Alright, so I was “dared” to write this after my response to Beauty and the Beast not being a case of Stockholm Syndrome. I now have to prove that it is also not a case of Florence Nightingale Syndrome either. This will be significantly shorter than the last post (which you can read HERE), because a lot of the same points will be made, but I will still prove my case here.
The Florence Nightingale Syndrome by definition is “a romantic attraction or bond develops between patient and caregiver and is the direct result of the caregiving experience” (The Free Dictionary- Medical Dictionary).
The argument being made is that the Beast fell in love with Belle during/after she healed him after he was nearly killed by the wolves. One can see where someone can get the impression that Belle and the Beast have fallen under the Florence Nightingale Syndrome. However, delving into the movie, this is obviously not the case.
First of all, the bandaging scene is short and they argue for the majority of it, and when they do finally come to an understanding, it is not because they are sympathetic to each other over the injury. Belle thanks the Beast for his first genuine act of kindness-- something she had not seen from him thus far in their relationship-- when he saved her life. He is shocked by the first positive thing she ever said to him and he tells her “you’re welcome.” It is their first real moment, but it gives no indication that they are falling in love, only that they are beginning to respect each other. They have made a breakthrough.
Later, the Beast watches Belle from afar as she walks in the courtyard. He touches his bandaged arm as he looks at her and remarks, “I’ve never felt this way about anyone.” There are a few things to be said about this part:
1) This does not mean he is in love with her. He is only acknowledging that he suddenly does not feel resentful and bitter towards someone for once in his life. Remember, he was cursed for being selfish and unkind. He has only ever thought of himself previously. Now, he suddenly wants to “do something for her.” So these feelings puzzle him. (And Cogsworth’s suggestion of giving “flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep” are not necessarily a romantic thing either. Those are simply nice gifts that sometimes have a romantic connotation in the right context.)
2) The fact that he looks at his bandaged arm does not mean that he feels this way BECAUSE of the bandaging he received. We must once again remember that he has been alone for years and has only known his own bitterness and depression since the curse. Before that, we can only assume he most likely knew very little if any real, genuine kindness which was why he turned into the horrible individual he was. Therefore, Belle’s actions of not leaving him to die in the woods and bandaging him up touches him in a way he’s never been touched before. It’s not the nursing itself that moves him, but her kindness. He has been nothing but rude and horrible to her (save the rescue from the wolves), yet she still took care of him. If she could do that, he realized that maybe, just maybe Belle might be able to see past his monstrous exterior and into his soul.
I realize that some of this might still sound like the Florence Nightingale Syndrome a little, but understand that this was only the jumping off point for their relationship. The Beast did not fall in love with Belle BECAUSE she bandaged him up and took care of him after the wolf attack, nor did Belle fall in love with the Beast because she felt sorry for him. Certainly not! As I said, that was the beginning of their change in opinions of each other because they suddenly saw a different side of one another. As I said before, they develop an understanding in that scene, but do not fall in love. I would not even call them friends. But as the Beast evaluates himself and Belle’s actions, he too tries to be kind. They bond over different things, like they are both rejected for different reasons (Belle being an oddball in her town and the Beast for his hideous exterior). This leads to friendship which then leads to them falling in love.
In conclusion, Beauty and the Beast is NOT a case of Florence Nightingale Syndrome. It is a classic story of two individuals falling in love over a period of time. It is a “tale as old as time.”
Works Cited
"Florence Nightingale Syndrome." The Free Dictionary- Medical Dictionary. The Free Dictionary, 2017.
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