Evidently, Carter employs explicit elements of traditional fairy tales into her story. We are initially introduced to a sweet, innocent “lovely girl” who completes “her chores” whilst her father is absent; the epitome of a traditional fairy tale character. Even her name highlights her characteristics and her purpose, “Beauty”. Even here, Carter is using the traditional narrative fairy tale tool of giving characters names which purely reflect their purpose. Her father is “Beauty’s father”, and Mr Lyon is initially merely “the Beast”; underlining his primary role and characteristic.
Expectantly, “the Beast” fulfils our expectations of an animalistic, violent figure of fairy tales. His hands are “claws”, and he speaks in a “renewed roar”. By employing such animalistic descriptions, we are led to believe that the Beast is indeed, a lion, not man; “for a lion is a lion, and a man is a man”. These supernatural, magical connotations are used frequently in traditional fairy-tales.
On the theme of magic, the alternative reality Carter places the Beast’s residence in reflects the setting outside of reality adopted in traditional fairy tales. His house “barred all within it from the world outside the walled, wintery garden”, and absorbs the reader into “a suspension of reality”. However, the modern city setting of London which Beauty returns to contrasts with the entirely magical fairy tale settings employed in traditional fairy tales. Carter seems to be, as she does in ‘The Bloody Chamber’, humanising her stories, and adding a twist to traditional fairy tales.
This modern twist seems to be reflected also in Carter’s characterisation. Beauty, as the plot develops, seems to move from her “inner light” and virtuous, innocent disposition into one of vanity and petulance. She develops in London, away from her fairy tale cottage and the magical Beast’s house into a “spoiled child”, with her father’s new found fortune. This contrasts with traditional fairy tales, through which the female character remains merely an object of innocence and virtue throughout. Again, Carter seems to be humanising the situation, as modern readers may expect a girl living a life of luxury in London to fall to vanity.
The Beast also seems to break away from his designated role of the violent animal. His actions resemble that of a respectful, yet shy gentleman when he is around Beauty. He flings himself “at her feet” to kiss her hands, and finds himself “hesitant” when he is around her. This idea is reinforced by his biblical descriptions; his “halo” and references to the “Gospel” evoke positive, heavenly connotations, suggesting the Beast is not intended to conform to the traditional fairy tale villain.
Perhaps the most significant, yet subtle contrast to traditional fairy tales is the effect Beauty has on the Beast. The women in fairy tales are usually objectified as objects of possession, to be claimed and married by the male hero. However, in ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’, it is the woman whose eyes “pierce appearances and see your soul”. The woman is the one looking at the man, almost an inverted option of the “male-gaze”, a notion describing the visual objectification of woman found in traditional fairy tales. Conversely, the Beast still “inspected” the photo with “wonder”, suggesting Carter intends to retain some elements of the male aesthetic appreciation seen in traditional stories; yet the emphasis on Beauty’s piercing look undeniably adds a certain twist to a traditional fairy-tale.
The other elements of traditional stories Carter intended to employ in her story are that of a condition; Beauty’s stay with the Beast is “the price of her father’s good fortune”, and also a happy ending. The phrase “Mr and Mrs Lyon” suggests marriage at the end of the story, an ending usually seen in traditional fairy tales. These elements, and the points above all point to the conclusion that Carter did intend her story to be in the style of a traditional fairy tale; however she still adds modern twists to break away and humanise the story.
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