Laura Beres' The Romanticization of Abuse in Popular Culture

To be blunt. I did not enjoy reading this article. Beres starts off talking about how she is a clinical social worker and has experience working with women in abusive relationships. I do not think Belle's relationship with the Beast can be compared to women in abusive relationships. I don't necessarily consider Belle to be in an abusive relationship. Yes, she is technically a prisoner, but the Beast does not keep in her a prison cell. He gives her a nice room and luxuries many people would wish for. The Beast does yell at her sometimes, but he only does so because he forgot how to treat a real human being. If it was truly an abusive relationship the Beast could have treated her more as a prisoner than as a guest.

A main point in her argument I found interesting was that Beauty and the Beast makes it seem like if women in a violent relationship act loving to her partner, he may begin to love also and turn into a "prince". I understand how she may feel this way, but I do not necessarily agree. In Disney's Beauty and the Beast the Beast is not actually an abusive partner. He was literally transformed into a beast, so he forgot how to properly function in human society. The reason he is more harsh to Belle at first is because he doesn't know any other way of life. He does not remember how to communicate with other humans, besides his servants. The Beast never purposely tries to harm Belle, all he wants is a human connection. The only reason Belle is able to change the Beast is because she shows him how to be human again. Belle does not change him from an abusive partner to a prince. She shows him a way to love again.