she's the smartest just because she reads, fairy-tales aren't meant to be educational, they're meant to make us happy. I don't think she's that smart. But I do know how she feels, I like to read my fairy-tales and other books to escape the stupidity of my town.

MrsEmmaPeel I love your article. I agree 100% and this is how I feel about Belle as well. I'm glad to see someone written an article on it. Great job.

Swanpride @princesslullaby Believe me, when you're addicted to books you will read anything you get your hands on. Since Belle doesn't has the luxury we have, she can't afford to be choosy. But yeah, I don't think that she is necessarily the smartest - there is first Mulan (who seems to be some sort of genius at times), then Rapunzel (who seems to be multitalented) and then Belle - but not because she happens to read (though it does play a part in it), but because she outsmarts Gaston (admittingly an easy thing to do), Cogsworth and Lumiere, and has the ability to beat the beast with words quite easily.

princesslullaby I don't think Rapunzel is all that smart, she makes a lot of dumb decisions. But, it depends on what kind of smart you think is the smartest. And I still think Jasmine is very smart, although lately I've knocked her down to #2 for a couple of less-than-smart things.

Swanpride I don't think that Rapunzel makes dumb decision, not when you consider the information she bases the decision on. It's easy to say that you would know better when you see the whole picture, but the question is, would you be as smart as she is in her situation? First outwitting Eugene (who isn't stupid himself), forcing him to bring her to the lights, and later figuring out Mother Gothel on her own? The only dumb thing she does is not keeping an eye on her, but that's the woman she has known as her loving mother her whole life. But I'm also impressed that she studied astronomy and chartered stars on her own. Jasmine on the other hand - well, she says that she is a fast learner, but if that's true, how did she manage to walk across the market without picking up on the simple concept of "you have to pay for what you take"? Why doesn't she pick up on the fact that it's nearly impossible that Aladdin was already killed when she reaches Jafar, and totally impossible that he was killed for kidnapping her, since nobody know that she even was with him? (and why doesn't she stay close to him to make sure that he is okay?) Why doesn't she notice Jafar hypnotising her father - Aladdin picks up on it nearly immediatly. For someone as cunning as her, she isn't perceptive at all!(And face-blind, but that seems to be some sort of desease in that movie).

ivebeendreaming I agree 100% with this article. I actually only read fairytales. It truly is an escape from everyday life. And I think I live in a pretty boring town. There's nothing magical about it. I miss living in New Jersey where there were big romantic victorian houses everywhere and real trees. Now I live in Arizona in the middle of the desert. There's no snow, no magic, and I don't really like any of the guys here. Everything is stereotypical and a year behind in fashion. Everyone acts the same (within their social groups) so there's no creativity. In fact, a lot of people are pretty judgmental when it comes to differences. Most people wear Abercrombie and Hollister tops with jeans and Vans or Toms every day. Even the Emos and Scenes are all exactly the same. I remember on the first day of 8th grade a few years ago I dressed up. And when I say "dressed up" I was wearing a babydoll style top with a skirt and leggings. The few friends I had at the time asked me why I was so dressed up. At least I'm a little different. But I feel like Belle most of the time. I have friends but most of them are like everyone else.

princesslullaby ^SEE? NEW JERSEY IS A MAGICAL, WONDERFUL LAND <3

hisblueeyes ^...I never said it was bad.

princesslullaby ^....I never said that you said that...??

heathersvan I agree with you that Belle's reading was the only place she could escape to her dreams, but I don't think that makes her any smarter. Nice article, though! Lot's of thought put it.

heathersvan @ivebeendreaming: YES! New Jersey is amazing! I love it around here ^_^

pretty_angel92 you have a good point, i read tons of fairytales and i actually consider myself a smart person. i just find it stupid how people's explanation is always "oh, she reads". that doesn't mean anything. i know a lot of people who likes to read but they're still pretty dumb. and it's frustrating to see belle always winning these kind of picks(with the exception of mulan), when rapunzel doesn't and she also reads. so what's the explanation now? simple, most of them are just being biased. i'm not saying that rapunzel makes smarter decisions, but she certainly seems to know more about general culture. she reads about botany, geology, math...

