ディズニープリンセス Article: Why Belle Reads Fairytales

17

posted by hisblueeyes

The question, "Which princess do あなた think is the smartest?" is asked very often and every time it is asked, there are those people who pick Belle. There are the people who not only pick Belle, but comment, "Because she reads." Then, there are the people who think that is a dumb thing to say, and begin immediately saying stuff like, "She only reads fairy-tales." Every time this process has been repeated I have wanted to say something like what I am about to say, but never got the chance. So now I'm going to say it.

I think many people forget that Beauty and the Beast is not set in 2011. It isn't set in the 1950's, either. It is set a long while back, before laptops and iPad's and cars. Before gigantic bookstores with every book genre and every book タイトルあなた could possibly think of. Belle lives in a small, provincial town, and the only "library" is a little bookshop with maybe two または three shelves. There aren't any trucks that come into town every week, with stacks & stacks of the newest books. No, in Belle's library, the 本 in there are probably the only 本 that are in there for months at a time. At the time Belle was alive, there also probably wasn't a Harry Potter または a Great Expectations. The only 本 that were probably in that としょうかん, ライブラリ were fairy-tales. Not thin paperback fairy-tales with pictures, no, the thick, complicated, original versions of fairy-tales. Have あなた ever read the original version of The Little Mermaid? It's not something just anyone can read.

Another thing I think people forget is that Belle was a dreamer, a dreamer who wanted to escape her boring town. 本 like Pride & Prejudice offer no escape. Fairy-tales? Now those are something. 読書本 like those, of far of places, dashing sword fights & a prince in disguise were possibly Belle's only 情報源 of comfort in that town she so wanted to leave. They offered her adventure that she couldn't have. If あなた think that it is very childish of Belle to read such stories, put yourself in her place. Pretend that's all your としょうかん, ライブラリ had. Pretend あなた need to flee where あなた are, but あなた can't, and unfortunately, Harry Potter doesn't exist yet. She also states that she's read all the 本 in

I'm going to end this 記事 with the wise words of someone who has written a very fairy-tale like series himself:
Some day, あなた will be old enough to start 読書 fairy-tales again. - C.S. Lewis

Portia0623, Sparklefairy375 and 15 others like this

Swanpride Good argument - What people also tend to forget: Belle read all the books available in her little town. I really doubt that all of them were fairy tales (I'm sure that there were some philosophical excurses between them at teh very least). Yes, she picks out books with stories - but what kind of book would you rather reread, the book with the stories, or the sience book? My reading interests are very diverse, but for a reread, I would chose a story book too. And which book would you read to a someone else? A story book, naturally. Plus, you learn a lot, even if you read just stories - for example, I have never been to sea, but I know most of the nautic words because I had a thing for pirate stories for a while. Not just the made up ones, but also the real ones, which descripe parts of a ship.

sumerjoy11 Wow, this is very good! I really can relate to this article. I live in a boring town and my only escape for me is either reading or drawing. Of course, most of the things I read or draw are Diney related. People call me immature just because I still like Disney and I'm 16, but Disney helps me not only to escape the ridicule and boringness, it also helps me to dream. I never really looked at Belle from this perspective before, until I read your article.

DreamyGal You make a good point, but I disagree with what you said about Pride and Prejudice offering no escape. That is one of my favorite novels; one of the main reasons I love it is because it takes me to a different place; a place where men were gentlemen and women were ladies...the language was proper and elegant...people actually bowed to each other whenever they met. And actually for the longest time I have thought that Belle and the Beasts relationship is very similar to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

hisblueeyes ^Oh, I love Pride and Prejudice too, it's one of my favorite books. I just thought it wouldn't offer Belle much escape, because it might make her feel like her town is even more provincial - reading about such elegant towns.

Swanpride I think Pride and Predudice wouldn't mean much to Belle, because it carricates a society, Belle knows next to nothing about. We can understand the "jokes" and the critizism in the book, because we have enough second source material to understand it, but I'm not sure if that would apply to Belle, too.

