Tale As Old As Time

University of Iceland School of Humanities Department of English Tale as Old as Time Disenchanting the Beast B.A. Essay Karitas Marý Bjarnadóttir Kt.: 060297-2589 Leiðbeinandi: Dr. Jessica Murphy May 2020 ABSTRACT Representations of the beastly bridegroom have become entangled with their respective brides and female sexual desires. Modern stories of human brides and their animal grooms tend to favour the latter. This essay applies a feminist approach when exploring the evolution of the animal groom within the Beauty and Beast motif. It examines different representations of beastly grooms and brides and varying interpretations of female and male narrators and illustrators. The bear as the Beast is a common figure and evolving views towards the bear as a Beast over the centuries are explored. This essay discusses two exemplar stories for the Beauty and Beast motif, Apuleius’ “Cupid and Psyche” and Madame Leprince de Beaumont’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Comparisons are made between the two aforementioned works, as well as Disney’s 1991 and 2017 adaptations of Beauty and the Beast, the Nordic tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” and other works. This essay examines how and why the Beast’s character has transformed from a self-deprecating, gentlemanly creature to a complacent narcissist. In earlier versions the Beast is considered to be the other and a supporting character to a young girl’s maturation into womanhood. However, modern retellings have starred the Beast as the main protagonist. This essay explores these trends and their plausible causes by reflecting on the history of the animal bridegroom motif and the culture and time in which it was written. Furthermore, the Beast is no longer presented as horrifying, but as a symbol of the fallen angel resurrected. The male Beast is sensationalized and celebrated to the extent where it no longer needs to be disenchanted, and the female Beast is depicted as introspective. The fascination and repulsion women (and men) have with the Beast is one of sexualized glorification and toxic masculinity. Table of Contents: Introduction 1 Imagining the Beast: On Animal Brides and Animal Grooms 3 Apuleius’ “Cupid and Psyche” 11 Madame Leprince de Beaumont’s “Beauty and the Beast” 15 How the Beast Stole the Limelight 18 The Modern Beasts 22 Conclusion 26 Works Cited 28 Bjarnadóttir 1 INTRODUCTION Throughout the centuries the Beast has been interpreted in numerous ways, but the transformation of its monstrousness stems from contemporary notions of ugliness. The frightful animal groom has transformed from a simple mammal to an anthropomorphic figure, and the beastly form has come to be preferred by many over the disenchanted man. Originally, being with the Beast represented the choice in a young woman’s life to leave her family (or the familiar) for the unknown and unfamiliar. The animal mate motif has evolved from celebrating a woman’s journey towards self-discovery and growth into womanhood to one that glorifies the male ego and a woman’s acceptance of her husband. This shift in sensibility alters our perception of monstrousness. This essay examines various stories of the animal bridegroom motif, focusing on the beastly grooms, the female experience and the couple’s shifting roles within the tales. Stories provide a glimpse into the society they were written in and their prevalent ideas towards the sexes and perceptions of monstrousness. The animal bridegroom motif traditionally examines anxieties about relationships, sex and its animalistic nature. The story’s impact changes as our views towards certain animals evolve, and thus the Beast itself is transformed. The Beast’s portrayal and shift towards the leading role represent the switch in cultural values and sexual expectations. Gender plays an important role when discussing stories of any sort. Regarding tales of the animal bridegroom motif, the sex of the animal partner, as well as the narrator and illustrator, is essential to understanding the story’s inner workings. With animal brides, the human grooms break the rules to tame their animal brides of the natural world. In sharp contrast, the animal grooms are presented as victims of circumstance. The grooms did not choose their animal form, Bjarnadóttir 2 like many of their female counterparts. Instead, they are meant to broaden their human bride’s horizons by celebrating primal masculinity. Even so, gyno- and androtexts do share a trait of the female experience, the dreaded first sexual encounter. Apuleius’ “Cupid and Psyche” addresses these issues from the couple’s bedchamber. This story establishes the concept that a woman who keeps her husband happy is granted happiness in return. Meanwhile, one can examine it critically as the submission and surrendering of the feminine. For while Psyche goes on her