PrincessAyeka12 100% Agree with you! Reading this made me realise I'm so much like Belle.

magicfairydust Love this article! and yes, you make a very good point. :D

FlightofFantasy Good article! I never understand why adults who read fairy tales are looked down upon. I love fairy tales, always have. They are what got me into reading, into fantasy, into mythology. They were the first books I was able to read on my own, without help. Basically, they helped shape who I am. I'm now in my 20s and am a proud, unabashed fairy tale fan. I'm a fan of the "original" fairy tales (although it's basically impossible to say what the original version of any folk tale is) and of Disney's fairy tales, and I always will be. Is it a form of escapism? Yes. So is any fiction. There's nothing wrong with that. And yet adults who still love fairy tales are treated as if they're naive, or idiots, or children. I've found you actually get a lot more out of fairy tales when you revisit them as an adult. You pick up on things you never did as a child. Some might be negative (sexism, racism, etc.), but even that presents a fascinating opportunity to learn about the culture and society of the time. After all, fairy tales are really mirrors that reflect the cultural attitudes of their time. That's why they change over time, because societal attitudes change over time. What was once acceptable is now unacceptable. What was once unacceptable is now acceptable. Fairy tales are not only beautiful and magical, they are also a great learning experience and a way to introduce you to different cultures, peoples and historical periods. There's nothing childish or immature about that.

3

Sleeping Beauty - First Snowfall

added by tiffany88

2

On the Fifth Day of Princess

posted by Swanpride

On the fifth day of Princess
Walt Disney gave to me

Five cursed friends,

four braiding girls,
three fairy spells,
two lucky pals,
and the wisdom of an old tree.

In case you haven't noticed yet, when I put this calendar together, my goal was to make it as international as possible..meaning, it wasn't supposed to feature the holidays of a specific country, it was supposed to feature holidays which are as widely as possible celebrated, or at least well-known. I also tried to find holidays which could be in some way be related to a princess. Hence I picked Rapunzel for May.

As you can see, I...

1

Frozen 2 Review

posted by whatsupbugs

It's typical of sequels to come out about 2 or 3 years after the first film. Sometimes, sequels come out the year after the first one. However, Frozen 2 has come out 6 years after the first film. That's something it has in common with Alice Through the Looking Glass, which came out 6 years after the first film. Of course, the big the question is if the wait was worth it. In this review, I will discuss how the two films compare to each other, as well as give my feelings on the premise and cast of characters.

Frozen 2 brings back the cast of the first film (excluding Prince Hans and the Duke...

1

lmao xD

added by Sparklefairy375

Mulan

added by PrincessFairy

Source: http://simon-peggs.tumblr.com/post/172486786137/make-me-choose-asked-by-anon-mulan-or-jasmine

Beauty and the Beast: From Animated to Live-Action

added by deedragongirl

A very interesting musical theory.

video

1

BB2010's favorite DP list

posted by BB2010

I saw some other members do articles like this so I figured, why not give it a try? :)

11. Aurora
Ever since I was a little kid Aurora didn't leave much of an impact. I've always hated the whole "love at first sight" deal so I really don't like that she quickly falls in love with literally the first guy she meets and then gets all upset that she can't see him anymore after only meeting him once for a few seconds. Then there's the fact that for the rest of the movie she's asleep so there's nothing else we get to know about her.

She is really pretty, I've always loved her design and her dresses...

PicsArt 03 13 02.49.43

added by Lavendergolden

The Sea Queens (Chapter 1)

posted by whimsywishes

Emeraldine sighed. Of all tables, why did she have to serve that one? This had to be some kind of test.

She shoved her pencil and pad into her apron and approached them.

"Hi," she said awkwardly.