DreamyGal Well, we all have our opinions, I think Belle would've liked it...especially the romance.

princesslullaby ^I think Belle would've like it a lot too. I don't remember where in the movie it says Belle read every book in the library. I know she says "Have you got anything new?" But that doesn't mean she read every book on the shelf. Maybe only the ones that interested her ran out, so she's hoping for a new one. I know quite a few stupid people who read a lot, and I know quite a few smart people who rarely read. I'm not entirely sure Belle reading thick fairy-tales is a concrete argument that she's smart. And I really doubt Belle would read philosophical books, not that she's not smart enough, I don't see it particularly interesting to her. I understand why Belle reads fairy-tales, I never found it frivolous of her to do so. But I think when people comment saying "Belle is smart because she reads" it is a poor argument, but what aggravates me is when people say Belle is the SMARTEST princess because she reads. Throughout the movie, I find Belle to be an intelligent, capable person, but she doesn't do anything extraordinarily genius. She has a sensible set of smarts, but I don't find her to be the most clever or the smartest.

hisblueeyes ^I completely agree, I'm not saying she's the smartest, and I do think "because she reads" is a stupid argument. But I also think saying "she only reads fairytales" is a stupid thing to say when your trying to tell people Belle isn't the smartest one. That's what this article is about.

princesslullaby My guess is Belle does only read mainly fairy-tales, but the occasional other genre. But yeah, I don't see how reading fairy-tales would give an indication of intelligence either way.

KataraLover I love that Belle reads fairy-tales and it's one of the reasons I like her. But I just don't think that sayings she's the smartest just because she reads, fairy-tales aren't meant to be educational, they're meant to make us happy. I don't think she's that smart. But I do know how she feels, I like to read my fairy-tales and other books to escape the stupidity of my town.

MrsEmmaPeel I love your article. I agree 100% and this is how I feel about Belle as well. I'm glad to see someone written an article on it. Great job.

Swanpride @princesslullaby Believe me, when you're addicted to books you will read anything you get your hands on. Since Belle doesn't has the luxury we have, she can't afford to be choosy. But yeah, I don't think that she is necessarily the smartest - there is first Mulan (who seems to be some sort of genius at times), then Rapunzel (who seems to be multitalented) and then Belle - but not because she happens to read (though it does play a part in it), but because she outsmarts Gaston (admittingly an easy thing to do), Cogsworth and Lumiere, and has the ability to beat the beast with words quite easily.

princesslullaby I don't think Rapunzel is all that smart, she makes a lot of dumb decisions. But, it depends on what kind of smart you think is the smartest. And I still think Jasmine is very smart, although lately I've knocked her down to #2 for a couple of less-than-smart things.

Swanpride I don't think that Rapunzel makes dumb decision, not when you consider the information she bases the decision on. It's easy to say that you would know better when you see the whole picture, but the question is, would you be as smart as she is in her situation? First outwitting Eugene (who isn't stupid himself), forcing him to bring her to the lights, and later figuring out Mother Gothel on her own? The only dumb thing she does is not keeping an eye on her, but that's the woman she has known as her loving mother her whole life. But I'm also impressed that she studied astronomy and chartered stars on her own. Jasmine on the other hand - well, she says that she is a fast learner, but if that's true, how did she manage to walk across the market without picking up on the simple concept of "you have to pay for what you take"? Why doesn't she pick up on the fact that it's nearly impossible that Aladdin was already killed when she reaches Jafar, and totally impossible that he was killed for kidnapping her, since nobody know that she even was with him? (and why doesn't she stay close to him to make sure that he is okay?) Why doesn't she notice Jafar hypnotising her father - Aladdin picks up on it nearly immediatly. For someone as cunning as her, she isn't perceptive at all!(And face-blind, but that seems to be some sort of desease in that movie).

