Herne- Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of and old tale

1. Herne- Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of and old tale

2. Thesis • Hearne argues that the story of Beauty and the Beast gains it strength and persistence as a narrative due to a surprising amount of flexibility • Various adaptations of the story may change several elements of it, but retain the main themes and metaphors of the original.

3. Evidence and Support • Herne first points to major differences just in similar versions of the original story • Changes in art style can give the story an entirely different tone or perspective • Writing style can change the pace of the story, and how certain characters, such as the sisters, are treated

4. Evidence and Support (cont.) • Herne also cites examples of stories that drastically alter the setting and nature of the characters in the story, while retaining the central themes • “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”- Beauty and the Beast in 20th century England • “Beauty”- Futuristic Sci-fi adaptation

5. Conclusion • Herne challenges the notion that shifting from oral to literary tradition damages a story by making one “correct” version • The wide variety of Beauty and the Beast adaptations, and the artistic liberties taken in individual versions can make the story unique to various readers • “Yet the power of radically different versions, the elastic nature of story, is undeniable and common to printed as well as oral versions.” (106) • All of Herne’s examples are readily identifiable as versions of Beauty and the Beast, based on their lot progressions, themes, and motifs. But each version she describes in vastly different in its own way.