Beauty and the Beast (1991) rides on the 1990s Third-Wave Feminism

I thought that Beauty and the Beast (1991) was a refreshing watch - after watching Cinderella (1950), which I felt was emphasized the rigid and prescriptive gender roles placed on women during the 1950s, I personally thought that Beauty and the Beast (1991) rides on the burgeoning third wave feminism in the 1990s, which sought to include women with diverse identities and backgrounds in the feminist discourse.

In the film, Belle is intellectual and fiercely independent. Despite living in a dull provincial town and being frowned upon by all of neighbors, she pursues a life of excitement and adventure. “Yes, different from the rest of us is Belle…” Belle is a “strange”, “funny”, “peculiar” and “odd” girl, but Disney emphasizes how Belle embraces her individuality. Not just a commoner, she seeks to stand out from the crowd.

What stuck out to me is the film’s exploration of a woman’s power and influence over a man. So Belle has two suitors - Gatson, the macho and handsome villager, and Beast, her prisoner-turned-lover. From the get-go, Belle outright rejects Gatson. Not sure if Disney debunks the “rushing-into-marriage” notion that it seemed to highlight in Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), but Belle is vehemently against and repulsed by Gatson’s marriage proposal.

I’ve read several interpretations that Belle’s rejection of Gatson is a metaphor for a rejection of hypermasculinity. Disney is not only shifting away from perpetuating rigid gender stereotypes, but also demonstrating how women, including Belle, are shattering these stereotypes.

In addition to the relationship between Belle and Gatson, Disney also illustrates the shift in power dynamic from Belle being Beast’s prisoner to Belle civilizing Beast. As soon as Belle takes her father’s place as prisoner, Beast noticeably takes a liking to Belle. Her presence seems to soften his heart as he strives to please her, offering her a proper bedroom and inviting her to dinner. It’s noteworthy that Belle does not submit to Beast, but instead fiercely stands up to him when appropriate. She even is bold enough to venture into the forbidden west wing despite Beast’s warning. Incidentally, I found it intriguing how Belle was strong enough to single-handedly pull beast up from the patio (slay, Belle, slay).

Further, the film seems to suggest that the notion of women being dependent of men can be reversed i.e. a woman can hold the key (or rose) to a man’s life/future. Does Beast see Belle as his savior and escape from being doomed to being a beast eternally? This contrasts with my analysis of Cinderella (1950) where I proposed that Cinderella saw her marriage to Prince Charming as a means to obtain a sense of security; it seems that the roles are now reversed and Beast is desperate to find a lover.

But what’s great about the film is that Belle and Beast both take the time to get to know each other before they realize they’re in love. Disney also shows how Beast doesn’t force himself on Belle, as he releases Belle so that she can save her father. Ultimately, Beauty and the Beast (1991) reflects Disney’s path towards more progressive values surrounding gender roles.