by Mary Scifres
Beast may not have offered such articulate words to Belle, but his surprise marks how deeply he notices the young woman’s deep, abiding love for her father. Even when he scorns her for being a fool in the 2017 film, he is puzzled and curious about this strange woman’s decision. It seems unthinkable, but could she bring a perspective he needs? What is this illogical choice of sacrificing one’s young life in exchange for a parent’s final years of life? In this brief, transformative interchange, we see “just a little change,” as Mrs. Potts will later sing.[44] But it begins right here in this initial encounter—just a tiny movement, expressed in Beast’s cleverly animated face, an indication that possibilities are already emerging from this first moment of self-giving love. Only a person like Belle—someone capable of such love—could break through Beast’s defenses and break the spell. Belle’s sacrificial love will save more than her beloved father, it will save one in even greater need of saving.
As Belle considers Beast’s demand for a lifetime of imprisonment, she takes a closer look at this “horrible, hideous beast,” as Maurice calls him. Even as she gazes upon his monstrous form, Belle holds true, unwavering in her resolve to save her father. Beast, on the other hand, hardens his own resolve to be beastly and cruel. As he demands that Belle remain with him forever, her courage rises to meet this sacrificial demand. “You have my word,” she promises, looking boldly up into his eyes.[45] This exchange is indelibly printed on my mind—an exchange between a small young woman and a beastly monster, an exchange that shows Belle to be a giant in spirit and Beast to be a small wounded animal. Belle’s sacrificial love rises to heroic proportions and sets the stage for a story filled with unexpected gifts of expansive love.
Opportunities for self-giving and sacrificial love often arise in surprise moments like this one. We notice a homeless man buying a cup of coffee for his friend, and are moved to buy him a meal as our heart includes him in our circle of compassion. The self-absorbed mother senses the powerful tug of love while seeing her baby suffer from illness, and becomes the self-giving mom while caring for her beloved child. The busy entrepreneur puts his ventures on hold to care for an aging parent when he suddenly realizes that the next six months are all they have left together.
Many years ago, a beloved church leader received a much-needed kidney donation, not from one of his closest family members, but from a church member who had simply grown to know him through the church’s prayer list. The donor was not one of the “saints” of the church, but a driven political leader who focused mostly on his work, fitting in family and church responsibilities when he could. Seeing the love his church friends had for the man, and hearing their genuine pleas to God for help, he simply had to help. After quietly signing up for the donation match program, receiving word that he was a perfect fit for the needed kidney, and going into surgery to donate his kidney, this politician was suddenly the one requesting prayer. To this day, I’m not sure if his spouse even knew he had been tested to see if he was a potential match. Certainly, the recipient and his church family were surprised by this sacrificial offer—an offer that became a miraculous gift of life for a dying man. But the politician knew, and his life was forever transformed by the experience. To this day, he claims that donating his kidney was the best gift he’s ever given; and he names that moment as a highlight of his life, clarifying his purpose both as a man and as a leader.
The Greatest Love: Powerful and Empowering
Jesus says that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.[46] Through the centuries, this ethic has bridged cultural and religious divides, and inspired countless people to sacrifice on behalf of others, even when it meant risking their very lives. As he talks to his disciples about the love he has shared with them, Jesus prepares them to offer this same love to one another, to God, and to God’s world. Although Jesus speaks of love throughout the gospels, emphasizing the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor, his call to sacrificial love is unique to the Gospel of John. Written much later than the other gospels, at a time when Christians were enduring martyrdom and torture, John’s gospel surely provided a crucial message of encouragement to offer sacrificial love, even in the face of death.
