Hi Nikki, Erin, Benton, Tiffany, Emily and Michelle,
Here is your assignment for this week, with deadlines different from the usual.
Pick one scene or element from Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, and compare it or contrast it with de Beaumont's version. You might pick something that interests you, that seems odd, or something that you missed in one version or the other, for example.
For those of you who didn't manage to, you have time to complete the reading and watch the film, which is available on OAK and also on Reserve in the Library.
Deadline for putting up your responses is 09.00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Deadline for comment on at least one post is 10.00 a.m. on Thursday.
Ann
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One element that stood out to be that was different was the role that religion played in de Beaumont's version from the Cocteau film. In de Beaumont's, God's name is mentioned several times, so it is clear that the religion is crucial and prominent in the author's life, culture, and time. In the Cocteau film, religion is not obvious. In the de Beaumont version, God's role is evident in: the dreams and "signs" that Beauty receives; in the Beast's words, such as "I am going to give you exactly an hour to beg God's forgiveness"; and Beauty's own beliefs, such as when she says to her father "No, father. You must go tomorrow morning and leave me to the mercy of Heaven. Heaven may still take pity on me." Also, in the narration, "But since she was courageous, she put herself in God's hands and resolved not to bemoan her fate during the short time she had left to live." A lot of the good that occurs is evidently of God's own doing and will in de Beaumont's version, which reflects the values of France's society, pre-Enlightenment, where religion was the most influential part of people's lives. Then, religion was proudly declared to influence government, society-- nearly every aspect of daily life, whereas now, in modern days, which is reflected in Cocteau's contemporary film, religion is not always proclaimed to be such a large influence on politics or general daily events.
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