Disney #9: Beauty and The Beast: It's NOT stockholm syndrome!

 Hey all,

As you may know, I love Beauty and The Beast. I will be referring to the 90s Disney Beauty and The Beast in this post. A lot of people say that Belle and The Beast were a Stockholm Syndrome situation. I disagree, however. I will be discussing this in this blog post.

Stockholm Syndrome is described as:

Stockholm syndrome is a coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time.

(source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22387-stockholm-syndrome )

Belle and the Beast had a lot of tension between them at first, but it wasn't a Stockholm Syndrome situation that broke the ice. Obviously Belle traded herself for her father's freedom, but she was willing to save her father. When the Beast saved Belle from the wolves that were trying to attack her, it changed her perception of the Beast. The Beast was only mean because he was isolated, but he had a heart of gold somewhere inside and that's why Belle came to love him.

The reason why this is not Stockholm Syndrome is because a short amount of time had passed since she was taken into custody by the Beast. Two, although the Beast seemed abusive and mean at first, he wasn't actually that way. He was going through some trauma and after his heart warmed by saving Belle, he was able to be a new person again, even better than the selfish human he had been before he was changed by the Enchantress. Belle healed his traumatic past in a way.

As well, The Beast fell in love with Belle. Belle also fell in love with the Beast. Yes he was mean at first but he had been through a lot. It does excuse him to be mean, but that is not really how it is. If anything, the real "beast" is Gaston. Beauty and the Beast is about how appearances can be deceiving. Gaston is actually the abuser because he constantly puts down Belle for reading, having autonomy and having agency and being able to do things herself. He is stuck in the past and a misogynist. The Beast is bitter for the curse, but is able to move past it, while Gaston is stuck in his world views. The Beast has a change of heart, while Gaston becomes more cruel.

curlyalicia