Beauty and the Beast: Lessons from a Fairy tale

A story we all have heard since childhood, and believed it to be a perfect love story, a perfect fairytale with a happy ending. But this fairytale gives us many lessons apart from a happy ending. It teaches many realities of the bitter world we live in. It’s not always just the happy ending to focus on, it’s about how people perceive each other and this world according to their knowledge or negligence.

Following is a list of a few points to ponder upon:

1)      Some people are just interested in being with a person for their physical appearance. In this story, Gaston was only interested to marry Belle was because of her beauty. He had no value for the knowledge she possessed or how wise she was.

Similarly, three girls have been shown to be crazy for Gaston for his good looks, and they don’t even care how rudely he behaves with them. They just desire him for his good looks.

2)      Being selfish and self-centered is the worst a person can be. Gaston possessed these traits and what happened in the end? He was alone, his only friend left him because Gaston only cared about himself and what he wanted. He never cared that he might ruin someone’s happiness or hurt someone while chasing his desires.
Also, the prince had similar characteristics because of which he was punished and had to live as a beast for many years of his life.

3)      Even the wildest beast can be calm when treated with love and compassion. The Beast scared off everyone but Belle being courageous, stood strong and was able to turn the wild beast into a friendly, loving, playful charmer even while he still looked like a beast.

4)      When you truly love someone, keep your faith and let them go. If you have planted a seed of your love in their heart, they will come back to you.

5)      Never consider any gift as cheap or disgraceful. It can be the only thing someone can afford, or something one is giving out of pure love. The prince being his arrogant self, rejected the rose given to him which resulted in him being cursed.

6)      Whatever you do affects your close ones too, whether good or bad. Belle’s father tried stealing a rose, ultimately Belle ended up in a trap. The prince was the wrongdoer yet all those who were close to him had to suffer when he was cursed. The clock, the candle stand, the piano etc. had a strong bond with him.

7)      A girl can fall in love even with a Beast, as long as he loves her and is there to protect her in all circumstances. She doesn’t care about him being a beast, or being bad to anyone as long his heart is soft for her and cares for her.

8)      Love conquers all. The prince’s curse could have been reversed in any way but it was only love that made it possible. Why? Because anything done out of love can never go wrong. It was only love that could change the prince inside out.