Traditional Literature Analyis
Traditional Literature Analysis
Beauty and the Beast
1. As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale
As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale was written by Liz Braswell. This variation of the classic traditional children’s literature takes a twist on the popular story. In the original story, Belle is a small-town girl who falls in love with a cursed beast, and in the end, she is the one who helps break his curse so he can be human again. In this story, Belle’s mother is the one who curses the beast. When Belle goes to touch the rose, her head is filled with memories of her mother than she never imagined meeting again. Belle and the beast work together to track down her mother and break the curse that is laid upon him. In this story, the stereotypes are abolished because Belle is the one to help save the Beast. In other stereotypical fairytales, females are the ones in danger and are in need of a man to save them. Throughout the story, Belle’s perspective is shown. Culture can be displayed in this story by Belle’s beliefs. She believes that she is a strong woman and tries her best to save the Beast. This represents a culture of strong woman who are not dependent on men.
This story is great for older elementary because the students can relate to their childhood classics and see a new play on the story. This fantasy novel hooks readers with its engaging writing, and unexpected surprises. The author’s tone is very engaging and intriguing. “Once upon a time, slightly longer ago than before, there was a kingdom whose name and very existence have long since been forgotten.” (Braswell, 2016).
Braswell, L. (2016). As old as time: A twisted tale. Los Angeles: Disney Press.
2. Beauty and the Beast Novelization (Disney)
Beauty and the Beast was written by Elizabeth Rudnick. This version of Beauty and the Beast is most similar to the original story, but it’s just Disney’s take on the story. Belle is a girl with big dreams who wants to travel to lands she reads about in her novels. She lives alone with her father but wants something more. She eventually meets the beast who is a prince that is cursed. When they fall in love, it breaks his curse and allows him the opportunity to marry her and rule the kingdom together. Just like the previous book, this book abolishes stereotypes that the girl has to be saved by the man. In this story, Belle is the one who saves her man. Throughout the whole story is shows the Beast’s, and Belle’s perspectives. Culture is portrayed in this book through the society and the townspeople. Gaston expects Belle to drop everything to marry him because the culture is big on marriage, but Belle wanted more to her life than just marriage. Belle wants to travel and achieve her dreams.
This story is perfect for all ages. I would recommend this classic tale to any teacher that is going over fantasy literature. The variations of Beauty and the Beast keeps the tale timeless and engaging for students. The front cover attracts students because it has the same style and feel as the classic Disney movie. The simplistic writing keeps it easy for all ages to comprehend. This Disney variation of the classic Beauty and the Beast is a must have in any children’s library.
Rudnick, E., Spiliotopoulos, E., Chbosky, S., & Condon, B. (2017). Beauty and the Beast. Los Angeles: Disney Press.
3. Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book
Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book was written by Jennifer Donnelly in 2017. This twist on the classic novel goes into more about Belle’s life. The story follows Belle and her journey when she discovers an enchanted book in the Beast’s library called Nevermore and it takes her to a new world. A mysterious woman comes to her and offers her everything she could ever ask for in this new world. Belle really gets “lost” in the book. This book abolishes gender stereotypes because Belle is a hardworking woman with goals, dreams, and aspirations. Her voice is heard throughout the whole story. This story represents a culture of believing in yourself and fighting for your dreams.
I would recommend this story to any student who loves fantasy, or any teacher that is teaching a unit on classics, or fantasies. Even though the story is a twist on the popular tale, it is still engaging for readers. It is more recommended for older elementary levels because it is a chapter book with 352 pages. With the author’s interactive tone, the readers get lost in the book just like Belle does in her own book! The imaginative characters and clever storytelling, help readers fall in love with this children’s book.
Donnelly, J. (2017). Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book. Bath: Paper Rocket.