ivebeendreaming I agree 100% with this article. I actually only read fairytales. It truly is an escape from everyday life. And I think I live in a pretty boring town. There's nothing magical about it. I miss living in New Jersey where there were big romantic victorian houses everywhere and real trees. Now I live in Arizona in the middle of the desert. There's no snow, no magic, and I don't really like any of the guys here. Everything is stereotypical and a year behind in fashion. Everyone acts the same (within their social groups) so there's no creativity. In fact, a lot of people are pretty judgmental when it comes to differences. Most people wear Abercrombie and Hollister tops with jeans and Vans or Toms every day. Even the Emos and Scenes are all exactly the same. I remember on the first day of 8th grade a few years ago I dressed up. And when I say "dressed up" I was wearing a babydoll style top with a skirt and leggings. The few friends I had at the time asked me why I was so dressed up. At least I'm a little different. But I feel like Belle most of the time. I have friends but most of them are like everyone else.

princesslullaby ^SEE? NEW JERSEY IS A MAGICAL, WONDERFUL LAND <3

hisblueeyes ^...I never said it was bad.

princesslullaby ^....I never said that you said that...??

heathersvan I agree with you that Belle's reading was the only place she could escape to her dreams, but I don't think that makes her any smarter. Nice article, though! Lot's of thought put it.

heathersvan @ivebeendreaming: YES! New Jersey is amazing! I love it around here ^_^

pretty_angel92 you have a good point, i read tons of fairytales and i actually consider myself a smart person. i just find it stupid how people's explanation is always "oh, she reads". that doesn't mean anything. i know a lot of people who likes to read but they're still pretty dumb. and it's frustrating to see belle always winning these kind of picks(with the exception of mulan), when rapunzel doesn't and she also reads. so what's the explanation now? simple, most of them are just being biased. i'm not saying that rapunzel makes smarter decisions, but she certainly seems to know more about general culture. she reads about botany, geology, math...

PrincessAyeka12 100% Agree with you! Reading this made me realise I'm so much like Belle.

magicfairydust Love this article! and yes, you make a very good point. :D

FlightofFantasy Good article! I never understand why adults who read fairy tales are looked down upon. I love fairy tales, always have. They are what got me into reading, into fantasy, into mythology. They were the first books I was able to read on my own, without help. Basically, they helped shape who I am. I'm now in my 20s and am a proud, unabashed fairy tale fan. I'm a fan of the "original" fairy tales (although it's basically impossible to say what the original version of any folk tale is) and of Disney's fairy tales, and I always will be. Is it a form of escapism? Yes. So is any fiction. There's nothing wrong with that. And yet adults who still love fairy tales are treated as if they're naive, or idiots, or children. I've found you actually get a lot more out of fairy tales when you revisit them as an adult. You pick up on things you never did as a child. Some might be negative (sexism, racism, etc.), but even that presents a fascinating opportunity to learn about the culture and society of the time. After all, fairy tales are really mirrors that reflect the cultural attitudes of their time. That's why they change over time, because societal attitudes change over time. What was once acceptable is now unacceptable. What was once unacceptable is now acceptable. Fairy tales are not only beautiful and magical, they are also a great learning experience and a way to introduce you to different cultures, peoples and historical periods. There's nothing childish or immature about that.

9

Why I 愛ファンポップ and all of あなた guys.

posted by gigglingjasmine

ファンポップ is a wonderful webside which is easy and enjoyable to use. あなた can tell your opinions, write your 記事 and あなた know people are always going to hear them carefully. The most amazing part of it is that あなた hear different opinions, negative または possitive, but in the end of the 日 the opinion あなた once have can change and be もっと見る possitive またはもっと見る negative, but people will still be here to listen to your opinions. Every single one of us is a part of my world, we are a small family. We have アンケー and quizzes. アンケー are very enjoyable, but believe me there's no such thing as 書く articles...