When the guy at the table finally looked up from his menu, his eyes bulged in surprise.

"Esmeralda! Do you work here?"

"My name is Emeraldine," the waitress replied through gritted teeth. "And yes."

He would remember that if he'd paid a speck of attention on their date last week.

"Sorry I haven't called," Jason avoided her eyes. "Work has been busy."

"I can see that," Emeraldine mumbled as she glanced at the...

Rapunzel and Ariel

added by Sparklefairy375

Source: disney.co.jp

1

Aurora as a mermaid

added by PrincessFairy

Source: http://xxamity0parkxx.tumblr.com/post/161106818637/everythings-so-wonderful-i-cant-believe

Jasmine

added by PrincessFairy

Source: https://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=529590

Moana

added by PrincessFairy

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/07/25/sneak-peek-exclusive-moana-character-reveals/87

Ariel

added by 0YouCanFly0

dove 7

added by hoangdinh5x

Meet the Disney Critique Team!

posted by TheMusicalMolls

So, pretty soon I'm going to post some stuff me and my friends wrote awhile ago, rating different Disney things. You'll start seeing them soon. In the meantime, however, let's get to know the Disney Critique Team!

Sabrina- She's random, wild and crazy. She loves emojis, dinosaurs, llamas and more. She's totally unpredictable, yet is much smarter than she acts and has interesting perspective on things.

Alicia- She's the master of the selfie and her social networking game is #goals! She loves to listen to music and hang out with friends.

Kayla- She is athletic and a kind, good friend. She loves...

6

·*·New DP icon contest 1 year anniversary·*· winners from rounds 1-60

posted by euny

The New DP icon contest it's not that new anymore, since it was created nearly a year and a half ago. The anniversary was actually on july, but I noticed I haven't done anything especial to celebrate it, so this article is the first of many surprises to come related to the New DP icon contest. Let's start!

Every ten rounds of the contest, I made a poll with all the winners from those rounds. These were voted the best icons by the fans.

Winner from rounds 1-10 ~ MissAngelPaws

This beautiful icon made by MissAngelPaws was voted the best out of the winners of the first ten rounds of the contest....

How Aurora met Cinderella (part 1)

posted by dee389

The 2 princesses in modern outfit.

Once upon a time, there live 2 princesses who live in 2 different time eras. Yes, they're also famous for their respective stories and their names are Cinderella and Aurora. They live an extraordinary lives after the event of their respective movies.
One day, Aurora discovers something beyond her wildest imagination. The 3 fairies left a magical vortex, and wonders what it is. Suddenly, she fell right through the vortex and it magically transfers her to a palace in the Victorian Era France.
"Oh dear, I just hope that whoever lives here, doesn't do any harm to me!" thought the young princess....

The Power Of Friendship 2: Happily Ever After (Chapter 26)

posted by mhs1025

After hours of rest, Mulan finally started feeling better. She got up to fix Ping something to eat. "We all got alittle worried about you." John said. "I'm fine, though." Mulan replied. "You didn't seem it this morning." John stated coyly. Mulan wanted to say "Why do you know us too well?!?", but she blew it off like a fly because she knew how concerned everyone was. "I just forgot to eat. It'll never happen again." she said simply. She went back to chopping up food.

John knew she was hiding a secret. Once he knew someone, he could read 'em like an open book. More like his favorite book actually....

3

dimitri_'s Favorite DP Wardrobes

posted by dimitri_

I've never done a pictureless article before but as I am too broke to buy a functional laptop, this will just have to do. It's been a while since I haven't written anything! I'm not going to include sequel outfits, nor child outfits, heck I might even leave some outfits out so enjoy this ''lazy'' article :)

13. Rapunzel
I know Rapunzel's outfits are detailed and all but I'm not too impressed with her wardrobe, I don't think it is that much better in quality as it is in quantity. First off, her purple dress looks more like a costume than anything else. As for her pink one, it's not bad, it's cute...