Moreover, says Tatar, the story "also teaches young girls how to deal with the idea of marrying young and being in an arranged marriage."
To a girl of, say, 13, a man who has gone through puberty is basically a huge, scary, smelly beast.
"It was a story that sent…a beautiful message about the power of love and the importance of valuing character," says Tatar.
I don't think Madame de Beaumont emphasized this, but the monster is a projection of our own anxieties.
BATB takes its place alongside other classic examples of outcasts (a trait over which Belle and the beast bond in the live-action version).
Part of the message, Tatar says, is "recognizing also that the monster out there isn't necessarily the one to be feared.
RELATED: Here's How Much Emma Watson Is Getting Paid for Beauty and the Beast. »