The Princess Bride discussion

I apologize for my crude language, but come on!!!! Buttercup is AWFUL! Okay so she finds Westley then the Prince finds them and she just asks for no harm to come to Westley and she just leaves. SHe is such a coward! I would rather die with my true love than go on and marry the Prince who only wants me because I am beautiful. I GOT SO MAD AT THIS SENTENCE:

"The truth," said Westley, "is that you rather live with your prince than die with your love."
"I would rather live than die, I admit." pg191- OMIGOD WHAT A BITCH! She rather live? and leave her beloved all alone?

She is such an idiot she also didn't choose her words carefully when talking to the Prince about keeping Westley from harm!!

I don't know I truly HATE HER!!!! What do you guys think????

So... yeah i admit she was kind of a.....how shall i put this nicely? A moron! but maybe the reason she did that was because she didn't want Westley killed? I dont know because the other option is that she is a complete dolt for lack of a better or nicer word.

Maari wrote: "So... yeah i admit she was kind of a.....how shall i put this nicely? A moron! but maybe the reason she did that was because she didn't want Westley killed? I dont know because the other option is ..."
LOL yay I am not the only one who isn't really a fan of Buttercup! I am just so mad that I can't continue reading I need a moment to rant on about my hatred for Buttercup! If I was her I would never leave Westley I mean have you seen how much he had done just get her to safety and he had so much bravery he faced death so many times! But no Buttercup doesn't have the decency to face death once for their love! I'm sorry I am ranting I am just so PISSED!! I can feel steam emitting from my brain! I feel like those cartoon characters who have steam coming from their ears because they are so mad. That is how angry I feel. I just can't believe her attitude!! Sorry for my rant

I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had stayed with Westley after the Fire Swamp; he would've been killed and she would've been taken either way. At this point in the tale, she believes that Humperdinck is a man of his word and that her love will be safe from harm until he comes to rescue her. Which he did. She did what she thought she had to do to save him. Granted, she was a bitch at the beginning of the story when all she would do was order Westley around, but she ended up changing. Also, I don't think Buttercup's wanting to live makes her a bitch. It makes her human.

Abigail wrote: "I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had stayed with Westley after the Fire Swamp; he would've been killed and she would've been taken either way. At th..."

Ok I guess but as Rashika also mentions I feel that Westley is way too good for her. I don't know if I was Buttercup's shoes I wouldn't just leave Westley all alone! I would rather try to survive with him than admit defeat and just leave him alone. I rather die with him. I don't know I just got really mad at her! But then I continued reading and she is really getting tormented by the dreams so I am fine now! She finally realized that what she did was a mistake SO all is well!

Rashika wrote: "I agree.
I was annoyed.
But I think even she realizes she was a bitch.
I know she genuinely loves Westley but god she was a coward.
I think Westley was too good for her.
But since you are still rea..."

You took the words right out of my mouth! Westley is way too good for her! She is such a coward as well!!!

Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had stayed with Westley after the Fire Swamp; he would've been killed and she would'v..."

Hahaha yup I like it so far! But omigod the Prince is planning on killing her on their wedding night? I am kinda confused on that part

Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had stayed with Westley after the Fire Swamp; he would..."

WOW he is awful!

Rashika wrote: "BookWorm wrote: "Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had stayed with West..."

So the evil prince has heart? He actually loves Buttercup?

You do realize Princess Bride is satire, right? Buttercup is a parody of the airhead damsel archetype. She has a horse named Horse, she can't do simple math (Wesley can defeat a man in ten seconds. There are four men. How soon will Wesley be here? Uhh...), and she even went to damsel school.

Erica wrote: "You do realize Princess Bride is satire, right? Buttercup is a parody of the airhead damsel archetype. She has a horse named Horse, she can't do simple math (Wesley can defeat a man in ten seconds...."

