Belle

[RumplesGirl]

Belle had a story not revolving around Rumple. Given, it was after she’d met Rumple, but so what, Rumple came into play only at the end of the episode being the reason why Regina went after Belle and imprisoned. Otherwise hunting down the Yaoguai was Belle’s story, showing that going on adventure was something she still wanted to do and did on her own, that she is smart, that smart is at time what changes lives to the better, that Belle is someone seeing beyond what there is on first sight, saving Phillip’s live, giving Mulan an idea about that not just the sword matters and being a hero can come in other forms (preparing nicely what Mulan later saw in Aurora). That story told so much more about Belle as character than I at the moment can imagine any childhood story, any how was life before Rumple story could have done or would.

I liked the Outsider and I mentioned it a few pages back as a good example of what they could do with Belle overall. The problem is that they haven’t taken that Belle and done anything more with her, making the Outsider look like an outlier.

And I don’t just want a flashback story for the sake of having a flashback story. They can find some way to tie it into the present day situation.

 

[obisgirl]

So question: What could be revealed or addressed showing Belle before she met Rumple? Maybe it could explain, why she is so blind to Rumple’s evilness. Could simple say, love makes blind, but somehow I prefer to see love as a positive aspect of life, improving and extending our selves and not diminishing them.

I think it could. Maybe since she was in an arranged marriage like Charming, that she didn’t believe in the existence of true love.

I am losing more and more any respect for the person Belle, although it does make her on the other hand more interesting and complex as a character than being the lovely, friendly, forgiving innocence she is seen as often. She’s reminding me by now somewhat of Eva Braun, the woman who adored and idealized Hitler. I am not saying with that, that Rumple is like Hitler, though IMO Rumple is the big bad of the show, just saying that Belle is either naive or willing to overlook what Rumple is doing, people wondered the same about Eva Braun. How can someone be in love with a person making so many other people suffer and exploit people for his own purposes and convictions? I found it intriguing when Belle said, that she loves even the dark sides of Rumple. But that means she is not the nice, friendly, openminded, innocent person many want to see in her, she has her own dark side. Well, power can be attractive.

Belle wasn’t attracted to him because of his power and that’s actually what separates her from Cora. Belle fell for Rumple because she saw the good in him and he likewise, strove to be better for her (to be worthy of her love).

The real test for Belle’s love will come, when Rumple loses his power, stops to be the Dark One, if that ever will happen. Can Belle love a simple man, the vulnerable, fearful guy who is plagued by feeling inadequate and at the mercy of others or fate as much as she loves the charming, witty but reckless and ruthless powerful magician with a soft side? She might believe she would, but would she? Or would she react alike Milah did and find him abhorrent? Was it just an adventurous streak and goodness (the will to sacrifce herself for the many) that drove her to offer herself as prize for Rumple for stopping the Ogres attacking her people? And was it goodness or as much curiosity and attraction to danger and power which then made her stay with Rumple and fall for him?

Belle can love him as ordinary man. I know what she said in Quiet Minds but I think ultimately if given the choice between his dark side powers and being normal, she choose normal. I do think sometimes she can be blinded to the things he does but she also calls him out too when he’s wrong.

I don’t dislike Belle but I am starting to see the flaws in her character in the way the writers have written her.

[RumplesGirl]

I don’t dislike Belle but I am starting to see the flaws in her character in the way the writers have written her.

She’s becoming incredibly one note. Rumple does something that is morally wrong, Belle accepts that he has darkness but it’s okay cause she loves that part of him anyway. She’s not really believable anymore. If she barely blinks at the Zelena revelation or if she forgives him in a short amount of time, then the writers really don’t know how to write for her.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[PriceofMagic]

“People do crazy things when they’re in love.”

Also just posting Screwball’s essay on how Lacey is just Belle with the brakes off.

http://screwballninja.tumblr.com/post/63687743483/lacey-belle-with-the-brakes-off-essay-in-6

I think Belle will get more story in season 4, especially as RumBelle will get a little more of the spotlight because of Rumple’s lies.

All magic comes with a price!

Keeper of Felix

[obisgirl]

I agree @RumplesGirl

[seamstress]

Myril wrote:

So question: What could be revealed or addressed showing Belle before she met Rumple? Maybe it could explain, why she is so blind to Rumple’s evilness. Could simple say, love makes blind, but somehow I prefer to see love as a positive aspect of life, improving and extending our selves and not diminishing them.

I think it could. Maybe since she was in an arranged marriage like Charming, that she didn’t believe in the existence of true love.

Yep. I’d like to know how Belle became Belle. The Belle we know is strong and confident, but maybe she wasn’t always. Also, who was Belle’s mother and what happened to her?

