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

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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.

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ディズニー Princesses

added by PrincessFairy

Source: ディズニー

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Beauty and the Beast 2017- Belle's dress close up

added by KataraLover

Memes

added by LorMel

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Moana

added by KataraLover

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Ariel

added by PrincessFairy

Source: ディズニー

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Fanpop's お気に入り landscape in DP 映画 - Nov. 2016

posted by anukriti2409

The countdown is over and the results are in! DP club ファン have voted for their お気に入り landscapes in DP movies. Surprisingly ファン were もっと見る divided for choosing the lower ranks and had almost a united say about the 上, ページのトップへ ones. Here are the results. Hope you'll enjoy.

11. Princess and The Frog
I was a little surprised to see it leave first. I know its not much liked around here but I thought having シンデレラ and Snow White and Seven Dwarfs around, this might just skip being eliminated first. Well, I was wrong. ファン didn't really find the bayou magical and swamps looked garish and dull to them....

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Princess Elena rides on Canela

added by dragonguy

Princess Elena with Canela

added by dragonguy

Future ディズニー Princess Hairstyles

posted by deedragongirl

You jump, I jump remember?

Hi guys, since nobody had done this, what あなた guys are going to read are possible future hairstyles for a princess. Ready?

Rose Bukater's 2 Hairstyles

Only 2 hairstyles made it as a possible hairstyle for a princess, especially if it's a princess from the Victorian または Edwardian Era set in Europe! I just 愛 these 2 hairstyles as it looks very classy.

Scarlett O Hara's 2 Hairstyles

Another possible choice for the a princess, initially I had great difficulties over which one is the best. But ultimately, both are the best like Rose!

Liesl Von Trapp's Hairstyle

Honestly, this is the only hairstyle that I really like, it looks simple and yet elegant.

The Choice is Up to You!

So, do あなた agree with the choice that I made?

Come Josephine on my Flying Machine.

Hello Scarlett, we meet again.

Gone with the Wind.

Anna & Elsa - Sisters are Magic

added by JaDangerz

Source: ディズニー

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Why We 愛 Each ディズニー Princess: Part One

posted by ace2000

Hi everyone!

So I thought that since あなた often hear a lot of negative things about the ディズニー Princesses from people on ファンポップ that it'd be cool to hear some positive opinions that other Fanpoppers hold.

Maybe it could change a view of yours. Who knows?

Why We 愛 Snow White:

MaidofOrleans:
I 愛 Snow White for her unending optimism. I would argue that she is the most optimistic of the DPs, and I 愛 her message that "you're the one who can fill the world with sunshine." It's very true and is applicable to every situation in life. I also 愛 how she bosses around the dwarfs. It's super...

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Cinderella's Wedding Gown: 1950 vs 2007 vs 2015

posted by deedragongirl

The 1950 version.

Hi guys, since I had make a アンケート version of it under my old ユーザー名 as dee389. Here is my general opinion on the stunning and beautiful wedding gown!

1950 Version

This was nothing special about this wedding gown, it looks like a typical wedding ガウン that we see on your または your relative's wedding day.

2007 Version

Since this version is a mid-quel, I thought that this is even better than the original 1950 version. It has もっと見る details, especially the sleeve!

2015 Version

によって far, this is definitely the most spectacular wedding ガウン that I had ever seen! When I first saw in the cinema last year, I was blown away and I have to say that it's even better than the 前 two. It has もっと見る details and the veil.

A Wedding Moment

So, if you're planning on getting married, which of these 3 wedding dresses do あなた pick?

2007 Version

2015 Version

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ディズニー Princesses with Elena

added by Elemental-Aura

Source: Elemental-Aura alafantazio

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Best Green DP Outfit Countdown Results!

posted by MaidofOrleans

こんにちは everybody! This is the third 記事 in my series of countdowns, and I really enjoyed this one. I like every single outfit in this countdown, so it was a lot of fun for me.

Previous Articles
link
link

5. Mulan's green, black, and brown armor

I was so sad that this was the first outfit to be eliminated. I think ムーラン looks so badass in it! However, I can see why users didn't like it since it is an outfit that was made to be functional, not fashionable.

this is not supposed to flatter Mulan, but still a very boring dress if were to wear separately. ~anukriti2409
Well it's a man's armor so...it...

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Fanpop's お気に入り Wedding Dress for ディズニー Princess

posted by anukriti2409

Here's how ファン have chosen the お気に入り wedding dress among ディズニー princesses.

9. Mulan's Official Wedding Dress (with Prince Jeeki):
In initial round, it was tied with Jasmine's and her wedding dress with Shang. It was surprising to note that while it was a tie, there were hardly any コメント for Jasmine's dress.
Finally the tiebreaker results determined the first elimination with Mulan's official wedding dress. Most ファン were put off with its unusually big headgear.

SarahCorine: It's definitely cute. I like the colors. But she looks cuter in her other wedding dress. And the hat does...

Snow White

added by bearnaked15

Source: くま, クマ

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My Prettiest Princess Ranking

posted by WinterSpirit809

Okay so I really want to do this, but I really am not going to explain why. Because, well, I believe there is もっと見る to liking a princess than just looks. But other than that, I just feel like I'm just going to keep saying "oh she's so pretty" または "I just never found her attractive" over and over again in different words. So, I'm sorry for not leaving a description.

13. Merida

12. Snow White

11. Ariel

10. Pocahontas

9. Mulan

8. Rapunzel

7. シンデレラ

6. Tiana

5. Aurora

4. Elsa

3. Anna

2. ジャスミン

1. Belle.

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What Being On ファンポップ Has Meant To Me

posted by KataraLover

I probably should've put this 記事 on the ファンポップファン club, but this club has been my ホーム for years. It's where I've made a lot of memories, have been part of a community that talks about もっと見る than just ディズニー Princesses, has felt like a family, and has helped me A LOT through the years. So this 記事 being published anywhere else on ファンポップ won't do any justice if it's not on this club. So without further delay, here is what being on ファンポップ has meant to me.

First of all, it's only fair to say that I did NOT get off to a good start when I first came here. It's embarrassing to talk about...

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Other: The ディズニー Princesses & Others as Mushrooms in Plants vs. Zombies

posted by ApplesauceDoctr

Hi everyone, I'm ApplesauceDoctr here today with a short 記事 that's purely for fun. A while back I 投稿されました a アンケート where I associated some of the mushrooms in the game Plants vs. Zombies with the DPs, and now I wanted to expand on that while also providing some brief reasoning for my choices. Note that I'll be generalizing these characters quite a bit here, mostly looking at just one quality. This is all in good fun though, so let's begin! I'm actually going to start off with an unofficial princess:

Puff Shroom: Sofia (Sofia the First)
Sofia is the youngest and consequently smallest of...

アナと雪の女王 vs Titanic: An Icy Challenge

posted by deedragongirl

Nothing on Earth Could Ever Come Between Them!

Hi everyone, for those of あなた who don't know, both 映画 share a common theme with each other that I notice! Aside from being the most highest grossing 映画 ever, here's my review base on my observations.

Titanic

In case あなた guys might be watching the movie, during the scene where Jack and Fabrizio are playing poker just moments before the ship takes off. The 2 characters to whom they challenge are 2 Swedes name Olaf and Sven, when I watch this scene for the first time in many years. I keep thinking that the 2 Swedes are going to transform into a snowman and reindeer respectively!
The music...