After reading "Beauty and the Beast," decide what is the symbolism of Beauty longing for a rose above all else. Explain why you think this.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

Answers

I think Beauty's desire for the rose is symbolic of her simple idealism. It represents that she wants happiness and well-being for her family and nothing more. The beauty (and rarity, evidently) of a rose portrays the elusive "happy ending" that Beauty wants, the simplicity of a flower as a gift shows that what she wants isn't a complicated thing.

-Bains

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

Beauty's longing for the rose symbolizes her rare virtues. Beauty is simple; she doesn't long for material possesions, and is content to spend her time amusing herself. Compared to her concieted and spoiled sisters, whose greatest concerns are their poverty, Beauty is much more valuable in the sense that she has the "perfect" disposition. Like a simple rose, she contains rare and 'beautiful' traits that are hard to find.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

Beauty's desire for a rose is probably symbolic of her virtue, but also it shows her selflessness. When she is pressured, only then does she ask for something and all she asks for is a rose. She wants to save her father money, and hardship. Thus it seems appropriate that she is the only one to get her wish.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

I think the rose shows Beauty's appreciation for the "better things in life," not merely possessions, but the beauty of nature. It also shows the same of the Beast - that stealing a rose was the merchant's crime is significant to me. In both cases, I think the author regaurded the simple love of beauty in nature as an ideal way to be.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

Perhaps the Rose is a symbol of a sort of impracticality. Now, don't take this the wrong way; a modicum if impracticality is necessary for a virtuous character in a fairy-tale (like Gandalf's "fool's hope" in LotR). Whereas the other sisters wish for greedy (but, you must admit, useful) items, Beauty wishes for a simple joy - despite her family's desperate situation. It just shows that Beauty is unsullied by the concerns of an inherently evil world.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

I believe the rose is a symbol of her simplisity. She does not want rich and extravagent things. In fact in the begininng all she wants is her father to come home safely. The rose is more a depection of herself and her values than material things.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

Beauty's rose is a symbol of simplicity, and everything (mostly) they said above. Maybe Beauty longs for simple beauty in life... she doesn't want burdensome possessions, just a red rose. That's the Beauty of it.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

When Beauty asks for a rose, it probably symbolizes her symplicity and goodness and idealism as mentioned before. Beauty cared more for her father than any gift he could bring back. However, when she asks for the rose, it is simply to appease her sisters who are upset because she does not ask for anything. The story hints that perhaps she knows more about the world than the innocence portrayed by the rose may lead us to believe. In the story, it says that Beauty did not believe that the ship would make them all rich again. Perhaps the rose also symbolizes understanding (in an obscure way).

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

hmmm..... well i think it symbolizes what has happened to her. Take into account a rose... if you start from the bottom up, you'll find the thorns first, at the root of the problem. But keep going up and we'll see the flower itself it's perfect and it's beauty is untold. Let's look at beast. When you begin, you see a monster and thats the root of the problem, no one can love a monster. But once you climb and get through the thorns, you'll find true love, a creature of caring and love and i think Beauty wanting a rose shows she wants true love, something simple but something that you cant just pick and take with you. Like her father couldn't pick the rose and take it with him. Hmm... that sounds good...

-ror

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

I thought that her desire for a rose showed that she had the capacity to love the beast. This might be a stretch, but the fact that she could overcome the initial prick of the rose might also show that she could overcome the beast's initial appearance.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004