We’ve seen how Rumple became the Dark One, how Snow became Snow, how Killian Jones became Captain Hook, how the shepherd!David became Prince Charming and how Regina became the Evil Queen. And we know more about Emma’s past than Belle’s. Belle is one of the main characters so her story should be told on screen too.

Myril wrote:

The real test for Belle’s love will come, when Rumple loses his power, stops to be the Dark One, if that ever will happen. Can Belle love a simple man, the vulnerable, fearful guy who is plagued by feeling inadequate and at the mercy of others or fate as much as she loves the charming, witty but reckless and ruthless powerful magician with a soft side? She might believe she would, but would she? Or would she react alike Milah did and find him abhorrent? Was it just an adventurous streak and goodness (the will to sacrifce herself for the many) that drove her to offer herself as prize for Rumple for stopping the Ogres attacking her people? And was it goodness or as much curiosity and attraction to danger and power which then made her stay with Rumple and fall for him?

Belle can love him as ordinary man. I know what she said in Quiet Minds but I think ultimately if given the choice between his dark side powers and being normal, she choose normal. I do think sometimes she can be blinded to the things he does but she also calls him out too when he’s wrong. I don’t dislike Belle but I am starting to see the flaws in her character in the way the writers have written her.

Agreed. Also, in “Skin Deep”, Belle tried to break his curse so he’d be an ordinary man again. I think that when she said that she loves even the parts that belong to the darkness, she didn’t mean his “evilness”, but rather his melancholic nature. As Emilie once said, Belle fell in love with him for his “tortured soul.”

obisgirl wrote:

I don’t dislike Belle but I am starting to see the flaws in her character in the way the writers have written her.

She’s becoming incredibly one note. Rumple does something that is morally wrong, Belle accepts that he has darkness but it’s okay cause she loves that part of him anyway. She’s not really believable anymore. If she barely blinks at the Zelena revelation or if she forgives him in a short amount of time, then the writers really don’t know how to write for her.

My issue with Belle is that she seems to think Rumple is more noble person than he is/he thinks he is (at he moment). I mean, Rumple went through hell and lost his son, and she believed he wouldn’t lash out, even though he has snapped for less than that before. She trusted that Rumple wouldn’t go after Zelena,  even though he didn’t promise anything (and it wasn’t the first time he did that). And even though his face screamed “guilty!” in Sheriff’s Station, she didn’t doubt anything. Belle is supposed to be a smart woman who can read people, but those last three episodes made her look almost stupid..

However, I think this Zelena/dagger mess may turn out to be good for Belle/Rumbelle (if done properly). This is a great opportunity to deal with the problems in their relationship. Actually, I’m really looking forward to what’s coming up.

[ready_to_rumbelle]

@seamstress Belle is actually not that confident. In Dark Hollow and even in Snow Drift we saw a self-doubting side of her. She didn’t think Rumple needed her in NL and she thought that every time she had tried to be a hero it had backfired (Dark Hollow). And in Snow Drifts Rumple’s dagger is too much responsibility and power for her and only when Rumple lied to/assured her that he trusted her with this task, she kept it. However, I admit that these moments are rare but since Belle’s screen time is not very high, it’s normal that her “flaws” – though that’s not really a flaw – can only be seen shortly and from time to time.

And about Belle seeing Rumple as a noble person: he indirectly told Belle and Bae that he didn’t want to be the kind of man he was before, when they came back from NL and since then Belle had absolutely no reason to doubt him (Mostly because he was dead for a few months and then held captive by a lunatic witch).

Nontheless, I hope that we’ll see a very strong reaction of her when she finds out that he lied to her, killed Zelena and then used her as an alibi. Whether she will be angry at him or doubt her own morals if she won’t be angry that he killed Zelena (that would be nice and come full circle with her dark side shown in Lacey), I don’t know, but in my opinion it’s very important for the recognition of Belle’s character that she doesn’t forgive him after 1 episode and everything is back to normal.

[obisgirl]

Nontheless, I hope that we’ll see a very strong reaction of her when she finds out that he lied to her, killed Zelena and then used her as an alibi. Whether she will be angry at him or doubt her own morals if she won’t be angry that he killed Zelena (that would be nice and come full circle with her dark side shown in Lacey), I don’t know, but in my opinion it’s very important for the recognition of Belle’s character that she doesn’t forgive him after 1 episode and everything is back to normal.

I agree.  I think it would be very unrealistic if Belle forgave him after one episode. It would be bad writing and pretty much prove that Belle is a doormat for Rumple where really he can do anything (no matter the severity) and she’ll forgive him for it.

