Everyday Canvas

Belle from the Disney Movie--Beauty and the Beast

As soon as the villagers said, "Her nose stuck in a book," I felt Belle in the Beauty and the Beast could probably be a good friend or my alter ego or almost a replica of me. I was amazed even more when she recognized and disliked Gaston's manipulative behavior. She told her father right out, "[Gaston] He's handsome all right, and rude, and conceited." She defied Gaston even though the villagers were on his side. Believe me, I can relate to that alone one hundred percent.

Belle also possessed strong intuition. She understood right away that the Beast's castle was enchanted. Moreover, she learned how to be happy in that castle and how to find the good in Beast by making him feel good about himself.

Belle, not only managed to tame the Beast but also, she herself went through a change in the movie. While she was dreaming of a life of adventure and romance, she matured during her imprisonment in the Beast's castle; however, most of her maturation and strength came from her insight and perception. When Beast gave Belle his enormous library, Belle saw the good in him and made friends with him. As a result, at the end of the movie, that friendship turned to love, breaking the enchantment.

Come to think of it, a character as strong as Belle would make a wonderful heroine in any other story, with a name change and a bit of revision here and there. Belle is one powerful princess, and to this day, no other Disney character has replaced her in my heart.

A Short List of Belle's Attributes:

1. Belle as a Disney Princess is a true beauty inside out.
2. She is witty and well-learned due to her reading and expansive vocabulary.
3. She knows how to listen and perceive before she talks.
4. She thinks things through before acting.
5. Has good powers of concentration.
6. She can pick capable people to help her, people like Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts.
7. She can recognize a good act like the one when Beast saved her from the wolves.
8. She is inventive and admires creative ideas,
9. She can be playful and casual.
10. She is inquisitive and her curiosity forces her to touch the forbidden.
11. She tells the truth, always.
12. She is gentle with the Beast. She doesn't put him down but tells him the truth. "You should control your temper," she says.
13. She is good with horses and horseback riding.
14. She is flexible in her habits such as when she ate her breakfast from her bowl to make the Beast feel better.

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Prompt: Who was your favorite cartoon character?