So.... and your point is? Anita was just saying how Buttercup is just awful to leave Wesley all alone just because she wants to live and she even quoted her. Anywho what does your comment have to do with the fact that Buttercup was wrong to just leave Wesley alone. That she would rather live a life loveless than die with her true love. Therefore Buttercup can be considered a bitch because of her behavior towards Wesley when he has tried so hard to reach her and she just leaves him for the opportunity to live a fancy lifestyle than to die with her true love. I for one would rather die by my true loves side than admit defeat and go to an enemey's side to live a life without love but with all the treasures one desires because in my perspective true treasure is being with your true love

You know, other than the obvious "it's satire", I'm pretty sure that it's easier to say "I'd rather die" than to die.
I don't know how I'd behave if I had to choose between dying with my love or living without him. It's not as easy as saying "well, if she loved him she would die with him". Life is not that simple. Many people in such situations decide to live (sometimes despite their previous declarations) and they do - usually with some degree of guilt. But I would never condemn them, because only on paper it is easy to make such an important decision.

Also, if somebody truly loves you, they do not desire you to die in such situation. They want you to survive, to live, to be happy. I'm talking real life now, not fairy tales, but I thought it's an important point.

She's not a bitch; she's just not very bright. It actually makes me think less of Westley, her being so dense. It shows he really only loves her because of her beauty. However, it's the Princess Bride. It's an awesome book but it doesn't deserve quite so much analysis. :)

Hayley wrote: "She's not a bitch; she's just not very bright. It actually makes me think less of Westley, her being so dense. It shows he really only loves her because of her beauty. However, it's the Princess..."
But he loved her before everyone deemed her beautiful although you make a good point. It makes me wonder as well.
GAH let's jut keep it at what you said.
This is an awesome book no more analysis required.

It's been a long time since I read this book and reading all your comments has tempted me to pick it up again. I remember really enjoying it and was quite excited when I found a dvd, how disappointed I was with that, but that is for another discussion another time. Hayley is right in saying "It's an awesome book but it doesn't deserve quite so much analysis", but isn't it great when you find a book that makes you want to scream and shout and share your views.

She was not a bitch

Thinking about Erica's comment on satire. . . maybe Goldman was also detracting from the cliched response from the damsel: "I'd rather die if I can't be with you, my darling!" Yes, that's the perfect response, it's romantic it's sentimental and I love it too. But I'm thinking Goldman poked fun at everything in a fairy tale. Look at his characters! Look at the plot! He was probably trying to pull the rug out from under his readers by making Buttercup so annoying and selfish. He knew that people reading a fairy tale would expect the damsel to die with her beloved and then turned that idea inside out. "She would rather live without Westley? What kind of a blankety-blank is she?" And look, it worked! Hence, this discussion.

Joseph wrote: "I dont think she was a bitch, well at first she seemed like it the way she treated Westley but all of that was just to disguise her love for him. Theres kinda a trend going around of people hating..."

See I think the author makes her that way on purpose, kind of switching the roles. Because it's usually the guy who would try to hide his feeling right and be mean? In this case it's Buttercup.

But it is an opinion and I hope you aren't offended. Plus she does change so I am happy with her character by the end of the book.. I mean this book IS my all time favorites so I don't have a lot of bad things to say.

I cannot see how wanting to live and let one's beloved live is being a bitch. I think it is optimistic. It may also be naive - believing that Westley will be allowed to live. She believes that something good may still happen that will save the day. After all, if her choice allows Westley to live, there's still a chance, right? Not so if her choice gets him or both of them killed. As long as you live, there's still hope.

Just how is that "being a bitch"?

Ala wrote: "You know, other than the obvious "it's satire", I'm pretty sure that it's easier to say "I'd rather die" than to die.
I don't know how I'd behave if I had to choose between dying with my love or li..."

Yeah, "I'd rather die!" is very grand and romantic-sounding, but in the end it just leaves corpses. I don't blame anyone for preferring life under bad conditions over death, and from what I could tell, she honestly believed she was helping to keep Westley alive as well. I'd consider "I want him to be alive and safe, even if that means I can never be with him and am stuck marrying someone horrible instead!" a much better sign of true love than the more traditional "Let's all die together!" route.

I don't think it's stupid for her to want to live, in fact that makes me happy.. but there are certain times I want to smack her.

Let's all agree to disagree.