[seamstress]

@seamstress Belle is actually not that confident. In Dark Hollow and even in Snow Drift we saw a self-doubting side of her. She didn’t think Rumple needed her in NL and she thought that every time she had tried to be a hero it had backfired (Dark Hollow). And in Snow Drifts Rumple’s dagger is too much responsibility and power for her and only when Rumple lied to/assured her that he trusted her with this task, she kept it. However, I admit that these moments are rare but since Belle’s screen time is not very high, it’s normal that her “flaws” – though that’s not really a flaw – can only be seen shortly and from time to time.

Very true.

I like to think that before Belle met Rumple, she was kinda like spinner!Rumple before the ogre wars. As she told in Skin Deep,”I always wanted to be brave. I figured, do the brave thing, and bravery would follow”. Just like Rumple! But there aren’t a lot of opportunities for women in FTL to show what they can do, and Rumple was just a simple peasant so there weren’t a lot of opportunities for him either. Then they got their chance: Rumple was called to the front and Belle made a deal with the Dark One. And as we know, things didn’t go quite as planned for either one of them. Kindred spirits, totally. 🙂

However, we know why it was so important to Rumple to prove himself. But we don’t know why it was so important to Belle to show what she was made of. Did she simply got the idea from her books, or was there something else? I hope this will be further explored. There are good theories based on what we saw and heard in Skin Deep and what we know about Belle’s father, but those are still just theories. And as RumplesGirl said, the things that happen off screen have a little relevance.

And about Belle seeing Rumple as a noble person: he indirectly told Belle and Bae that he didn’t want to be the kind of man he was before, when they came back from NL and since then Belle had absolutely no reason to doubt him (Mostly because he was dead for a few months and then held captive by a lunatic witch).

True. I had forgotten about that. But I still think that she was being a bit too gullible. Rumple is still the Dark One, after all..

Nontheless, I hope that we’ll see a very strong reaction of her when she finds out that he lied to her, killed Zelena and then used her as an alibi. Whether she will be angry at him or doubt her own morals if she won’t be angry that he killed Zelena (that would be nice and come full circle with her dark side shown in Lacey), I don’t know, but in my opinion it’s very important for the recognition of Belle’s character that she doesn’t forgive him after 1 episode and everything is back to normal.

I agree, but I hope that the “strong reaction” doesn’t mean the silent treatment and separation for the half of the season, and then she just returns to him because she is tired of being angry, and they never truly deal with the issue. I want them to put more effort into this. Both of them. They are married now, so they can’t just walk away/sweep problems under the rug.

[Marty McFly]

which Belle are we supposed to analyze? season 1&2 Belle, or season 3 Belle?

Belle is not Belle anymore. Do you remember that Belle who discovered the buried gold inside her “beastly” employer’s heart? Remember that Belle who was so sad that Rumple lost his son, she cried for him, the Belle that loved Rumple so much that his feelings mattered most to her? Remember that Belle, the one who said that she will never stop fighting for him? Belle, who understood why she had to stay in SB while her beloved man goes out to the land without magic to look for his only son? Belle, who understood and accepted that she had to stay in SB while her beloved man goes to save his grandson at the risk of his own life, but who had complete faith that she will see him again? Who is she now?

Now she is an immature baby.

Let’s analyze her one subject at a time:
1) Belle, who was mature enough to understand and accept that she had to stay in SB:
she is now complaining about “he didn’t need me” that’s why she didn’t go with them on the ship, because she wasn’t important enough. Belle became a little girl who needs to feel important! Who cares that her boyfriend was going to his death, SHE doesn’t feel important!

2) Belle had complete faith that she will see him again
did she really believe that she will see him again as shown in season 2? No. season 3 Belle was sure he was already dead. Did you see her reaction when Ariel said she had a message from him? “he’s alive?” she asked, astonished. (yay! He needs her help! Now she has something to do! Now she can feel important!)

3) Belle used to care about Rumple’s feelings…
now all she cares about is herself. When she enters his shop for the first time since he was resurrected she is all happy that her sparkly boo is back. Never mind HOW he got back. HIS feelings don’t matter. His only son died because of him, but SHE got him back. Yay!

4) Belle said she’ll never stop fighting for him
It took them 8 months to decide to break into the castle. Not to free poor Rumple, but to get information from him so they can save Snowing’s new baby. She knew Robin-Hood, she knew he can break into the castle. Did she have to wait so long to break in and try to free him? Steal the dagger? Something? Where is all that fiery “I will never give up on him”? Isn’t part of never giving up on someone, trying to free him from a cold hard cage? Even when they did finally break in, freeing him was only the secondary goal, a side effect if Zelena is defeated.

[Author]

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