Masculinity In Beauty And The Beast

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Early literature aimed towards younger audiences, can be used to for the socialization of gender roles and stereotypes. These tales construct roles for both men and women through repetition and adaption of reoccurring tales and themes. A foundation within the study of masculinity is that the stereotypical features associated with gender are not natural, rather they are learned through socialization, rewarding what is contextually recognized as righteous mannerism and punishing bad behaviour. The social system of the patriarchal divide rewards men places a divide between representations of masculinity, rewarding those that fit the gender roles socialized by society. An early version of “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont’s …show more content…

Through the method of socialization, the narrative evolves the stereotype of the human primitive within the patriarchal system, to stressing the significance of virtue and good nature beneath the beastliness of man. The characterization of Beast affects the text’s representation of appropriate masculinity through the contrast of beastliness to inner virtue. While his figure is unsettling and monstrous, the inner character of the Beast displays good nature. During dinner with the Beast, Beauty comments on his kind mannerism by stating, “’among mankind,’ says Beauty, ‘there are many that deserve that name more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart’” and continues to say, “ 'tis thousand pities, anything so good natured should be so ugly”. While his stature is revealed through the diction, his good mannerism and lack of sense is characterized in the dialogue of the characters that see his appearance but acknowledge his virtue. Therefore, the Beast does not win the heart of the Beauty through his appearance; at first she refuses his advances because of his ugliness. However, she contemplates, ““Is it his fault if he is so ugly, and has so little sense? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands; it is neither wit, nor a fine person, in a husband, that makes a woman happy, but virtue, sweetness of temper, and complaisance, and Beast has all these valuable qualifications”. The Beauty chooses to return to Beast because of his inner virtue despite his beastliness and lack of wit. The return of Beauty is a reward for the good virtue of Beast. This socialized the reward system of

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