Beasts Are Often More Humane Than Humans

“It is ironic that the beasts are often more humane than the humans” Discuss
The Bloody Chamber highlights prime examples whereby the beasts convey very human characteristics such as: love, compassion and vulnerability; more so than the human characters. Although one interpretation is that the humans in the stories are the more humane characters, I’d argue that it is the more the humans that convey features such as: violent, cruel, selfish and other inhumane characteristics.
First it is important to establish the preconceptions and features regarding ‘Beast’ and what it means to be ‘Humane’. When we talk of a ‘beast’ our thoughts surround the idea of a: cruel, dangerous, and callous creature. When we think about what it is to be humane,
we would characterise is as: compassionate, loving, tenderness, sympathetic and a sense of morality.
The Tiger’s Bride is a prime example where the beast is arguably the more humane character in comparison to the girl’s father.
The opening line “My father lost me to the beast at cards” with emphasis on “Lost me” to highlight how her father objectifies her and treats her as possession he can bargain with; this being shocking for he clearly presents no paternal characteristics and discards his daughter with no remorse from it “He laughs as with glee”. The beast however shows himself to be very vulnerable; his gift of the teardrop earrings to the girl were a coded plea for her to take note of the beast’s emotional distress. This is evident whence the beast licks her face and “My earrings turned back to water and trickled down my shoulders; I shrugged the drops off my beautiful fur.” This highlights how he has what he wants and feels emotionally satisfied. Another interpretation of this is that all this time he has worn a mask with a human face for he is ashamed of his appearance but now he feels he has become a man showing his true self to the girl which is why the earrings – the symbol of his emotional distress – turn to water and disappear; also to highlight that in every beauty there is a beast and in every beast there is a beauty. The beast is arguably more humane for he is vulnerable and has varying emotions, one being his love for the girl; this being very humane
features.
Alternately there are many cases where the human characters show more humane characteristics. For example, in The Lady of the House of Love, the young soldier is kind and gentle towards the Lady, ‘he puts his mouth to the wound. He will kiss it better for her.’ He doesn’t take advantage of the Lady, however his love is ultimately what kills the Lady because every other man that she has encountered took what she offered. This representation of a humane person is Angela Carter showing that not all men are beasts. However ultimately I would argue that the Lady shouldn’t be classed as the beast because her actions are only due to her instincts of survival, something that she cannot control and even then she presents herself to have many emotions and desires for love and she is ashamed of the evil she does inflict.
Although many of the human characters present humane characteristics, I argue that it is ironically the beasts that convey more humane features and it is the beasts that allow the female characters to have control over their own actions and present them with love and sympathy.