The Princess Bride is one of this centuries greatest literary treasures and I grew up loving the relationship Westly and Buttercup shared (on screen). I first read the book when I was 16 and I enjoyed the book very thoroughly. It had some wonderfully enlightening humorous moments. I remember laughing so hard during the first few chapters and I really loved William Goldman's foot notes. But, even as a die hard fan of the story, I could not help but be disappointed with a couple aspects of the book. I don't believe the book did Buttercup any justice, but in the books defense it was written in a different era. No author alive would write up a heroine like her today, because we live in a very advance era where woman are both strong, intelligent, and beautiful. They write about woman who don't need to be rescued, they do their own rescuing. But that hasn't always been the case in great literature. In light of that view, I believe the books has to be read with a grain of salt. The book was originally written 1973, where it was typical to portray woman as beautiful insipid creatures, completely self absorbed, with no thought in their silly little heads. Men were uber male and heroic, who took whatever they wanted and woman bowed to their wishes. The Princess Bride is great example of this. Buttercup's character is the most beautiful woman in the world. She is the most desired woman on the plant, yet she is incredibly stupid, (personally that makes her more of comedic character for me) it's hardly a very flattering portrayal for any heroine. Westly on the hand, is everything a man should be, clever, strong, agile, determined, macho, and a total ladies man (and man is he!!! LoL) but he is also extremely sexist. He claims to love Buttercup, yet he doesn't really know her. They hardly spoke to each other when they proclaimed their "eternal love", all he really loved about her was her beautiful face. He leaves to make his fortune so he can marry his true love, yet that does not prevent him from sleeping with other woman during his years as the Dread Pirate Robert, "King of the Seas" and well "things happen"(- from Buttercup's Baby). Once he 'wins' Buttercup his one "true love" from Vizzini, he withholds his identity to test her fidelity (when he obviously wasn't) and slaps her because where he comes from woman are "reprimanded" for lying (only she wasn't lying) and he never apologizes for it! When they are finally reunited, all he can do is praise her beauty, when she clearly asks him not to(probably because, she wants him to see past her pretty face). They spend their reunion arguing with Westly constantly talking down to her and belittling her. The love story we are all so enamored with comes from the film. Which is a politically correct version of the book. Having said all that, I still enjoy the book. It is a very good read and really entertaining.

Did anyone else find it weird that he slapped her before she found out that he was Westley? That kind of threw me but for the most part I kind of love Buttercup and her stupidity.

Chatita wrote: "The Princess Bride is one of this centuries greatest literary treasures and I grew up loving the relationship Westly and Buttercup shared (on screen). I first read the book when I was 16 and I enjo..."
Thank you for pointing that out! I have just finished the book and I miss my Westly, the movie version who believed in true love and winning Buttercup, not the man who slapped her never explained it, mocked her about reading and then I find out on top of this that 'things happen' during his time as 'King Of The Seas' I had to read it about ten times and then Google it the hopes I had read it wrong. I love the story, it's funny and full of adventure be it's ruined Westly for me. If I was Buttercup I would have left him in that ravine.

Panda wrote: "Did anyone else find it weird that he slapped her before she found out that he was Westley? That kind of threw me but for the most part I kind of love Buttercup and her stupidity."
I didn't like it in the movie and thought he only pretended he was going to strike her because he wanted to intimidate her... I almost dropped the book when I read, He slapped her. With I think is sugar coating it like crazy. Call me a romantic but I don't think you should slap and sleep around on the woman you claim to be your true love.

Bitch is a strong word. She was not as smart as those around her so she lashed out aggressively whenever she felt talked down to. Sometimes she was snooty but I think that comes with the fact that Westley wasn't always a sweet and gallant lad. He treated her like a simpleton (albeit a simpleton he loved) and she didn't like that. Who would? If anything I didn't like Westley too much because he was so purposely mean.

I don't think she's a bitch. I think, as the count says, she 'a trifle simple'. In other words, she's dumb. I don't understand the attraction myself, because she hasn't got a lot of brains, but hey, there's someone out there for everyone.

No. Buttercup is NOT a "bitch". She is a human being with her own thoughts, motives and feelings and they do NOT need to cater to the feelings and whims of the men around her. Buttercup is an intelligent, autonomous character. She does what she feels she has to. Calling her a misogynist slur makes you look like "the bitch", really. I think you are reading a different book than I read. Misogyny, internalised or otherwise is going to ruin a perfectly excellent book. I'm glad you deleted your account.

Okay maybe not the BRIGHTEST, but intelligent is subjective. And no, you dont need to "know basic math" to be considered intelligent.

