Which characters and themes is the father associated with? How is he connected with them?






Beauty's father is associated with the theme of money; both gaining and losing it. From a Marxist perspective he starts of as powerless, having been 'ruined' financially, and over the course of the story gains money, and therefore power, thanks to the Beast. This perspective also criticises capitalism, as the father and Beauty become superficial, and spend their newfound fortune on trivial things; therefore showing that capitalism corrupts people.




In addition to this, Beauty's father can be associated with the theme of patriarchy, most evident through his relationship with Beauty. Carter shows this through his description of her as his 'pet'. The word 'pet' shows that he controls her. This is further shown through the fact that she is doing 'chores' at the start of the story, thereby placing her in a stereotypically feminine role in the household.




Furthermore, the father is also associated with the theme of class. It can be inferred that he is of a fairly wealthy class, despite his lost fortune, due to the fact that he wears a 'sheepskin jacket'. However, he is clearly not of the same social class as the Beast, shown through the way in which the Beast dominates him and orders him around, 'bring her to dinner'. Beauty's father also re-emphasises his own lower status by admiring the Beast's higher status. The word 'comforting' is used to describe the Beast's wealth, therefore showing that the father is 'comforted' by the fact that there is someone of a higher status than him.


Beauty's father represents the stereotypical fairy tale father, usually loving but unreliable and unable to take care of his family. This is shown through the fact that he has been financially 'ruined' twice, emphasising his lack of responsibility when it comes to money. His loving nature is shown through his description of her at the beginning of the story, 'his Beauty, his girl-child, his pet. However this description is still lawed, as it is overly possessive.