Friday 5 January 2018

Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 5: Belle (Disney's Beauty and the Beast)



Strengths: Well-read, intelligent, passionate about books, a free and independent spirit, comfortable in her own skin, speaks her mind, does not care what others think of her, clever, imaginative, selfless, humble, caring, determined, brave.


Weaknesses: A little judgmental (initially), ignorant of the wider world outside of her village and her books, overly-curious, overprotective of loved ones, goes headlong into situations without efficient thought.


Powers/Abilities: A fast reader and learner - a village woman with an inquisitive brain, big dreams and a big heart. Horse-riding, exploring, navigating, and singing.


Will: Moderate (at least where her curiosity is concerned) to strong (in staying true to her values and convictions).


Home/Place of Origin: France.


Occupation: A queen by the end of the film.


Social Standing: Varies - she tends to prefer books to people, and as a woman who reads she is made an outcast in her village. However, she is open about her passions to anyone who will listen, and is loving to people who are nice to her.


Ethnicity: Caucasian.


Sexuality: Heterosexual.


Other Trivia: A timeless Disney Princess, and possibly the most cultured and mature. Her favourite kinds of books are fairy tales, adventure novels, sagas, Shakespeare plays, and political satires. Her sanctuaries are bookshops and libraries. Currently the only Disney Princess to have brown hair and hazel eyes. She shows that a woman doesn't need to be a fighter or "kickass" in the literal sense in order to be seen as fleshed-out or feminist. She is subtle; she fights the patriarchy by rejecting the advances of the entitled, arrogant, toxic masculinity-form of Gaston, who is beloved by her village as the ideal man. She values kindness and respect above all other attributes in people. She successfully paved the way for Disney's non-conformist heroines. She is most remembered for her brains rather than her beauty - a testament to how well-written she is, thus her legacy. In the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast  film, she is also shown to be an inventor like her father, Maurice, whom she loves and supports wholeheartedly in all of her incarnations. 




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