Beauty and the Beast

Why does Belle decide to save the fallen Beast wounded by wolves after he has been so tough, so coarse and so brutal? She is on the verge of running away but then, she turns her head. Are there not such moments in our lives when we have to choose whether to be good or evil? Why do we choose what we choose? Why are we who we are?

The spell puts Beast in the plight of an imposible endeavour. He needs the acquiescence of a woman whom he is retaining against her will. He needs her to love him, which is the same as loving her own jail. It’s necessary that he releases her, and, in doing so, the story touches a string, for all our lives possit a similar conundrum. What we want from others can only be obtained by their consent. The Beast’s bad temper is nothing but a shortcut.

We love the beast’s surroundings, servants, books and petty arguments, and hate the villagers with their prejudices and narrow-minded view of Belle. We know she chose the best of the two worlds. We need those two characters to reunite so much that our suspension of disbelief is paramount when the end strikes us with the death of one of them. Magic here is not only acceptable, but a must.