3. THE ORIGINAL TALE
As we examine Beauty and the Beast, what elements are there for
entertainment for adults?
• What indicates the change in class of the merchant?
• What indicates the sisters’ obsession with class/status?
• What indicates the status of the beast?
• What indicates the suitors’ fixation on status and wealth?
• What place does marriage and romance have in this tale?
• What place does commitment to promise/ deception have?
Then, what are the moral aspects that keep the story in
collections of folktales for children?
•How does Beauty represent good: a good daughter, a kind sister,
a person of character?
•How do the sisters represent bad, women without moral
character?
•What makes the Beast a sympathetic character?
•What does the punishment of the sisters and the reward of Beauty
and the Beast teach children?
5. A DISNEY MOVIE
glorifies individualism and reinforces the Disney way
controls children’s interests and consumer tastes
represents American values, the vision of eternal youth and
beauty
has characters that are lifeless, one-dimensional, uniform
includes singing to help reveal the characters’ innermost
thoughts,
always ends happily
avoids anything complicated or confusing
teaches that only the good will inherit the earth
adds funny and adorable characters that can take over the
plot
is infantilized, does not
shows a well-ordered, clean world
focuses on male heroes and male prowess
has rigid sexist and racist notions
6. AS WE WATCH DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE
BEAST, HOW DO ZIPES’ INTERPRETATIONS
APPLY?
8. A HENSON FILM
is daring and innovative
uses shortcuts such as having a narrator tell the story or
silhouettes
has puppet dog as the skeptic who plays the doubter in
the audience
goes against the Disney image
includes characters who deal with personal struggle,
conflict with parents, suffering
emphasizes the values characters are portraying:
sincerity and loyalty, strength and weaknesses; values
are clearly expressed
shows the narrator is both inside and outside the
narration and is actively involved with the audience who
interrupts, questions, mocks, laughs and sighs
has no clear line between reality and fantasy
9. AS WE WATCH HENSON’S HANS MY HEDGEHOG
(ANOTHER VERSION OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,
HOW DO ZIPES’ INTERPRETATIONS APPLY?
10. HOMEWORK
Saturday Afternoon at the Movies 525-533
"Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper" 534-537
"Ashputtle" 538-541
"The Indian Cinderella" 542-543
"The Princess Who Wore a Hachi" 363 – 36