Favorite Fairy Tale
Do you have a favorite fairy tale? I have several but the one I've been pondering of late is Beauty and the Beast. This story has long been a favorite of mine and I've never been able to articulate why until perhaps now. I think originally it was due to Robin McKinley's Beauty and all the descriptions of pretty dresses, etc. However, I think it is now one of my favorites because it represents what I so often desire...which is a lot of things. It is one of the few fairy tales of which I am familiar where the woman saves the man. I think there is something very appealing about being someone's savior. Beauty's courage, kindness, and compassion all led to the Beast's redemption. However, I think one of the more appealing and intriguing things about the fairy tale is that it takes both Beauty and the Beast to break the curse. Both of them must love, both of them must question the way they see people and world in order for the Beast's right form to be restored. This is applicable all of us I think. Part of me believes that I could find my true love if only I viewed people through the proper lens. Often society tells us what is beautiful but, more often than not, this standard does not have any truth in it. Beauty and the Beast is also one of the few fairy tales in which love is not instantly attained--Beauty and the Beast must spend a good amount of time together before they love each other. I think this mirrors most people's experience, after all, love is usually not at first sight. Ultimately, I think Beauty and the Beast describes the perfect love the most accurately out of all fairy tales I have read and it also, in a way, shows people how to obtain that sort of love.