by Mary Scifres
The Strange Path to Redemption
As our confidence in Belle expands and our hope grows, tragedy strikes again. Even as we explore the castle with Belle and celebrate her courage, we tremble in fear as Beast lashes out in anger. Belle leaves the castle on the very night of her arrival, departing out of frustration and anger at Beast’s cruel temper. Later in our story, she will leave again, this time out of love and concern for her father. On her first night in the castle, we want Belle to stay, and yet we admire her courage to flee. Is there any hope in her departure? Is there any chance her departure might yet prove transformative for Beast, turning the enchantress’ spell from curse to blessing?
Even as we lament Beast’s loss, we applaud Belle’s refusal to be a victim. We know that she cannot save Beast from himself—he must embark on his own journey toward transformation. Beast must not only learn to control his temper, he must learn to open his heart to love and to become vulnerable to the growth love brings in its wake. As long as Beast resists such growth, Belle’s presence in the castle will be a pleasant diversion from his fate, but nothing more.
As Belle rides away, our minds are invited to ponder possibilities. Will Beast learn from her departure? Will he calm his temper and extend a bit of kindness to his servants? Will he beg Belle to return once she saves her father? With his expensive education, Beast could resort to the age-old tradition of composing a sonnet, or he could find selfless courage and show some genuine contrition by writing a letter of apology. In traditional versions of the fairy tale, Beast sends secret gifts with Belle, blessing her family with goods and necessities to satisfy both their wants and their desires. But Disney’s films offer a different opportunity for Beast to grow toward the loving transformation he needs.
Unexpectedly, Belle is no longer escaping to freedom, but facing lethal danger in the forest. The wolves that had once chased her father to the castle are now preventing her escape. As they snap and snarl, Beast surprises us all by emerging from the dark wood to save Belle. A vicious fight ensues, leaving Beast gravely wounded, but not before besting the wolves and sending them yelping into the night. Assured of safe passage, Belle almost leaves Beast to die. But her inner beauty shines forth, as she remembers the proper response to such a sacrificial gift. Filled with gratitude and compassion, Belle returns to the castle, helping Beast along the way, prepared to nurse him back to health.
Gratitude Opens Doors to Expanded Perceptions
As Belle returns to the castle with the injured Beast, there is little assurance that any good will come of it. Beast has saved Belle’s life. She in turn has saved his. But even after returning to the castle to care for him, an argument erupts over who’s to blame for the mishap. In the midst of their argument over Belle’s painful ministrations and Beast’s ferocious temper, something unexpected happens. Belle offers a word of gratitude: “Thank you for saving my life.” These six simple words shift everything. Beast remembers his proper royal manners and accepts her gratitude with a quiet “You’re welcome.” In the 2017 film, they quietly settle into a peaceful coexistence of care giving, healing, and contemplation, saving their words of gratitude for another time. Later, Beast expresses his gratitude that she didn’t leave him to be the wolves’ next meal. In this act of genuine thankfulness, we see the prince Beast was meant to be.
Gratitude possesses a magic all its own. Suddenly, even the servants see that something new has begun. Beyond hope and expectation, Beast remembers what it is to be a prince; and Belle perceives a kindness in Beast that doesn’t fit with his terrifying appearance and temper—a kindness that saved her life. In their changed perceptions of each other, achieved through heroic action and simple exchanges of gratitude, new possibilities emerge for each of them. Everyone but Chip, the boy-teacup who is too young to understand such things, can see something present that wasn’t there before. Hope kindles in hearts throughout the castle—hope that gratitude will lead to understanding, understanding will lead to affection, affection will lead to love, and love will lead to the transformation of the prince and the castle community.
As the enchanted rose wilts and loses its petals, the possibility of love begins to bloom and grow for Belle and Beast. This beautiful step forward—the step that shifts perceptions and opens us to dream of new possibilities—begins with the miraculous gift of gratitude. Remembering to give thanks resets our perceptions and centers our thoughts on blessings rather than complaints. It opens us to new horizons. While Jesus does not speak frequently about the power of gratitude, his life and ministry are a testament to the power of giving thanks in everything he does: giving thanks for the opportunity to show God’s glory before raising Lazarus from the dead; offering thanks for the mysterious way God reveals truth to the innocent and pure of heart while hiding it from those the world considers wise; giving thanks before turning a few loaves and fish into a feast for thousands; and returning thanks before offering the bread of life and the cup of salvation at the last Passover meal he shares with his disciples.[35]
It is often said that people of faith are the only Bible most folks will ever read. If this is true, acts of love and gratitude carry far more power to transform people’s lives than preaching does. While Belle gets a little preachy with Beast after he scares her into running away, expressing gratitude brings her back to center and directs her actions thereafter. Rather than criticizing Beast when he takes his many blessings for granted—an unsurpassed library, gorgeous castle grounds, servants who truly care for him—Belle models gratitude in almost everything she does. At times, she offers gratitude with a simple “thank you;” at other times, Belle expresses gratitude through her sense of wonder and awe.