In Beauty and the Beast, when Belle offers herself in exchange for her father’s release, she is the first character to display this type of self-giving love. But she is not the last. As the story progresses, other characters follow suit, yet none with Belle’s level of vulnerability. Belle’s character runs the risk of being seen as a sacrificial lamb, or even as a victim of domestic abuse. But the story turns in a different way, particularly in the Disney versions. Belle grows stronger and more assertive with each encounter with Beast. His tirades and temper do not result in increased violence on his part or increased submission on hers—she simply ignores and rejects his attempts to control her. Belle claims her right of self-determination proudly. Despite her imprisonment, she will no more acquiesce to having dinner with him than she will tolerate his vicious temper. These are not the actions of a victim, but an equal.
In some versions of Christianity, self-sacrifice and suffering are glorified in ways that oppress and imprison women, children, and the vulnerable. Jesus’ own suffering and self-sacrifice are lifted as examples to be followed and as justifications for bad behavior. During traditional wedding ceremonies, wives are told to be submissive to their husbands, but how many husbands are told to cherish their wives? Both admonitions come from the same passage of scripture.[47] Battered women are told to sacrifice their dreams and their desires for their families, as Christ sacrificed himself for them. This is a cruel misuse of scripture that perpetuates abuse in ways completely antithetical to Jesus’ teaching. In both Jesus and Belle, we see courageous self-definition and power as they step forward to give of themselves lovingly and even sacrificially. These are not powerless victims, suffering their fates by submitting to powers that have overwhelmed them. These are courageous and powerful leaders who transform the world with the power of self-giving love, freely offered.
Jesus teaches us to give of ourselves freely and selflessly, going so far as to say that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But he does not teach these lessons in order to glorify suffering or condone violence and abuse. Rather, he invites us to love courageously with confidence and power, and to sacrifice selflessly in order to save and protect the most vulnerable among us. Belle knows that her father is too old and weak to survive life in the castle tower and so does everything in her power to protect this man who has loved and protected her.
When Belle sacrificially takes her father’s place in the castle, she is neither acquiescing to abuse nor giving up on herself. Out of her own sense of power and strength, Belle offers herself to protect a vulnerable, aging parent. In giving of herself so courageously, her sense of power and strength expands, helping her overcome her fears of this strange new place and this strange master of the castle. We see this as Belle travels the castle freely, stubbornly refusing to dine with her captor, curiously exploring the forbidden West Wing, and bravely escaping Beast’s outburst of temper. When Belle and Beast eventually become friends, their friendship is egalitarian, arising out of mutual gifts of self-giving and selfless acts. So mutual is their growing respect and appreciation for each other, it’s easy to forget that Belle remains a prisoner in the castle, until she reminds Beast in the 2017 film that one can’t truly be happy unless one is free.
Seeds of Transformation
For Beast’s transformation to occur, this cannot be the story of a prisoner forgiving her captor and falling in love with her abuser. This must be a story of love given and received fully and freely. Before friendship can grow between Belle and Beast, they must meet on more equal footing. The servants seem to know this intuitively, encouraging Beast to bring Belle into the guest wing of the castle and to provide her the extravagant hospitality afforded to a proper castle guest. Cogsworth encourages Beast to invite Belle to dinner, which throws
a wrench into things when Belle refuses. Morphing from gracious host back to beastly captor in the blink of an eye, Beast commands her to dine with him. When Belle continues to refuse, Beast storms away, ordering his servants to deny her food unless she eats with him. Yet even in his anger, Beast’s own curiosity is awakened, leading him to look into his magic mirror for another glimpse of this enigmatic woman. As he notices her despair, we begin to glimpse a possibility of compassion or empathy, perhaps even a tiny step toward the transformation he so desperately desires.
Indeed, we see that the seeds of transformation are being awakened, as this unexpected guest brings a magic of her own to Beast’s enchanted castle—a castle falling into decay as the rose wilts. Belle’s purity of heart, her sacrificial love for her father, her insatiable curiosity, and her joy light up the darkness and gloom of the castle and everyone within it. Despite Beast’s strict orders to the contrary, Lumiere and Mrs. Potts host a glorious meal for their new-found guest, and even the self-protective Cogsworth hosts a castle tour for this mysterious young woman. Predictably, Belle’s inquisitive nature leads her to sneak away from the formal tour and explore the castle on her own.
