What's Missing from Fairy Tales

As part of the WOW Women on Writing blog tour for Ekta Garg's short story collection: The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories I'm participating by answering their writing prompt: what's something you wish you saw more of in a fairy tale? You can read a great author interview at The Muffin HERE. Stop by on September 16th for my book review.

Where's the Real Love?

First, let me tell you that, aside from my younger daughter's obsession with Cinderella-like stories in a variety of countries/cultures (they have a whole shelf at our public library that is just spins of the Cinderella story in different cultures) most of my knowledge of fairy tales is the Disney-fied versions. What can I say? I had kids. I had a VCR. A new Disney tape each Christmas was a go-to gift for their childhood. So I can't speak to the gorier aspect or the symbolism of the original tales.

Instead, I want to talk about Disney's animated movie, Beauty and the Beast. This was the first VCR tape I owned, a Christmas gift from my husband. He must have said, "A princess in a library? Perfect!"

I loved the story. The spunky heroine. The wacky father. The singing. The magical objects. The dancing. The library with the ladder on wheels! In case you aren't familiar with the story, a young prince is a jerk and is cursed by a beautiful witch and turned into a scary beast. He has to make someone fall in love with him before the last petal falls off a red rose she gives him. If he doesn't, he'll remain a beast forever. Naturally, he's grouchy.

Through a series of events he winds up with the beautiful Belle as his captive, but his servants (who have been turned into things like teapots and candelabras) convince him to cool down his anger and try and make her fall in love with him. Well, it looks like it's succeeding but then the whole village (led by another jerky guy who wants to marry Belle) lays siege to the castle to rescue Belle (and kill the Beast a.k.a. the jerky villager's competition for Belle's love).

There's a skirmish between the two guys - villager guy dies and castle guy is wounded. Just as the past petal is falling from the rose Belle confesses she loves him and he transforms from Beast to handsome guy. They kiss. The end.

That always bothered me. Of course, it's easy to love the handsome guy (and aren't all the fairy tale princes handsome?). Imagine if she had been just a moment too late and he was destined to be a Beast forever and she still loved him. Because she loved his inside, not his outside? Now that's a love story.

I know, you're going to tell me that they did that for Shrek. But I don't know, they were both really ogres so not exactly the same thing.

I guess it's not fairy tale style but how great would it be to teach young people that the prince (and princess) is not always the most attractive on the outside (looks as well as things like riches, titles, etc.). They're the person who is kind, who cares about you, who wants to share a life with you. Maybe they have freckles or a big nose. Maybe they're scrawny or bald. Maybe they can't dance. Or they don't have a job that makes a great impression during cocktail party chatter. But that doesn't matter. Because you look past that to the real love.

And isn't real love what every princess deserves?

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