In her version of “Beauty and the Beast,” McKinley seeks to create complex, genuine personalities out of one-dimensional fairy-tale characters. Much love is reflected in the feelings of the family members for one another. The father is past sixty and, when he loses his fortune, begins to look his age. He becomes a broken man. The sisters are loving and considerate of one another and of their father. Grace and Hope are beautiful, while Beauty, who is twelve at the beginning of the novel, considers herself to be plain and avoids mirrors. An awkward and shy girl, she shuns other people, preferring the company of books. Many young girls reading this story can identify with Beauty’s feelings. When the family moves to the country, Grace and Hope divide the housework and Beauty does the remaining chores: She splits, chops, and stacks wood. Beauty believes that it would have been more convenient if she had been a boy and that she looks like one. Beauty takes pride in her intelligence, however, and has hopes of studying at a university. Although such ambition was unheard of for a woman at that time, Beauty’s father does not discourage her.

In Beauty, McKinley creates a young woman who is both ordinary and heroic. At first, Beauty is afraid of the Beast, but she tries not to let her voice or actions show it. She finds it difficult to look at the Beast’s face because he has human eyes. He is full of contradictions: His voice is gruff and harsh, yet he wears beautiful velvet clothes. Beauty thinks that he may be intending to eat her, but the Beast promises that no harm will come to her. Throughout the story, Greatheart, her horse, is of much comfort to her, and she even succeeds in calming the horse in the Beast’s presence. Animals do not like the Beast, although some birds do come to Beauty’s window. McKinley’s portrait of life at the castle is strange and exciting. Beauty hears the voices of invisible beings who dress her and serve her breakfast. The library in the castle contains both classic books and those that have not been written. There are no mirrors or quiet waters to reflect one’s image.

During the course of the novel, Beauty’s perceptions—and those of the reader—change, reflecting her growing maturity and self-confidence. Beauty begins to enjoy the companionship of the Beast. The only flaws in her enjoyment of this new life are a longing to see her family and having to refuse the Beast’s marriage proposal each night. When the Beast finally allows her to go home for a week, Beauty, now eighteen, finds that she has grown taller than Hope. She also realizes that she really does not belong there and that she truly loves the Beast and wishes to marry him. Upon Beauty’s declaration of love, the enchantment is broken and the Beast becomes a handsome man. To convince her that she is beautiful, he escorts her to a mirror that has reappeared. Beauty finally realizes that the copper-haired woman with amber eyes holding hands with the man in golden velvet is herself. The reader is left feeling that both names—Beauty and Honour—are appropriate for this young woman.