Intro
While talking to a few friends of mine who are all big Beauty and the Beast fans, we came to the discussion about how Gaston was a representation of how Adam used to be before he became the beast. I had never really thought about it, but I realized that they were right. Gaston might be the villain of the movie, but to be honest, in my eyes he started off as just an antagonist. His arrogance and desire for Belle turned him INTO a villain. Adam was just as arrogant and mean as he was. Still, both of them had different fates.
So that is the topic of what we are going to discuss today. Two characters with the same personalities, but mirrored fates in the end.
Two Men With Similar Personalities
The story instantly starts off by introducing Adam and how he turned into a beast. He lived in a shining castle and although he had everything his heart desired, he was selfish, spoiled and unkind. Te enchantress came to test him, disguising herself as an old beggar woman and asking for shelter, all in return for a single rose. Adam only looked at her in disgust, and sent her away, still not listening when she warned him not to be deceived by what's on the outside. That is the reason why he had been turned into a beast. He wasn't the only one who was punished, but his servants as well. being turned into furniture. The curse would only be broken if he would learn to love another and earn that person's love back.
We all know that story. But who else do we know in this movie who is all arrogant, thinks he can do no wrong, and only cares about looks? Exactly! The small provincial town's most popular hunter. Gaston is just as arrogant as the beast was. He is convinced he deserves the best, and that is why he is so desperate for Belle. Why was Belle the best for him? Because she was the most beautiful town in town. and would the enchantress have ended up on his doorstep instead, I have a feeling that he would have done the exact same thing as Adam did. He would have closed the door right in her face.
Both of them were also motivated by the people around them. We don't know a lot about Adam's upbringing, but he had so many servants, and I feel like there is a reason for the fact that they have been punished as well. Where his parents are is a mystery obviously. Gaston is also loved and adored by the town. No one is telling him he is taking it too far. No one tells him to leave Belle alone because she clearly isn't interested in it. No... They motivate him and stand with him. Everyone showing up to the 'surprise wedding'. The song Gaston makes it very clear how much the town loves this arrogant man.
Writer's Note: It is perfectly fine to have two characters be similar to one and other, but it is important to give their personality enough distinction to still make them feel like two different people. Adam and Gaston have similarities, but still are two different characters. Gaston is even more over the top than Adam was. I don't feel like Adam would have been arrogant enough to force a woman to marry him. That is what separates the two of them.
Mirrored Actions And Events
There is one event in the movie that is repeated, but in different ways. Maurice gets lost and finds the Beasts castle, where he is welcomed by his servants. But the moment the beast finds out he is there, things take a turn. Instead of shelter for the rain, the Beast locks him up in the dungeon to keep him there. Belle will do anything for her father, and tells him she'll go in his place. The Beast tells her she'll have to promise to stay forever, and she does.
When Maurice asks the villagers for help, everyone thinks he is crazy, and Gaston comes up with a plan. Sending him to a mad house, aka locking him up. The only way he will let Maurice go? If Belle says that she will marry him. The only difference is that Belle refuses this proposal.
Writer's Note: Just because a character is known for something, doesn't mean that they don't have their limits. Someone can be kind to most people and try to avoid fighting as much as possible. But sometimes there is a breaking point and they refuse to do the one thing they are known for. In this movie, Belle is willing to give up her freedom forever so she can save her father. But getting married to Gaston is going too far, especially when he clearly planned everything. This is a perfect example of a character being pushed to their limit. I do always find it interesting to see characters change and say: "No, I am not doing that anymore!"
Different Character Arcs And Fates
Though Gaston and Adam started off with similar personalities, their character arcs are quite different. Adam hates himself. Not just because he was turned into a monster, but because of who he used to be. Now that he is turned into a monster, he thinks it's hopeless. No one will ever fall in love with a monster, so why even try. Still, you can see shame and regret when Belle first enters the castle. He takes Maurice away and throws him into a carriage to bring him back home, then goes back to Belle who he finds crying in her cell. You can already see that he feels bad. Though his servants suggested him giving her a new room, I almost think he might have done it either way. He can clearly see the distress.
