“Beauty and the Beast” Themes in Romance Novels

by Lohmann, Jennifer

This paper describes the connection between romance novels and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast.” Using the theories of Bruno Bettelheim, this paper investigates the meaning of the heroine and hero in “Beauty and the Beast” romance novels. The findings support previous research, which argues romances provide relief from the complexities of everyday life, and further shows how romances and fantasy help the reader in the same way Bettelheim argues fairy tales help children.