5

What we like and don't like about ディズニー princess

posted by lililc

is like the things that made that princess our favorite, i´ll bassed on the コメント i see in ファンポップ and another sites,i´ll try to don't put personal コメント
We are looking at the princess as theirselfs ignoring their looks,the quality of the アニメーション , the characters around them , their 愛 story and (i speak specially for pocahontas;sequels)

1.snow white:
people who don't like snow white says:
she is the weakest of the princess , doesn't even have a sequel to 表示する a rebel または strong side.And she is dump cause she was told to don't talk to strangers and it was the first thing she did

people...

4

Opposing Woes, Part 29.

posted by avatar_tla_fan

ムーラン had studied for all of her exams. She was ready to get the best grades possible. She didn't want her parents to be disappointed in her.

She went to school. She was talking to her friend Jasmine.

"I'm going to do the best I can on these exams. I studied all night last night." ムーラン told Jasmine.

"You're really determined. Why?"

"I really want to bring some honor to my family."

"That's all?"

"What to あなた mean 'that's all'?"

"They don't get angry または something if あなた get bad grades?"

"No. But they get disappointed."

"Then who cares?"

"I do."

"Why? Why does bringing honor to your family matter so...

5

Opposing Woes, Part 23.

posted by avatar_tla_fan

Aurora and her mother arrived at the hospital.

They walked in only to be alarmed.

"Please, evacuate the premises." Somebody told Aurora and her mother.

"My daughter needs help!" Aurora's mother yelled.

"We would 愛 to help your daughter, but we're having a serious situation here."

"What kind of situation?"

"That is secret information. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"Then at least let us in."

"It's not safe!"

"How is it not?"

"Because of our secret situation."

"This is the only hospital in town, we can't go anywhere else, and my daughter needs help."

"From the looks of her face, she's been scratched...

14

Princess Analysis || Part 1: Elsa

posted by CRaZy_rawR

Eight months ago, I started an 記事 series explaining my 全体, 全体的です opinion on each princess in as much details as possible. I've decided to start over! :) Technically, we don't know if Anna and Elsa will even be included in the lineup, but like last time, I'm including them. The categories I will analyze are: original thoughts, thoughts now, beauty, wardrobe, singing/speaking voices. Also, I will be doing these in chronological order, form my least お気に入り princess to my favorite!

My Original Thoughts

Most of あなた new gents and ladies weren't around to witness my blindness to the "Frozen" hype....

2

The Power Of Friendship 2: Happily Ever After (Chapter 9)

posted by mhs1025

Nightfall had come, but Shang and John still weren't back yet. "I'm getting worried." ムーラン said. "John sometimes likes to explore the different scenes at night. He probably took Shang with him." Pocahontas reassured. ムーラン thought for a minute. "You're right, Pocahontas. I'm sure if it becomes too late for them to come back, they'll set up camp and come back in the morning." she stated. Merida, however, got really nervous. *What if something happened to them?* she asked herself. Pocahontas stared at her as if she were a book.

"Merida, I know those boys. I'm sure nothing happened to them." she...

1

The Power Of Friendship 2: Happily Ever After (Chapter 6)

posted by mhs1025

Merida was walking towards a teepee when John caught sight of her. "I was wondering where あなた went." he said. "Oh, I just wanted to explore the sights again." Merida lied. John chuckled. "Not much has changed." he 発言しました slyly. He and Merida walked back to the grounds. Suddenly, Shang ran up to them.

"Don't あなた scare me like that again!" he scolded. "Shang. I was just goin' for a stroll." Merida argued. "The tribe is safe." John replied. "MERIDA!" Pocahontas yelled out of nowhere. "Pocahontas. What might あなた want?" Merida greeted. "I need to talk to you." Pocahontas stated. She and Merida walked...

