Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast is from Week 3’s Modern Fantasy genre because though it starts in the real world of a seaport town, the failed business of shipping merchant Huston requires the now ruined Huston family to relocate inland to a rustic town called Blue Hill. At first the town also appears to be in the real world. But Ger the new son-in-law who comes from the village begins to hint to Beauty that all may not be as it appears and finally divulges that the forest behind the cottage and the stream running by it are probably enchanted. The Fantasy has begun.
What makes this retelling interesting and wonderful is the way in which McKinley from the start makes Beauty really independent and strong. She is as fearless as she is plain. When her Father gets lost in the forest on his return from town where he went to salvage what he could of his shipping business and meets the Beast, we are plunged completely into novel’s the fantastic dimension. But this transition between two worlds – the real and fantastic - is plausible because it is built upon, built around the character of Beauty: She never loses sight of who she really is, never ceases being level-headed and clear. But – and this is the greatest charm of this book – as Beauty begins to fall in love with the Beast she gains a new dimension. Being in love not only enlarges her personality and character, it makes her even stronger. But just as importantly this love born out of her strength and free will frees the Beast from the evil wizard's spell.
Interestingly while at the same freeing the Beast from certain death and completely restoring her family her transformation has made her beautiful. This is why this book is important for young people: It obliterates the stereotype that women who fall in love are weak and even pitiable.
The miracle of this book then is that at the same time Mckinley beautifully crafts her retelling through reworking the traditional Beauty and the Beast plot and character- izations and meticulously and carefully and gently and beautifully makes us the readers aware of and attuned to the awakening of Beauty’s heart she also reminds us that being in love in itself is a miracle and a wonderful, joyous and healing thing.
Question: To what or whom are Beauty and the Beast analogous? And what could each be said to represent?
Question: To what or whom are Beauty and the Beast analogous? And what could each be said to represent?
