Disney Princess-Centric Tales: A Comparative Analysis

The original tale is written by Hans Christian Anderson. Disney’s version could be called a complete 180 from the original. There are some small parts that align, like her saving the prince and falling for him and visiting the sea witch who takes her tongue (voice) for her legs. The deal remains the same: the mermaid can only stay human if the prince falls in love with her and marries her. However, the penalty is far more severe, she will die if she fails. There is also an unfortunate penalty to have legs: every single step she takes on land will feel like she is walking on sharp glass. On the other hand in the Disney movie the prince ends up with another girl (in the story, they do get married and it’s not the sea witch). She is given one option left to return to the sea. If she kills the prince, she can keep her life and gets to be a mermaid again. I’d say that’s a win-win. Of course, it isn’t for her, she loves the prince so much that she can’t go through with it. The mermaid throws herself in the sea and turns into sea foam. At least she was faithful till the

Most modern fairytales are expected to have happy endings and be appropriate for children, nonetheless, in past centuries most were gruesome. Consequently, fairytales have been modified throughout time. The stories “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont and “The Summer and Winter Garden” by Jacob and Wilherm Grimm share similarities and differences. The two stories are distinct because of the peculiar year they have been written in. LePrince de Beaumont’s story is written in London of 1783 and Grimm’s in Germany of 1812. At the time, wealthy people in London, were educated and had nannies who would read to their children; whereas, in Germany, the Grimm brothers created their own interpretation into a short story.

The fairytale “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie LePrince De Beaumont was produced in France in 1756. The story is about a wealthy merchant with six children, three boys and three girls. With the story’s primary focus on the girls, we learn that the youngest of the daughters, named Beauty, was admired for her kindness and well behaved manners. Due to Beauty being the town favorite, her sisters grew jealous and hated her. When Beauty’s father falls in debt with a Beast, her father sends her off to live with the Beast. In the end, Beauty gets to know the Beast and accepts to be his wife. Although, Beauty and the Beast have their ‘happily ever after’, social and economic complications hindered their relationship.

The story of the Beauty and the Beast is well known amongst all ages. Though the story they portray in the Disney version is much different than what they have portrayed it in France. La Belle et la Bête has been produced twice, once in 1946 and again in 2014. These two movies tell the same story but in very different ways. The perception of this story has changed between the different time periods.

The Little Mermaid is an example of how woman were seen in society. In the fairy tale, women are characterized by appearance rather than personality by both men and women. The little mermaid mentions “But if you take my voice, what shall I have left?” (Anderson 226). In this quote, the little mermaid believes that she cannot just be herself to win the prince’s heart. The prince also looks at women the same way because of how he talks to the little mermaid. He asks her, “You’ve no fear of the sea, have you, my dumb child?” (Anderson 229). He treats her as if she is still a small child just because she cannot speak. The tone helps shape the whole story into a feminist piece. Anderson relays the moral of

In the film The Little Mermaid by John Musker and Ron Clements, a theme that continually portrays itself is how woman are seen in society. In this film, women are defined by their appearance instead of their inner-self or personality by men and women. It also displays that woman are not treated fair. This is expressed in the film through multiple song lyrics and scenes. Ariel, the little mermaid, experiences many occasions where woman in a society are seen differently than men. In the film, Ariel was given an option to live under the sea and live life under the rule of her father, or be on land with her Prince Eric. Although this is clearly not laid out, a man figure is always above Ariel and could convey an idea that

The first character to be discussed is Belle, in the original book. An author online even states “The original Beauty and the Beast Story is not what you expect” ( S. Paul). What is unique about Belle in the book is that she is the youngest of six children, which is never shown in the movie. Her father is not an inventor either, but is a very wealthy merchant who loses his fortune. The whole family in the original was forced to move to the country, where they had to live much more simple. Belle is a very special girl though, with very jealous older sisters of her beauty but also the fact that she is able to not be miserable in such a simple lifestyle.

The change from the 1756 version to disney’s is character difference. Belle, the Inventor in Emma Watson’s is just as bookish, but in disneys she’s an inventor as well. The movie also gives a deeper meaning to why she’s spurned by the villagers: She’s the only woman in a town that’s skeptical of change and knowledge. No longer the original story’s main inventor, Kevin Kline’s Maurice is now an artist and music-box maker whose home is full of half-drawn portraits.

From the moment the world introduced us to television, we have been bombarded with images of fantasy and “happily ever after’s.” Perhaps the most well known corrupter of reality lies within the Disney franchise. Disney’s, The Little Mermaid, follows a typical fairy tale format in which all goals and dreams are achieved. Its counterpart, however, moves to the beat of a different drum. Hans Christian Andersen’s, The Little Mermaid, portrays a more serious plot much different from Disney’s loveable adaptation. One may conclude that the most these two stories have in common is their titles, but a deeper theme runs throughout both of these fictional plots. Despite these two stories’ conflicting agendas and the

Referring back to fairytales like Beauty and the Beast film which involves the beast who magically got turned into a beast as a disciplining act because of his selfishness. Then a beautiful young women by the name of Belle, got imprisoned in the castle. The beast is very fond of Belle since he first laid eyes on her. During the movie Belle being the catalyst for the Beast’s need of wanting to change. But he distances himself from her because he has two mindsets. Which is a man and the other is a raging beast. The beast is going through trying to

This foregrounds potential of narcissism within Beauty. The Beast allows Beauty to go back to London to be with her father under the condition that she must return before winter is over. While in London, she, “[sends] him flowers, white roses in return for the ones he had given her; and when she left the florist, she experienced a sudden sense of perfect freedom, as if she had jus escaped from an unknown danger” (48). With this gesture, Beauty feels all her debts are settled and she no longer has an obligation to the Beast. When she puts on her robe of fur, she becomes her own beast, showing a parallel between her and the Beast.

“Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom; peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition.” (Cinderella, 1950) This is the ideology that has

Contrasting the Grimm brother's version and Disney's version of The Little Mermaid. Although both stories follow along with the same idea, they are entirely two different stories. Having lesser detail, the original fairy tale was very short and only gave the main character a name, a back story, and a goal. Disney's interpretation was more decorated and told a much longer, kid-friendly story.

The beast is described as this dreadful monster, the epitome of a masculine figure. He is a provider for beauty and her family and is therefore suppose to be seen as a dominant figure in the story. In the book Go! Be A Beast: Beauty and the Beast written by Marina Warner, Warner says “Beauty stand in need of the Beast, rather than vice versa, and the Beast beastliness is good, even adorable''(Warner 416). By the end of the story it is realize that the Beast is really dependent on Beauty and not vice versa. Without Beauty acceptance and true love kiss, the beast isn’t able to become the handsome guy he truly is. Therefore the beast would be left to live a life of

There are many different versions of Beauty and the Beast; It is a magical story of unconditional love. It teaches children that beauty is much more then skin deep. In this assignment I am to compare two, Beauty and the Beast stories; one by the renowned, famous Grimm Brothers as presented by Disney. The other called Beastly by the modern author Alex Flinn. The two versions have many similarities but still quite a few differences.