Fairytales are universal human creations that exist not only to amuse children but also to amaze adults and transmit the wisdom of distant generations. Indeed, each fairytale is unique in the matter of its characters and details of the narrative. However, certain themes are common for multiple people around the world. As such, the motif of “Beauty and the Beast” can be found in a similar form all around Europe and even Asia.
It is possible to analyze several fairytales with a common theme, namely, “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Frog Prince,” “Swan Maiden,” and “Urashima Taro.” First of all, these stories are primarily concerned with romantic feelings, which are not always mutual; some have tragic endings, such as “Swan Maiden” and “Urashima Taro” (Tatar). Second, all the stories involve a partner transformed into an animal; it is possible to suppose that it means that meeting a person is always like meeting a stranger. People contain mysteries, and one may never know when their love meets them. Generally, characters who accept the undesirable vision of the animal characters then end up happily; this might mean that loving a person and building a relationship takes time and happens only when both partners accept each other. Otherwise, if someone tries to limit their partner, like in “Swan Maiden,” they meet failure. Therefore, the fairytales contain material and meaning that corresponds to human values.
To conclude, fairytales are deeply entrenched with human meanings that each person might identify differently. In this analysis, it was uncovered that the “Beauty and the Beast” type of story suggests psychological changes that happen in a person during a relationship. However, if a person can manage these changes while accepting their partner as they are, it is certain that a happy ending awaits them after this.
Work Cited
Tatar, Maria. Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World. Penguin, 2017.