Transformative Dreams: This or Something Better
As Belle begins to recognize her expanding perspective and changing perception, she sings of her new-found wisdom, even as she admits to her growing lack of certainty. Contemplating the new and alarming feelings that have expanded her perception of Beast, Belle continues to ponder her circumstances and her role at the castle. She yearns for freedom, yet she is also strangely drawn to this larger world in which she finds herself. Where will these conflicting feelings and thoughts take her? How can she be a hero in this tragic tale if she is a prisoner? If she leaves the castle and returns to her quiet village, will she continue to grow and make her dreams come true, or will she shrink back to fit her sleepy little village?
As Belle’s perception of her plight changes, her perception of her former dreams changes as well. Each new question she asks, each new song she sings, each new poem she reads, each new conversation she has with Beast, and each new adventure they share, brings a shift in awareness and a shift of perspective. And each shift of perspective affects her dreams. Realizing that her dreams must be allowed to grow and change, she begins to dream: “This or something even better.”
Within the castle, Belle lives in a world that is wider, more wonderful, and more terrible than any she has known before. In the 2017 film, when Beast invites Belle to use a magical book to travel anywhere in the world her heart desires, Belle returns to her roots—the artist’s loft in Paris where she was born, the location of her mother’s illness and death, the place her father could not bring himself to speak of. Discovering the gruesome truth that her mother had died of the plague, Belle asks Beast to take her “home”—not to the village where she has spent almost her entire life, but to the castle where she has spent but a few days. It is not lost on Beast that Belle calls the castle “home,” and it begins to pain him that he once referred to her as nothing more than the daughter of a thief.
Belle’s perceptions and perspectives are changing so fast it makes her head spin. She has always dreamed of so much more than the provincial life of her little village, but those dreams never included being held prisoner in a castle suffering under a dark enchantment. She should be miserable, and yet she is not. Even her perception of her prison has changed as she brings her hope-filled dreams to her relationship with Beast and to her plac
e in the castle. Just as Beast begins to perceive himself as truly human, despite his appearance, Belle begins to perceive herself as truly free, despite her pledge to remain as Beast’s prisoner.
Perception is a powerful ally on the journey toward transformation. Simply seeing ourselves in our transformed state moves us forward on the path of transformation. I’ve often wondered if Jesus was such a gifted healer because he saw people as already well and whole. His seeing helped them see this truth for themselves. As Beast and Belle begin to perceive themselves in this new and beautiful way, their perception of each other deepens, and they are better able to help each other live into their dreams. As we watch their friendship grow and mature, we see how fully Belle can save Beast, and how fully Beast can save Belle in return. They are both in need of transformation, for they are both imprisoned by more than castle walls and an enchantress’ spell. As they begin to fall in love in spite of themselves, we yearn to celebrate their happily ever after. We long to watch the magical transformative power of love and beauty grow within and between them. We hope to see outward appearances melt away, as inward resistance crumbles. We dream of watching their dreams come true. But how is it possible that this will happen?
The Transformative Power of Story
The film is cleverly crafted to pull us into the heart of the story—to root for the castle community as they cheer Beast on toward higher levels of transformation, and as they cajole Belle to persevere in her role as hero and savior. From this point forward in the film, we feel a part of the community. We are all in. We laugh, we cry, we hope, we despair, we applaud, we groan, we sigh, we wring our hands—but most of all, we anticipate and long for a happy ending. Like it or not, we are now inside the journey of “Beauty and the Beast.”
Likewise, when we read the gospel stories and allow ourselves to fall in love with the characters, no matter how flawed they may be, we get inside the stories and the stories get inside us. We begin walking with Jesus, bumbling along with his disciples, laughing and crying with the crowds. Stories offer different glimpses into the world for others to see. When we share stories with others, we invite them inside worlds with perspectives that are different from their own. We can help others change their perspective and perception, just as Jesus did, through the power of story. Telling others to change their perspective is almost universally greeted with resistance and pushback, but telling these same people a story allows them to try a new perspective on for size as they enter the world of the story. Likewise, when we hear the stories of others and open our minds to the perspectives inside those stories, we invite in new possibilities with new perceptions.
Certainly, Belle’s imaginative perspective paves the way for a transformed perception. Entering Beast’s story as openly and willingly as she enters the stories of his odd-looking servants, Belle discovers a new friend and recognizes that there is something more than just a beast in this master of the castle. And as her perception grows and expands to embrace this new friendship, Belle is suddenly able to relate to a beast as if he were a human friend, just as she does with his servants, be they clocks, wardrobes, teapots, or candlesticks.
As we explore stories with others, we grow and expand together. Jesus teaches that when two or three of us are gathered together, God is in our midst, for surely a story is being told. Whether in a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, ashram, sacred hoop, or simply with a committed group of friends, our sacred stories help us offer mutual love and support. They help us cheer one another on in our quest for transformation in mind, body and spirit. Communal stories of hope help us through times of trial and tribulation. Communal stories of joy help us celebrate with one another during moments of laughter and mirth. Shared stories of peace and justice help us work to make our world a better place and to build the very realm of God in our midst. As we share our sacred stories and allow these stories to move us to action, our creative God joins us and works within and through us. Great Spirit flows in our minds, hearts, conversations, and endeavors. The Source of mystery and life invites us into a freer, fuller, more expansive view of the world—all through the power of shared story.
