Transformation of the Beast

The beast in this tale from Cape Cod is the Marimo (a cannibal). The Marimo first tries to fool Tsélané by posing as her mother, but Tsélané knows that his voice most definitely does not belong to her mother. Tsélané tells the Marimo to leave and so he does. The Marimo heats an iron hoe over the fire and swallows it in attempts to clear his voice or make it more motherly. He tries to fool Tsélané once more, but she knew it still was not her mother’s voice. The Marimo swallows the iron rod once more and successfully fools Tsélané and kidnaps her. After Tsélané is rescued by a group of little girls and her mother, the Marimo is transformed into a tree after he throws himself in a mud heap.

Tsélané and the Marimo

The Marimo first tries to pose as Tsélané’s mother and then is transformed into a tree. Trees are a maternal symbol, so the Marimo is now a “mother” in essence.

Beauty and the Beast

The beast in Beaumont’s Beauty and the Beast is a beastly creature on the surface, but shows kindness and virtue. Beauty’s father entered Beast’s castle and once he was returning home after being shown hospitality, he picks roses from the garden for Beauty. Beast sees that as betrayal and demands the father to present one of his daughters in his place. Beauty willing goes in her father’s place and lives a life of happiness with the Beast. Beauty does not see the Beast as grotesque, but as kind and compassionate. She falls in love with the Beast and his curse is lifted. Beast transforms into his former self—a handsome intelligent prince. The two wed and become king and queen.

The prince was turned into a beast by an evil magic and then was restored to his true form thanks to Beauty’s sincere love. Beauty is also transformed in a sense, she becomes a wife and a queen.

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The tales are similar in the sense that the rescue elements are unconventional in the story realm.  In Tsélané and the Marimo little girls and Tsélané’s mother rescue her. In Beauty and the Beast, Beauty is the one who saves the Beast with her genuine love. The tales are greatly different in plot and setting, but share the avant-garde nature of rescue. The two tales can be examined from a feminist perspective of the female’s ability to “save the day”.

I really like both tales, but I think I like Beauty and the Beast a little more. I love how the Beast is a gentle giant and is not ferocious like he is in other adaptations. Beauty is an important role model because of her compassion, kind-heartedness, and her ability to see people (and beasts) for who they truly are.