In honor of the new Beauty and the Beast film that recently came out, I thought I’d take this opportunity to ruin some childhoods! Well no, that’s not my intention, but here are some similarities I couldn’t help but notice between the Disney classic and the erotic romance series:
1. Christian Grey and the Beast both have dark secrets and mysterious facades.
Christian harbors the fact that he’s a raging Dominant by disappearing and being flighty. The Beast hides the entirely of what he’s become from the world.
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2. The Beast and Christian Grey are both characterized by their inability to love someone or be loved.
The Beast’s life, post-curse, is dedicated to finding someone selfless enough to love him. Christian Grey’s life revolves around the fact that he can’t bring himself to love someone.
3. Christian Grey and The Beast both had hard upbringings that led to their harsh personalities.
Christian Grey’s mother was a "crack whore" (his words, not mine) and a prostitute. The Beast’s mother died when he was young, leaving him with a father whose selfishness changed him for the worse.
4. Both Christian and The Beast’s lifestyles cause a great amount of destruction to themselves and those around them.
Christian’s lifestyle, you know, the one where he’s called “Master” and whips submissive women for pleasure, certainly hinders his ability to develop. The Beast’s lifestyle, when he was self-absorbed and mean, was the sole reason him and his servants were cursed.
5. Belle and Anastasia Steele were both thrown into the unfamiliar worlds of men with lives foreign to their own.
Belle was thrown into the world of the hidden castle, the one that inhabited the Beast and his rather animated inanimate servants. Anastasia was thrust (pun intended) into the world of Grey that was “50 shades of f***ed up” (again, not my words).
6. The Beast and Christian are both extremely controlling.
The Beast’s controlling qualities are clear; he captures Belle and won’t let her leave, growing enraged when she disobeys his commands. Christian tracks where Ana goes, knows her bank account info, the list goes on and on.
7. Christian and the Beast both love to dance.
In 50 Shades of Grey, Christian and Ana have dance lovingly together in the Great Room. In Beauty and the Beast, well, who could forget the famous dance between two timid lovers.
8. Anastasia and Belle were both able to break through the rough exteriors of their male counterparts.
Anastasia cracks open the shell that surrounds Mr. Grey with her love. Belle shows compassion toward the Beast which helps him open up and learn to be gentle.
9. In both stories, there are forbidden areas in the places where both the Beast and Christian Grey live.
In Beauty and the Beast, the “West Wing” of the castle is prohibited from visitors. In 50 Shades, the “Red Room of Pain” is off-limits to most characters. Both Belle and Anastasia are frightened but intrigued when seeing these places for the first time.
10. Christian and The Beast are both cursed, whether it be figuratively or literally.
Christian is cursed with the inability to find a way to let out his anger toward his mother. The Beast is cursed with being hideous until he finds love.
11. The Beast and Christian Grey are both well-off and have gigantic living quarters.
The Beast lives in a castle, having been the prince before him and all his servants were forgotten. Christian Grey is the CEO of an extremely successful company and lives in a colossal apartment.
12. The Beast and Christian both change from “bad guys” to “good guys” because of their female counterparts.
The Beast is seen as evil in the beginning, but as he gets to know Belle, he turns into a character worth rooting for. Christian isn’t all that delightful in the beginning either, but as he changes, readers fall in love with his character.
13. Christian Grey and The Beast are both desperate for something but are humble in the fact that they’re not entitled to it.
Christian, at first, is desperate to find a submissive, hoping that person to be Ana, but he never forces her. And when he becomes desperate for her love, he knows it is not his right. The Beast is desperate for someone to break the curse, but he still lets Belle go off to save her father.
14. Anastasia Steele and Belle both have an obsession with literature.
Anastasia loves books, so much so that she reads for a living. Belle loves books also, and is amazed when she finds the Beast’s vast library.
15. Christian and The Beast have a tendency to keep their female counterparts locked up, in one way or another.
Christian keeps Anastasia locked up, by, well, you know what I'm getting at. And The Beast keeps Belle locked up also, and even when she gets free reign of the castle, she’s still a prisoner.
Well, there you have it, irrefutable connections between Beauty and the Beast and 50 Shades of Grey. Sorry if I ruined any childhoods. Oh, and, if you’re one of those people who openly hates on 50 Shades but loves Beauty and the Beast, well that’s none of my business.