When she doesn't want to come to eat, he is mad at her. When he is alone in his room, he sees Belle saying she doesn't want to get to know him and wants nothing to do with him. He is ashamed, feeling like what he always thought was true. She could never learn to care about him...
After catching her in his room he is angry and chases her away, but you instantly see the regret on his face. He goes after her, finding her being attacked by the wolves and (I assume) having no hesitation in saving her, even nearly dying himself. Of course, his character does not change within one action. When he wakes up he still yells at her, but Belle holds her ground.
Writer's Note: Was it a good thing for Belle to go to the ONE place that the Beast told her to stay away from? In my opinion, not really. But that is part of her character. Belle is not perfect either, even though she is portrayed as kind and beautiful. As always, main characters have their flaws. And Belle has her share of stubbornness and curiosity.
Beast sees her kindness, and he softens, even wanting to do something nice. He changes because of her kindness. Not just because she might be able to break the curse, but because she showed him kindness when no one else did. He even let's her go when she realizes her father is sick. He knows that if she leaves she will never return again and he'll be alone forever. But he wants her to be happy. He doesn't WANT her to be a prisoner. Even though his servants are sad and discuss how he will never break the spell, he doesn't care anymore. He actually fell in love with her already but he doesn't expect Belle to do the same.
Writer's Note: Technically, I would consider both Gaston and the Beast as an antagonist. Gaston isn't really a villain until near the last thirty minutes of the movie. The Beast is not evil at all, but he does stand in Belle's way. He completely takes away her freedom, standing in the way of her happiness. Both him and Gaston at the BEGINNING of the movie are antagonists, but not villains.
Gaston takes a whole other turn than Beast does. Granted, Belle doesn't treat him with the same kindness as she treats the Beast after saving her life, but he also does not give her a reason too. She also doesn't really treat him badly. She kindly greets him and talks to him, even if she is being curtly and clearly uncomfortable. She treats him the same way as she treats the whole village. She even rejects him kindly instead of saying straight up no.
Sadly, Gaston's fame has gone to his head. He knows he is the most handsome man in town, and he knows everyone adores him. Everyone, except Belle... He tries to win her over, asking her to marry him, but she refuses him, humiliating him by letting him fall into the mud and a pig landing on his head. Had she intended that to happen? Probably not... She just wanted him out of the house, but her reaction clearly hurt his ego.
The moment Maurice comes running into the tavern, right after Le Fou managed to boost his ego again by just singing a song, he develops a plan. He knows how much Belle loves Maurice, and he hasn't forgotten about how she humiliated him. So, to make her marry him, he develops a crazy plan to get Maurice locked up in the mad house.
This is his first step into a villain arc. He of course thinks he's doing nothing wrong, and the whole town is right behind him. Added to that, the fact that Maurice comes running in and crying about a beast, does sound a little bit crazy when you have never heard about or seen anything like that. So to any person, this claim would have sounded crazy...
Belle refuses him, telling him she will never marry him, and instead shows the whole town that her father is telling the truth and the beast is real. When she starts talking about how the Beast is kind and not dangerous at all, Gaston falls deeper into his villain arc. He notices that Belle has feelings for him, which she maybe doesn't even realize herself. Belle choose a hideous Beast instead of the most handsome man in town. That broke his Ego, and he is determined to fight for what is 'his'. He refuses to believe a monster could ever learn to love.
When Beast shows his humanity, and spares his life instead of throwing him off the tower, he could have taken his loss. He could have gone home, or even find a new life where he could start anew. But while the human inside Beast grew, the monster inside Gaston grew just as much. He hated to lose and attacked Beast in the back, falling to his doom, because of his own obsession with Belle.
Conclusion
So, these are two characters that started off in a similar way, but their ending was absolutely the opposite. Though still, I don't think Belle would have been able to change Gaston if she tried. He only liked her for her beauty, even telling her how she would live as his wife, and how she needed to stop reading, because it wasn't something a Lady would do. He would need someone who he'd respect more than just the fact that she is beautiful.
So that concludes the next analysis of one of Disney's greatest hits! I hope you like it. Do you agree with these points? Any points you think I might have missed? Is there a story you know that has this kind thing? Let me know in the comments!
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