1

The Power Of Friendship 2: Happily Ever After (Chapter 2)

posted by mhs1025

Merida hurried to her room and grabbed her bow. She was competing in a family friendly archery match. Why this occasion? Because it was her birthday! Princess Merida of the Dunbroch clan was finally turning 18! "Archers to your marks!" King Fergus called out. Merida excitedly ran to her marking point. (A/N: If あなた read the first chapter, you'll know a 年 had passed. Also, I forgot how to spell Dunbroch, so tell me if I spelled it wrong. :P)

Merida got out her ARROW/アロー as fast as she could and placed it inside her bow. Since she was the birthday girl, she was first up, no surprise. Because of...

12

Reviewing Songs; Tangled, Part 2!

posted by avatar_tla_fan

Well, it's about time I made part 2 of this article. Anyways, please keep in mind that this is my opinion, and we may disagree, so respect my opinion and I'll respect yours.

Enjoy the article!

Healing Incarnation
Even though it's quite short and basically sounds different every time Rapunzel sings it, I still included it, because there's ONLY 2 other songs, and one of them is a reprise! (I also included one other song too, we'll get to it later.) Anyways, I really like this song. It shows a nice soft side to Rapunzel's voice, which I like. Its a really sweet and charming song overall, but...

9

A Rapunzel and Merida fanfic, Part 3.

posted by avatar_tla_fan

WARNING: This will be darker then the 前 parts. Well, it might be, I'll find out when I'm done with it. :3 Continue if あなた want to.

I miss Mary and I hardly knew her, Rapunzel thought.

"Don't worry, we're going to 検索 soon." John responded to her.

"How..? How?" Rapunzel 発言しました to her.

"It's easy to tell you're thinking about her." John responded.

"We're going to search!" Dylan yelled.

Maybe she's still alive.

They walked near the spot in which she was holding off the men.

They couldn't find anything.

"Maybe she left! Maybe she's looking for us!"

Then..

They looked near the water.

They saw...

12

A Rapunzel and Merida fanfic, Part 2!

posted by avatar_tla_fan

"So, would あなた mind explaining more?" Rapunzel asked Merida.

"There isn't much もっと見る to say. They won't find us, don't worry."

Don't worry? Did she sense that I was worried?

Merida sat down.

"So, old friend."

"So, um, what? I don't really have anything to say."

Merida smiled at Rapunzel for a second, like her was about to laugh.

Then she turned away.

Rapunzel tapped Merida's shoulder.

"Get your hand off of me!" Merida exclaimed.

Rapunzel fell over, extremely alarmed.

"I'm, I'm sorry." Merida said.

"It's.. Okay." Rapunzel responded.

They heard a noise.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?! RUN!" Merida exclaimed....

16

The Power Of Friendship (Chapter 18)

posted by mhs1025

Late that night, Merida snuck out of the house to mail the letter. She had to do it quick because of 2 reasons. 1. Soldiers were out. 2. ムーラン would be a nervous wreck if she knew Merida was gone. She slipped the letter in the mail carrier and got out of the post office area ninja-style. "PLEASE get to Scotland!" she silently prayed. The young archer started walking slower as she got closer to the house.

"Be as quiet as possible!" Merida told herself. Just as she was heading back to her room, she heard a noise. She hid a muffled scream. As she gathered up the guts and headed towards the sound,...

The Power Of Friendship (Chapter 3)

posted by mhs1025

Merida had just come back from an archery match and went to her room. She plopped down on her bed, the fatigue slowly leaving her body. She thought about her friendship with Pocahontas and Mulan. *I wonder when I'll be able to see them.* she thought. Shang suddenly entered her mind. *I don't know why he hates me!* she quietly told herself. *John's right. It'll take some time for him to warm up to me.* she thought.

Maudi came into the room. "You got a letter from your friend." she said. "Thank あなた Maudi." Merida thanked as Maudi exited the room. Merida opened the letter. "From Pocahontas. Probably...

3

Anna's Typical 日

posted by snsdlover4ever

I woke up like this... FLAWLESS

I decided to make a parody based off of For the First Time in Forever. Hope あなた like it!