journey of self-discovery, completing various tasks of housewifery, she ultimately reverts to the docile pet Cupid wanted. Cupid was never enchanted as a Beast; the Beast derives from Psyche’s subconscious from her experiences with Cupid in the night. Madame Leprince de Beaumont’s “Beauty and the Beast” takes a more virtuous approach. This Beauty already possesses all the qualities that a man could want in a wife; still she does not want him. This version suggests that a woman should love a man she does not find attractive, if only for his good character, and take the necessary time to develop their relationship. More recent versions of the story have taken this notion so far that it does not matter whether the Beast’s character is good or not; he should be rewarded regardless of his actions. The Beast does not improve over the course of the narrative but is praised and sexualized for its hellish features. Disney’s 1991 animated version even adds a second Beast, the human hunk Gaston. These various editions of the animal bridegroom motif evolve, change and adapt to the societies they are written in. By examining the key points of these stories, the characteristics of Bjarnadóttir 3 the iconic couple, their relationship and varying representations of the other, one can deduce how the monstrous Beast has come to usurp the throne from Beauty and her disenchanted human prince. IMAGINING THE BEAST: ON ANIMAL BRIDES AND ANIMAL GROOMS Hans-Jörg Uther’s tale index in his book on The Types of International Folktales reveals that there are two main classifications of courtships between humans and animals: The Man on a Quest for His Lost Wife (Tale Type 400) and The Search for the Lost Husband (Tale Type 425) (Uther 231-265). The use of the word “quest” for Tale Type 400 suggests an epic tale where the groom is active in his search for his animal bride. This tale type is favoured by men (Leavy 118). On the other hand, the 425 Tale Type is favoured by women and the phrasing suggests that the wife is passive in her “search” for her husband, like one searches for one’s house keys whilst another goes on a quest for hidden treasures. It is impossible to find one version of the animal bridegroom tale that laid the foundation for the rest. Tales of animal brides and grooms can be found “in virtually any corner of the world,” observes Barbara Leavy in her novel titled In Search of the Swan Maiden (2). However, an interesting shift has taken place. The male Beast has stolen the limelight from the female Beauty over the course of the last decades. This character was originally meant to guide women in finding the beauty within their spouse. Now, he has become a shapeshifting phenomenon meant to be admired by all for who he is on the outside. When examining the evolution of the animal groom, it is important to understand the bride’s role in both versions of the tale as the Beast and human bride. Bjarnadóttir 4 Leavy claims that in both cases, the protagonist’s gender correlated most likely with the teller of the tale (118). For example, in works written by male authors the female protagonists are mutilated more often than male heroes, but the damage can often be physically reversed, such as severed hands magically growing back (Warner, Once Upon a Time 38-39). This concept suggests that preying on women does not have long-lasting or severe consequences. In contrast, Warner explains that when women tell fairy stories: They also undertake this central narrative concern of the genre—they contest fear; they turn their eye on the phantasm of the male Other and recognize it, either rendering it transparent and safe, the self reflected as good, or ridding themselves of it (him) by destruction or transformation. (From the Beast 276) In most cultures, “woman was a symbolic outsider, was the other, and marriage demanded an intimate involvement in a world never quite her own” (Leavy 2). Women writers animate their female protagonists as calculative and cautious when it comes to the Beast. They recognize the Beast as an outsider to their society, much like themselves, but an unknown male figure nevertheless. For a woman, marriage was dreaded, as it involved leaving her family (and her father) for the unknown, whereas for a man leaving his family for marriage was viewed as an adventure, as in “Jack the Giant Killer” and “Puss in Boots” (Opie 64-82, 147-151). Indeed, there is no anguish for a man in leaving his home, only reward (Warner, From the Beast 276). For the human bride, however, the situation is different. She may be condemned for her beauty (Apuleius’ “Cupid and Psyche”), her oddness (Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast) or even her innovation and feministic views (Disney’s 2017 Beauty and the Beast), but the same goes for the Bjarnadóttir 5 animal bride.

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