KidLit Forum

The Courtship of Mr. Lyon
By Angela Carter
The story begins with Beauty who waits for his father who went to procure her a white rose. He doesn’t find such a rose anywhere but in the garden of a man with a lion’s head, called Mr. Lyon. The Beast finds Beauty’s father when he tries to steal the flower and becomes very angry. The poor man explains that he wants to bring the rose to her beautiful daughter, and the Beasts agrees to give him the rose but in return he has to come back with his daughter. He goes home and the next time he comes with his daughter. The man has to go in order to find a way to pay his depts and leaves his daughter with the Beast, and his dog. They begin to like each other but the girl’s father returns one day and they leave the beast’s house. Beauty promises to return before the winter is over but this doesn’t happen. She forgets about her promise because she is now distracted by money and by the luxurious life her father offers. After a while, the dog of the Beast comes to Beauty’s door and informs her that his master is dying. She’s devastated and decides to go and visit the Beast. When she arrives, she sees the house almost in ruin and the Beast on his bed. He explains that after her departure, he started to feel bad, sick, without wishing to live. Beauty kisses the Beast and promises to never leave him again. Just as they are kissing, the girl notices that the Beast transforms into a beautiful man and they live happily ever after.

This is a story similar with Beauty and the Beast. The difference is that Beauty leaves here because her father came for her and he can now offer her a good life, full of luxuries. In this story, Beauty is more materialistic and forgets about the Beast. I think that Beauty from the previous fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast, had a more strong character. She wasn’t as materialistic as this Beauty.

The metamorphosis of the Beast is a moral and mental one. After Beauty’s departure, the Beast grows weak. He isn’t as strong and less lion because now he doesn’t have the ability to hunt and kill as before and that’s why, I think, at the end he transforms into a human being.

Carter uses irony in building Beauty’s character. Here, the girl has more freedom of speech and action but with these more faults come. The author tries to show an image of decaying Beauty because cares too much about wealth and forgets about the Beast who gave her only love. At the beginning, the Beast was the strong character but after he falls in love, he becomes the lamb, an unprotected and helpless character.

We can celebrate love at the end because Beauty admits that she was wrong and promises to never leave the man she loves, not even for the luxurious life she had at home with her father.

I believe that Carter critiques in this story the materialism and importance gave to money nowadays.