Anna:
"Ugh, I have to get ready..." *sees 7:45 A.M.*
"Oh, I'm gonna be late for work!"

Why can't I just
Open this door
And not have to go work anymore?
Because I'm just going to clean the leftover plates!
For years, I've been working with little pay.
Why can't I just go out and play?
How long will I have to wait for this sweet day?

No もっと見る taking orders from people.
It'll be totally strange.
Wow, am I so ready for this change!

Cause for the first time in forever,
I can just relax and have fun!
For the first time in forever,...

ディズニープリンセス

added by MJ_Fan_4Life007

EmilyNYC Presents : It's STORY TIME! #1.Mulan's unexpected TOUR

posted by EmilyNYC

It was really very difficult for ムーラン to live in China,her own country only.You know,the Huns problem and all that.But what will happen when ムーラン will go to Agrabah.And that to accidentally!!Find it out によって読書 the story coz its STORY TIME!
_____________________________________

OMG!I have no idea where I am!It doesn't look like China.Its something different.Its an another country!WOW!A country I don't even know!And a country where Mandarin is not spoken!Oh my goodness!Its Arabic written everywhere!What I will do?What I will do in a place which I don't even know!

I'm Mulan. あなた maybe knowing...

3

Alexandra and the Princesses Part 3

posted by sweetie-94

In the last part Alexandra, Erica, Rapunzel, Flynn and Pascal left the tower and met Maximus. Now they've just arrived to the 城 where Rapunzel was born and Rapunzel now has braided hair so that she dosen't trip with her hair!

After Rapunzel got her hair fixed they decided to go around and see what they where selling at the markets and they bought apples, カップケーキ and much more. Than Rapunzel noticed a picture of a クイーン and king holding a baby and a pair of girls that laied お花 in a fountain.
-This for the ロスト princess, one of them said.

Rapunzel thought the girl looked similar to her...

3

Melody's Nanny Chapter 13

posted by faya27

Chapter 13

Later at 8pm, when Eric walked out the office, he only wondered one thing. How am I going to tell Melody? I don't want to disappoint her. But I don't want to disappoint my boss, either! Despite Roy's answer, he thought of asking Walt anyway. No, it would not make much a difference. Eric know how loyal Walt is to the Red Rabbit Company-after all, he was the one who built it. Walt would say the same answer. He sighed dejectedly, got inside his jeep, and drove away. Little did he know, two pairs of yellow eyes were watching him, behind from a silver Saturn.

"He just left the building,...

2

Jeannette Thomas: Secret ディズニー Spy, Part Three

posted by Candy77019

When I reached the parking lot, a shiny black コンバーチブル waited for me at the curb.
"Hello, beautiful," it greeted in a British accent.
I staggered back. "A talking car?!"
"Oh, don't fuss, love. Anything's possible." The driver door opened automatically.
I climbed inside and put my hands on the wheel. "This is sooo much better than my pickup truck."
The car made a disgusted sound. "Pickup trucks. Disgusting things. It should've been a crime to invent them."
"By the way, what's your name?" I asked as I started the car.
"You may call me Car. Simple." He sounded smug.
Let's see what else this...

1

Disneyville High School part 1 First 日 of school and English class

posted by MadameLee

One 日 last week a new girl came to the Disneyville High School. Her name is Cindy. She and her step family had just moved to Orlando from ディズニー Town California. Her dad died in a 火災, 火 to get Cindy’s stepmother (Fiona Tremaine) and stepsisters (Drizella and Anastasia) out in their old town. She has reddish-blond hair blue eyed, and attractive looking girl.

Ms Porter, a young brown hair and blue eyed women, asked is there an Ella Tremaine here? Cindy raised her hand “I prefer Cindy to Ella, Ms. Porter.”

A blond hair who has brown eyed 発言しました “Hi Cindy, I’m Rose”
A brown-hair, brown...