But when Belle wanders into the forbidden West Wing, Beast flies into a rage as Belle reaches toward the dying rose, carefully protected under glass. While this outburst may have resulted from a sense of vulnerability, it is clearly not new behavior for him. “You must control your temper!” is a mantra Beast’s servants repeat to him throughout the film. His tantrums and beast-like behavior have long been the prince’s deepest curse—a curse that led the enchantress to place a spell on him in the first place. No one should be confused that Beast’s monstrous form is the cause of his bad behavior, it simply reflects the person within.
New to the castle, Belle is not accustomed to his violent outbursts, and finds them intolerable. Unwilling to imagine a life where she has to endure Beast’s bad behavior, Belle breaks her promise and flees the castle. This is an interesting decision for our would-be hero. After all, Belle has given Beast her word that she will stay—and heroes are typically true to their word. But Belle answers to a higher ethic—an ethic demanding the respect she deserves. If her captor’s behavior renders him incapable of showing her such respect, Belle feels no compunction to abide by their agreement.
A parallel with Jesus comes to mind in his refusal to abide by the rules of the Pharisees—deeming such rules unworthy of his obedience. Jesus sees all too well the beastly behavior that results from prioritizing “righteous” actions and strict adherence to “religious” rules above the call to perform acts of justice, mercy, and compassion. And so Jesus heals on the Sabbath, dines with sinners, and touches those who are “unclean,” even when it means he will be labeled a false prophet by the religious establishment. Likewise, Belle refuses to tolerate Beast’s bad behavior, fleeing from her captor, his castle, and her promise to stay with him forever.
Transforming a Beast into a Hero
From the first moment of our story, we can see that the prince acts badly. This is not the type of prince we are accustomed to seeing in fairy tales. We expect a prince who is kind and loving, a prince who is gentle and chivalrous with his princess, a prince who is the very definition of a hero. Instead, our prince is a beast, inside and out. Our prince even seems to be the “bad guy” of our story. What is going on here?
Unbeknownst to Belle, Beast follows her into the woods. Why does Beast follow her? He is clearly not beholden to the rules of chivalry, and he doesn’t seem intent on capturing her and bringing her back. So, why is Beast following her? Is he feeling some regret for his childish selfishness and uncontrolled temper? Is he finally fulfilling his proper duty, as master of the castle, to protect his kingdom and all of its citizens? Or is he drawn to something ineffable inside her—a quality that is elusive, yet compelling; a quality that cannot be held captive? Whatever the reason, Beast follows Belle into the woods, finding her under attack by a vicious pack of wolves.
Knowing he is outnumbered and endangered by the wolves, Beast charges into the fray, offering his first gift of self-sacrifice in our story—perhaps his first gift of self-sacrifice ever. Beast manages to frighten the pack away, but not without a terrible cost to himself. Falling wounded to the ground, Beast will certainly die if the wolves return, as they surely will. Even if the wolves don’t return, he is likely to succumb to the freezing cold of a wood trapped in perpetual winter. Why would Beast risk his life to save the daughter of a thief, as he sees her, and a breaker of her word? This is not the behavior of a villain. This is the behavior of someone capable of greatness. And so Beast’s heroic journey toward reclaiming his humanity begins—a journey fueled and strengthened by a transformative act of self-sacrifice.
But how does this happen? How does a self-absorbed, self-pitying, and self-centered prince-turned-beast become a hero? His unexpected moment of heroism hints that this is no ordinary fairy tale. Transformation is afoot, and more surprises are surely in store. In true gospel fashion, the one who appears to be bad, outcast, sinful or evil, is redeemable, even capable of greatness. Inside each of us is a hero, ready to emerge. Beast’s transformation into a heroic savior, protecting his prisoner even as she seeks to escape him, is a bit like Zacchaeus’ transformation in the Gospel of Luke.[48] Somehow, in meeting Belle, Beast connects with his higher self. Likewise, in meeting Jesus, the corrupt tax collector Zacchaeus connects with his higher self. Drawn to this traveling rabbi who radiates power from within, Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to get a closer look.