As our stories grow, so too do our ideas, perspectives, and shared viewpoints. Our minds open to new perceptions, and our imaginations flow in new directions. We begin to connect with dreams and innovations that are lying deep within—dreams that are held down by our logical, practical minds, but are now set free. In sacred stories, the impossible is always possible, and the improbable seems laughingly easy. Communal stories bind us together and set us free. Such is the change a good story can make.
Just a Little Change
From their first encounter, Belle and Beast bring very different perceptions and perspectives to the world they encounter. When they meet initially, Beast refuses to allow Belle to say goodbye to her imprisoned father, thinking such courtesy is not owed a man who has trespassed in his castle or stolen a rose from the gardens. When Belle protests the injustice of imprisoning a man for picking a flower, Beast objects to her characterization, arguing that if refusing a rose can condemn him to eternal damnation, stealing a rose certainly justifies imprisoning a thief forever. Turning his own logic against him, Belle defends her request to kiss her father goodbye, saying: “Forever can spare a minute.”[36] By questioning his rationale from a different point of view, Belle changes Beast’s perspective ever so slightly. And in so doing, Beast adjusts his perception of her, if only by a little. And so begins his slow but steady journey toward transformation—a transformation that begins for him with a small change of perspective and perception. This small shift in perception upsets Beast’s entrenched perspective and initiates further changes in perception—changes that are necessary if he is to break the spell and be transformed back to human form.
Belle’s dreamer perspective spurs her curiosity about Beast, his castle, his servants, and this mysterious spell they are all enduring. As she contemplates Beast’s childhood and the paths that led to this moment, she realizes her knowledge has expanded and her perceptions have changed. Some of her innocent perspective fades away in the light of this new understanding, but a wiser openness emerges that allows her to see more clearly, befriend her beast-friend more fully, and interact more freely, despite her imprisonment.
As Belle brings more of her dreamer’s perspective and curious perceptions to this new friendship, Beast’s perspective and perceptions begin to change as well. Growing more open and honest with Belle, Beast allows himself to be more vulnerable as he shares his stories; he even allows himself to be a bit happier as he injects his dry sense of humor and strong opinions into their conversations, debates, and playful interactions. By the time they are strolling along the path of his winter garden, Beast begins to see his own estate and grounds with a new set of eyes, as if he is “seeing it for the first time.” As Beast glances around in wide-eyed wonder, we are reminded of Belle’s wide-eyed exploration of both her hometown and her new castle. Belle’s dreamer perspective is changing Beast’s perspective, opening him to his own dreams and creative expression. Beast listens attentively to the stories and poems Belle loves so dearly, as if he is hearing them for the first time. Beast’s hardened perspective, frozen like the grounds of his enchanted castle, begins melting away—slowly warming in the presence of Belle’s natural wonderment, just as the earth warms with the first kiss of the sun.
We see this most clearly in their relationship to the library. Beast’s enormous library, filled with more books than one could possibly imagine or read in a lifetime, brings a light to Belle’s eyes—a light that brightens Beast’s perception of this marvel as well. Books he has taken for granted as a young man are miraculous gifts to Belle, whose local book collection was limited at best. As she begins reading the books in this magnificent library with unbridled joy, Beast begins reading and appreciating the stories and poetry of his childhood. These are the types of shared experiences that change our lives. Just as Belle’s deep love for the books of his library helped Beast dis
cover his own love of reading, our appreciation for the things we love can help another discover or expand their own appreciation.
This is the gift that life-giving friendships bring. When we are with friends who are grateful, our own gratitude flows more easily. When we surround ourselves with others who are open-minded, creative, and who expect the best in us, our perspective expands to encompass their perspective. And when we see the best in others, when we look for the light and life they bring into the world, we act as mirrors, reflecting the truth of their lives back to them—helping them see the beauty that lies within. When we forge relationships with people who see and reflect the truth within our lives, we blossom and grow like flowers after a spring rain. And just as the rose responds to the light and warmth of the morning sun, we respond to the warmth of loving friends who see the light and beauty of our lives. Never has a fairy tale expressed this wisdom as clearly and brightly as the story of Beauty and the Beast.
A New Vantage Point
Even as Belle and Beast tentatively explore their burgeoning friendship, its life-giving nature expands Beast’s perspective and perception of himself and the world around him. From this new vantage point, Beast begins to hope and even dream of new possibilities—perhaps Belle is the one. Surely she is more than the mere daughter of a thief. She is worthy of love—worthy of being courted and wooed by the prince of the castle. The beast who had once scorned such a possibility is receding into the shadows as he begins to give of himself more freely and generously. Their friendship grows, as they play in the pristine snow, feed brave little birds, and pet the hesitant Philippe; their love blossoms as they explore the imaginative world of books, and even when they compromise over proper dining etiquette. Beast begins to perceive himself differently, acting and responding in a loving and princely manner. The prince who is taking the beast’s place realizes that he is the one who needs to earn her love, just as the enchantress has foreseen.