Questions arising from a 17th viewing of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

1.
The back story explains the prince’s transformation into the Beast as punishment for turning away an old beggar woman and, in a deeper sense, for not recognizing true beauty. What it doesn’t explain is the need for this enchanted woman to transform innocent bystanders into household objects. If the beggar woman is supposed to represent some kind of moral high-ground, what’s with the collateral damage?

2.
It is understood that Lumiere, Cogsworth and Ms. Potts are former humans who have come under the same enchantment as the Beast. But what about the hundreds of additional “objects come to life,” especially those in the “Be Our Guest,” scene. Are each of these assumed to be former staff of the prince? Every knife a servant, every cup one of Mrs. Potts sons, every feather duster a maid? Or are we to assume that SOME of the items are former people, and SOME of the items are simply enchanted, and ONE ottoman in particular is actually a dog. Where do we draw the line?

3.
Where does the food come from? It would be quite a feat for a bunch of castle-bound formerly inanimate objects to conjure up daily meals – let alone the dancing feast performance of “Be Our Guest” without sending SOMEONE to the grocery store. Maybe they subscribe to a delivery service. Maybe *gasp* the food is former staff as well.

4.
Was there ever an investigation into Gaston’s fall from the castle?

5.
Am I thinking about this too much?