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Bri Spangler’s novel ​Beast​ is a modern rendition of the original ​Beauty and the Beast

(Villeneuve 1740)​, that battles consistent patterns of heteronormativity expressed in traditional

fairy stories, and how these outdated views translate in current society. This trend in traditional

fairy stories have “acculturated girls to certain conventional roles, such as [having a] dependency

on males and...traditional marriages” (​Schnibben 2014​). The effects of these trends condition

women to accept certain beliefs and attitudes on sex roles, appearance, and patriarchy. Doing so

creates a problematic value system, where “girls learn that beauty, along with its corresponding

feminine traits of submission and passivity, is the most valuable asset” (Drewett 2013) they can

have, and that a man's interest in them is of utmost importance.

In fairy stories, the lead characters are often beautiful, young women, “however, several

types of women exist, and the reader is often able to deduce each character’s moral character

based on their physical appearance” ​(Neikirk)​. Attractiveness is a key indicator of one's chance

at happiness in fairy stories, and yields a distinct trend of “self-fulfilling prophecies, where

pretty girls expect to be rewarded and [all others] believe they deserve whatever punishments or

misfortunes come their way” (Drewett 2013). Gabrielle Villeneuve’s ​Beauty and the Beast

(1740) intends to teach the moral of looking past physical appearances, and growing to love an

ugly ‘beast’, yet, contradicts itself when Beast is “restored…to his natural form” (Villeneuve

p.26) of the handsome, young prince. Ultimately reinforcing the idea, “his becoming a handsome

prince is Beauty’s reward for her goodness in learning to love him” (Drewett 2013). Therefore

the Beast, who lives in a splendid castle with jewels and beauty, would not be viable, for
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something as ugly as the Beast cannot be categorized with wealth and beauty. When the Beast

had asked Beauty if “she thought she could be happy in his palace” (Villeneuve p.16), she

responds by commenting on the beauty of everything and how “she would be very hard to please

if she could not be happy” (Villeneuve p.16), further accentuating the idea beauty will end in

happiness.

Bri Spangler puts the power of appearance central to her novel ​Beast,​ in order to

highlight the ideation in traditional fairy stories that suggest a person’s appearance is enough to

determine the outcomes of their life, and how adaptations of this value are upheld in current

society. In the novel, Dylan dwells in self-pity and envisions the sad life his hideousness has

destined him to, living “alone in a trailer park...even more hairy and huge than ever” (Spangler,

p.133), subsisting on beer and peanuts, and only finding female companionship through old porn

and escorts. Early in the novel, Dylan falls “off the roof trying to get a football” (Spangler, p.10),

which is later revealed as a cover for him stepping off of his family’s roof rather intentionally.

Dylan is unbothered by the events that had just taken place, expressing he would rather be

“known as a guy on crutches than the freak show” (Spangler, p.18). The fact that Dylan would

rather be disabled than ugly suggests his status of appearance is paramount, emphasizing the

impact the status of appearance plays on insecurities, and the lengths people will go to feel

accepted.
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The pressures of settling down and starting a family are present in both traditional and

modern fairy stories. Fairy stories depict marriage as the female’s only option out of their current

life circumstances, “limiting the female’s vision for her own life to the home and nursery,

thereby perpetuating a patriarchal status quo” (​Schnibben 2014​). This idea further enforces how

the beautiful and “passive women in fairy stories are invariably rewarded with marriage to a

wealthy and handsome prince” (Drewett 2014), suggesting that the ultimate reward in life is a

heterosexual marriage, where only the beautiful women are worthy of receiving a life with riches

and companionship. The patriarchal mentality of our society places men as being of greater value

to the economy and general well-being of society. Heteronormativity is thus a value that “best

serves the interest of heterosexual men, who arguably constitute the most powerful group in

society” (Drewett 2014), and as a result, their values are the “most frequently reproduced in

cultural expressions” (Drewett 2014). In the novel ​Beast,​ Spangler expresses the widespread

desire for the ‘fairy tale dream’ by supplying highly inverse characters, such as Dylan and Jamie,

with similar dreams for the future that also coincide with the ‘happily ever after’ theme

represented in traditional fairy stories. Jamie recalls always want[ing] to be a mommy”

