7 Life Lessons We Learn From Belle

7 Life Lessons We Learn From Belle

We all know Belle, that witty brown-haired beauty from Beauty and the Beast. 

(Disney.Wikia.com)

But what many casual B&B viewers don't realize is that this bookish girl from a poor provincial town actually teaches us several life lessons! I am revealing to you only a handful of the lessons that Belle poignantly pushes in our face, and doing so in the order that they appear in the film for your convenience.

1. Be Yourself

In a provincial town, especially during the old-fashioned times that Belle grew up in, being a woman who reads and has opinions makes you a bad woman. Gaston points this out in his boorish manner when he warns Belle that "it's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas, and thinking". So let's pause for a moment and realize just how big of a deal this actually is. For one, the whole town is gossiping about her. Do you know what affect that can have on a teenage girl? Secondly, no man seems to be interested in her books. Gaston pushes them aside, people call her a "funny girl", and the only one who cares about books at all aside from Belle is the creepy old library keeper! But Belle sticks to her guns and isn't afraid to show her love of books and, in turn, her quirkiness!

(imgkid.com)

2. Never Settle

As mentioned above, Belle doesn't exactly have men flocking to her cabin. But that fact does not deter her from absolutely and unequivocally denying the one man that asks her to marry him, because he is not at all the kind of man she wants in life. Belle may not know what kind of a man she wants exactly, because she reads so much fiction and let's face it, the men in story books are sooo much better than the men in real life, but at least she understands herself enough to know that she does not want to be "madam Gaston, his little wife". Belle has no idea if another man will eventually propose to her or not. For all she knows, this might be her one chance. But Belle firmly accepts the fact that she is not going to settle for someone she knows she will be unhappy with, even if it means living the single life. (#foreveralone)

(Fanpop.com)

3. Dream Big

Belle lives in a small town and has accepted herself as a small, simple person. But she never gives up on her dreams to have something real and exciting happen in her life! Belle knows that she "wants adventure in the great wide somewhere", and even though she doubts it will happen because she has to stay at home and watch after her adorable but bumbling father, she still isn't afraid to dream it. She holds out for something bigger, something greater, and she keeps dreaming because she knows that the moment you give up a dream, you are never, EVER going to achieve it.

(toonswallpapers.com)

4. Put Others First

I hold strongly to my beliefs that Belle is a class-act girl. Upon finding out that her father is in trouble, she abandons all thoughts of danger to herself and flees to his rescue. Some might argue that she should have sought the help of the townsfolk, but if they consider Maurice crazy then it would be just as easy for them to think that the craziness had passed on down to the daughter. In other words, no one would care. So Belle bravely ventures forth into the unknown, and when she discovers what has happened to her father, she springs into action to save him. But suddenly, she is given a choice; free her father and stay a prisoner in a dungeon, or escape herself and let her father die in the prison? Belle does what any mother, daughter, or sister should do: She frees her father and takes his place, proving the ultimate form of self-sacrifice that actually mimics that of Jesus Christ's. Belle knows that her life could end in that cell, she could get just as sick as her father and die there with no one to help her. But she cares so much for her father that she agrees to take his place, setting free the one person who has ever loved her, and the one person that she has loved all her life. 

(Disney.Wikia.com)

5. Look Past the Superficial

Now, there are those that claim that Belle has Stockholm's Syndrome. This, I assure you, is not true. Look at things from the Beast's point of view; he was cursed as a child because he behaved in a way that his parents, as royalty, would have brought up a child. Then he was stuck in a castle, no parents, no family, surrounded only by the people he had no doubt mistreated during his rough transition into beasthood, and locked up in the one place that constantly reminds him of his failures. Belle, when Beast begrudgingly shows her a tiny bit of kindness, sees past the superficial and notices that there is someone in there who really does just want to be happy, but can't find a way to do so because of what he looks like. Being such a bookworm, Belle is very good at not judging books by their covers, and instead she starts to turn the pages and reads the book of Beast to find out who he truly is. Sure, he was tall, half bear half wolf, and had anger management issues. But Belle was able to draw out the happiness that had been waiting inside of Beast, simply by seeing past his surface and taking the time and compassion to find out who he truly is.

(Fanpop.com)

6. Family Always Comes First

Belle has her priorities straight. Despite the fact that she is on potentially the best date ever and that the scene is the most romantic scene that one could ever hope for, Belle knows what is really important, and that is family. Despite being oh so close to having Beast say that he loves her, when Belle finds out that her father is sick and in need, Beast lets her go to him, and she leaves right away, politely thanking Beast on the way out. There's a saying that goes 'sisters before misters', but Belle knows to put any family member before a man. As much as she cares for Beast, her father is the one that has been there for her throughout her whole life, who has raised her and sacrificed for her and loved her unconditionally. Belle wants to give back just as much as Maurice has given her. Also, major kudos to Beast for being understanding and caring enough to let her go, even though he knew that meant he may never be human again.

(Fanpop.com)

7. Never Give Up

Belle goes through a lot. She's harassed by the villages and Gaston, she ends up a prisoner in a castle, she faces down wolves, she gets locked in a cellar, and she goes through the wolf-ridden woods all by herself again so that she can try to reach the castle in time to save Beast from Gaston. Throughout all of her struggles and trials, Belle never gives up. She constantly forces her way forward, looking at the best of her circumstances. She always looks for a way to do what needs done, whether it's finding her missing father or breaking out of her cellar. Belle never, ever gives up. 

(SoundonSight.org)

And so, we can see that Belle truly is one of the best Disney princesses to take after. Elsa has relationship issues, Ariel abandons her family for a man, and Aurora falls in love after a first kiss. But Belle takes her time with love, watches over her family, and holds tight to her values and opinions. This girl is one worth fighting for. 

Until next time!

~Cely