Like most adolescents who grew up watching television, I loved watching Disney movies, specifically those centered around a princess finding true love. Being the impressionable young girl I was, I remember fantasizing that I too could be a princess and live in a grand castle. Among all the princesses, however, I specifically remember favoring Belle from Beauty and the Beast. To this day, I still have Beauty and the Beast toys, purses, and even shirts as remnants of my childhood obsession with her. It intrigues me a bit, looking back, to think that out of all the classic princesses there were, I loved Belle the most. In a way, I was easily infatuated, ignoring the fact that it was about a girl falling in love with the guy holding her hostage.

Despite that, Belle was a great role model and even today when I rewatch Beauty and the Beast, I think of how inspiring of a person she is. Personally, compared to the other princesses, I’ve always felt that she was also the most relatable princess. For instance, before any of the chaos happens, she is seen as simply a girl who loves reading and adventures, which I could relate to. To me, the other princesses and their conditions weren’t as “normal” in a sense. For example, Cinderella is pretty much a slave to her stepsisters, and Snow White lives with multiple dwarves. Most importantly, we can’t forget the overall message we learn from watching Beauty and the Beast, the fact that we should see people for who they are on the inside, not the outside. Because the Beast was turned into who he was because of his nasty personality, it teaches young children that it doesn’t matter if you’re good-looking, from a well-off family, or materialistic; your attitude toward others is what is reflected and shown. Furthermore, the movie shows how morally, we need to look past one’s outer appearance. While Gaston might’ve been the “hot shot”, he was also the most entitled, selfish, and rude, and I specifically remember the scene where Belle straight-out says, “He’s not a monster, Gaston, you are!” All the other girls in town fall head over heels for his looks, and it’s always inspiring to see that Belle is the only one who can see him for who he really is.

Today, living in a world plagued with racism, discrimination, and all-around hate, seeing Belle really reminds me, and I hope others, that in the end, what matters isn’t looks and appearance, but character and inner beauty. We realize that it’s not those who look monstrous who are beasts, but those who have hearts with self-hearted acts.