(Spangler, p.103), before she even knew what that meant. Similarly, Dylan places the value of

female attention as a high priority so he can live his dream of, “get[ting] married, hav[ing] a

kid…mov[ing] to Europe” (Spangler, p.230) and supporting his family. Ultimately highlighting

the great extent to which these values of traditional marriage and sex roles remain upheld in

modern society. It is important to note the alterations Dylan makes to his dream life in order to

include Jamie, a life where they “would not have to answer any questions…and [they would] get
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married and ​adopt​ babies. [Jamie] could take pictures, and [Dylan could] stay at home with the

kids while studying and teaching classes...in England” (Spangler, p.248). The concept of Dylan

wanting to stay home to take care of their children, while also working to provide the support

and freedom for Jamie to achieve her dreams, contradicts the low status of women and their

affiliated gender roles that are commonly expressed throughout fairy literature.

The traditional ​Beauty and the Beast​ highlights the significance of the passive women in

fairy tales through the trade of Beauty to the Beast, and the valued ‘happily ever after’ ending.

The Beast first projects himself as the hyper-masculine and violent male lead when threatening

the Beauty’s father for stealing a rose from his garden, and even more so after agreeing to spare

the man's life in exchange for his daughter. The trading of women as property is substantial in

fairy tales, and encompasses the “gender ideals of the hyper-masculine men, while objectifying

and subordinating women” (Neikirk). The Beast uses fear and guilt to assume control over

Beauty, first with the initial trade, and later when he threatens his own demise to keep Beauty in

the confines of the palace, rather than see her family. Beauty rejects the Beast’s marriage

proposals on numerous occasions, and it is only when she believes she is to blame for the

near-death of the Beast that she suddenly realizes how much she ‘loves’ him and accepts his

marriage proposal. Villeneuve reiterates the necessity of this marriage with a “blaze of light [that

lit up the palace, followed by] fireworks crackl[ing] and guns banging” (Villeneuve, p.25), in

celebration of the heterosexual coupling. The ‘happily ever after’ ending, widely adopted in fairy
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tales, sends a message to girls that they are expected to mature along a timeline of events that

lead to their eventual marriage and children, as the key to a secure future.

The female lead in fairy tales are often passive women who sit and wait to be rescued by

their prince charming. Spangler disregards the idea of the vulnerable woman using Jamie to

attack stereotypical transgender associations, while inadvertently confronting society’s

unwillingness to accept the inclusion of nonheteronormative practices, in both literature, and

day-to-day life. On the other hand, “the traditional male lead in fairy stories is portrayed as being

handsome, hyper-masculine, and at times violent” (Neikirk). Dylan can briefly be seen as a

romantic family man but, these aspects are quickly overwhelmed by the towering “hairy slab of

meat” (Spangler, p.12), and fall secondary to his label the ‘Beast’, that he is most known as.

Spangler demonstrates the hypermasculinity and violence usually expected from the male lead

through the motif of mirrors. Here, Dylan is finally “what people want to see...that monster under

the bridge...smash[ing] and tear[ing] the place down” (Spangler, p.133). With glass flying, and

blood splattered everywhere, the Beast is born; finally adhering to the expectations of the male

lead. By having Dylan act out in this way, Spangler demonstrates the irony in how society

perceives novels that are inclusive of LGBTQ values as a bad influence, forcing their child into

being gay; while continuously accepting and promoting misogynistic and violent values, derived

from fairy. In doing so, Spangler is able to use the motif of mirrors to display the altered

reflections constructed by societal values, and the shattering of these expectations. Dylan realizes

he “cannot be the prince, or the bodyguard, and definitely [cannot be] the man either” (Spangler,
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p.161) because he simply does not “look the part” (Spangler, p.161). Rather, his abhorrent

stature leaves him “more suited to stand...and smash the oncoming world to bits” (Spangler,

p.130). The cracked glass stares back at Dylan with a “splintered reflection” (Spangler, p.134) of

whom he thought he was, representing the predetermined roles defined in fairy, while

demonstrating the isolating effects felt by young teens who feel they do not fit into their

specified category. Jamie however, refuses to adhere to the role of the ‘helpless victim’