When I see Beast surreptitiously follow Belle into the woods, I think of Zacchaeus hiding in the tree, hoping to see Jesus. Both are drawn to people who radiate the powerful light of love from within—a light that is foreign and enigmatic to them. Hidden in shadow, Beast wants one last look at this mysterious person who would sacrifice herself and her freedom for the sake of her father.
Drawn to the Light
People filled with light and love are fascinating beings. When we are at our best, we are drawn to them; but when we are at our worst, we are repelled by them. Beast’s struggle to embrace the sacrificial light and love within Belle reflects our own struggle to embrace the sacrificial light and love within ourselves and others. People of light and love seem to hold up a mirror that reveals our shadow side—the beast that lurks within, the selfish child that never really grew up, the self-pitying adult that would rather nurse old wounds than let go of the past. Sometimes we envy those who radiate light and love. Other times we question their purity of heart, or doubt the sincerity of their sacrificial acts of beauty and light. But here’s a secret: People filled with light and love also have a shadow side. And even when we feed the wolf within that would destroy us, the wolf that would save us remains inside, yearning to be fed by light and love. Even though it remains a beast of the wild, it is this wolf of beauty and light that draws us to people like Jesus and Belle. It is this wolf that sparks our curiosity and leads us to look with fascination at creatures of light and love—even when we feel the need to hide, like Zacchaeus and Beast before us.
When we come to realize that our shadow side does not define us, we are drawn ever more closely to people of light and love. We are freed to allow their loving example to seep into our very souls. We are freed to connect with our own yearning to love more fully, and to shine more brightly. We are freed to choose the path of life-giving transformation. Beast discovers this new freedom, as he observes this mysteriously beautiful woman, surrounded by vicious wolves and in need of protection and assistance. Rather than protecting his own interests, Beast makes a different choice, a choice that will nourish the seeds of the very transformation he so desperately needs.
Zacchaeus, a man who had used his position to enrich himself at others’ expense, has a similar experience in his encounter with Jesus. Before Jesus has a chance to call Zacchaeus to repentance, or pray for his redemption, or even teach him a parable on generosity and financial ethics, Zacchaeus repents of his forme
r life—offering to repay anyone he has wronged, and pledging to share his ill-gotten wealth with the community. Such radical transformation is unusual and miraculous, even in the gospels, and it often happens within those we least expect. At the foot of the cross, an unnamed Roman centurion who participated in Jesus’ crucifixion exclaims: “Surely this man was the son of God!”[49]
When we become aware of the divine light that surrounds us every day, and when we let it illuminate the divine light within ourselves, something magical happens—we embark on a path of inner transformation that is beautiful to behold. And as we embrace this new path, higher and higher levels of transformation are revealed. This is the transformative magic that pervades Beauty and the Beast—a magic most clearly witnessed in the relationship between Belle and Beast.
Strange Magic
I suspect that Beast is fascinated by Belle’s goodness, even as it mystifies and perhaps repels him. This is a behavior he has not seen in a very long time, if ever. The puzzled turn of his countenance seems to ask: “What is this strange behavior of one who would sacrifice her young life for her father’s aged life?” Perhaps Beast senses a mystical light emanating from her. I am reminded of a line at the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Professor Quirrell, who is sharing his soul with the evil Lord Voldemort, cannot bear to touch Harry—a boy who was conceived in love and whose skin carries the magical protection of his mother’s sacrificial love. When trying to strangle Harry, Quirrell’s hands begin to burn as he encounters the mysteriously powerful protection of love in Harry’s skin. Looking at his maimed hands, Quirrell cries out in wonder and dismay: “What is this magic?!”[50] When Beast calls Belle a fool for sacrificing herself in the 2017 film, I can almost hear Beast’s puzzled mind cry out: “What is this magic?!”