-commonly associated with minorities- that is cast by a society who assumes they require being

saved for being different. Throughout the novel, Jamie is loud when voicing her frustrations of

“hearing about [her] imminent demise” (Spangler, p.197) as she “does not exist to be [a]

tragedy” (Spangler, p.226), nor is she incapable of taking care of herself. Proving she is not the

passive, female lead in need of saving, that society has become accustomed to.

The social value of heterosexual marriage, is reinforced in fairy tales to children from a

young age, and remains influential in society long after the fairy tale is over. By reproducing

heteronormative values, fairy tales not only reinforce gender roles, “they also reinforce the idea

of ‘normal’, pre-defined gender identities and sexual orientations” (​Schnibben 2013​), that isolate

young ‘queers’ in society. While ​Beast​ intends to challenge heteronormalcy in literature, the

confines of the novel mostly deal with feelings of denial, shame, and despair, that is regularly

associated with those who feel they do not fit into societal ‘norms’. The stigmatization presented

by the majority of characters throughout the novel, portrays a hard and trying journey to the

acceptance of a transgender woman; reinforcing the negative rhetorical message that being
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different is wrong and generally causes a burden to others. Dylan struggles with many issues

such as his father’s death, money, and social relations, yet, his most prominent issue is having to

come to terms with Jamie's sexuality. Though Spangler includes ‘queer’ characters, the ways in

which these characters are portrayed and discussed in the novel is problematic, as it places

Jamie’s sexuality in the center of conflict.

The difficulty people have accepting Jamie mirrors society’s tyranny towards the

LGBTQ community, resulting in internal conflicts for those whose sexual orientation may be

other than heterosexual. Dylan’s mother often acknowledges Jamie as “some confused individual

with a complicated history” (Spangler, p.258) wanting to “throw a wrench in the works”

(Spangler, p.258) of Dylan’s life. Dylan contradicts such views by making the reader question,

“if Jamie was [society’s] idea of a girl, would [she still] be confused? Would...she [still be]

complicated?” (Spangler, p.258). Ultimately highlighting how society views the inclusion of

non-heternormative practices as a ‘bad influence’ that will confuse their children’s sexuality. The

stigmatization present in ​Beast​ may also represent society’s reluctance to accept these

non-traditional roles in modern literature. By using Jamie to criticize the idea one must

constantly defend themselves or “ask for permission to exist'' (Spangler, p.237), Spangler

accurately demonstrates obstacles specifically put in place to defer the inclusion of a more

diverse range of characters present in modern society.

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Question #2

Young adult novels are one of the most important ways to start a conversation about

important issues that reflect shifting norms in society. Bri Spangler uses themes of

​ illeneuve 1740),
heteronormativity and gender roles from the traditional ​Beauty and the Beast (V

in her novel ​Beast (​ Spangler 2016), to emphasize heteronormative patterns in fairy tales and the

impact they still heavily play in current societal values.

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Works Cited

Drewett, Anne. “​Curses, Ogres and Lesbians: An Examination of the Subversion and

Perpetuation of Fairy Tale Norms in Two Adaptations of Beauty and the Beast”.​

http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:906866/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

Villneuve, Gabrielle. “​The Beauty and the Beast”​. 1740.

Neikirk, Alice. ​Pology 324 Essay ÒÉ “Happily Ever AfterÓ (or What Fairytales Teach Girls)”​.

https://hilo.hawaii.edu/campuscenter/hohonu/volumes/documents/Vol07x07HappilyEverAfter.pdf.

Schnibben, Amanda. ​“Enchanted: A Qualitative Examination of Fairy-Tales and Women’s

Intimate Relational Patterns”.

https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=antioch1401309679&disposition=inline.

Spangler, Brie. “​Beast”.​ Alfred A. Knopf, 2016.