I think we're asking the wrong question here. Buttercup is not a sympathetic character to most people, but then, that's kind of the point. Westley is not perfect either, by a long shot, but the book isn't actually about them - it's about their love, overcoming everything. THAT's what's supposed to bind people to this book, and cause nostalgic smiles to come over their faces whenever they see the title or hear a reference about having fun storming the castle. Because everyone wants that kind of love.

I don't think Buttercup is a bad person...She's just not the brightest crayon in the box and is a little on the helpless side. This is common for the "damsel in distress" character though so I think her character is exactly right for what it is. Westly isn't really the most stable either...

http://thislittlebooknook.weebly.com/

She was one, absolutely! I so support that. She was so stuck up to Wesley when he was saving her life. She was totally stupid! I love this book though. Wesley's sweet

Jesse wrote: "She was one, absolutely! I so support that. She was so stuck up to Wesley when he was saving her life. She was totally stupid! I love this book though. Wesley's sweet"

Westley's sweet? Did we read the same book? He was belittling and abusive.

I absolutely loved the beginning of this book. I was hooked almost instantly.

But to be honest it turned out to be a complete letdown. The title says, "The Princess Bride" but I found myself learning ten times more about the 3 caricatural goons than I ever did about Buttercup.

And no, she isn't a very lovable character, is she..

No you are not

Nope, The feeling's mutual. But I do think she's more of a procrastinator and too vapid and insipid to take action.

Anna wrote: "Rashika wrote: "BookWorm wrote: "Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Rashika wrote: "Anita wrote: "Abigail wrote: "I don't think Buttercup is a bitch at all. She knew what would've happened if she had..."
Yes, Price Humperdinck did sort of have a heart. In the end it is portrayed that he was just using her to start a war but I believe that he did care for a little bit. I also agree that Buttercup was kind of self centered because she didn't make sure that Wesley was safe she just wanted to be happy, and to be happy she just believed that he was.

I don't agree with that. When she thought Westley had died she practically gave up on living. Then when they escaped the fireswamp she gave him up because she thought it would allow him to live, even though she wanted to be with him. Those seem to be selfless acts to me.

Buttercup did it to save him. Obviously she was very stupid and naive but she thought she was saving his life.

Lynne wrote: "I don't agree with that. When she thought Westley had died she practically gave up on living. Then when they escaped the fireswamp she gave him up because she thought it would allow him to live, ev..."

I agree. She was acting unselfishly.

Yes, she was.

I think Buttercup is a silly girl who is incredibly sheltered and spoiled, and a bit naïve about the "real world" and how it works. I don't think she was a bitch tho. At her age, and holding her station in life as a princess, what could she really know or understand about love!? Nothing. But Westley changed that in her, didn't he?

I agree. :-)

I'm answering directly to the original poster here....

I'm sorry, but being selfless and trying to ensure the one you love is safe and leads a long life makes one a bitch?

Geez, I feel really bad for the s.o. in your future relationships. Would you demand that person stick around and die because of you rather than give up some personal freedoms to ensure nothing bad happens to you? Seriously.....I think you're bit touched in the head if that's the case.

Iris wrote: "Jesse wrote: "She was one, absolutely! I so support that. She was so stuck up to Wesley when he was saving her life. She was totally stupid! I love this book though. Wesley's sweet"

Westley's..."

Yeah, that's what I thought too....

Are we focusing on the book or the movie. In the book she was a complete bitch, but that was only in the beginning. She changes when she starts to fall in love with Wesley! In the movie it was pretty vague.

Buttercup was a farm girl in the beginning, who's only assets was her family's land and her beauty that she could use to get her way. She was a bitch in the beginning, but Westley saw through the rough outside and found the beautiful and sensitive girl underneath. That helped us, the reader fall for her as well, and created some conflict later as we questioned her love for him.

Everyone is saying how buttercup is a horrible person, but we seem to be forgetting that in the beginning Wesley left. He sent no word that he was ok or even alive. Buttercup thought he was as good as dead. Then as for the fire swamp, she couldnt handle that Wesley could die "again". She felt like in that situation she could save him and he would in turn rescue her. So I dont feel like she really did anything wrong.

Good point Danielle. Yes, Buttercup was willing to sacrifice anything, even her haplessness for her love Wesley. That's why we all ended up liking her.

Matthew wrote: "Buttercup was a farm girl in the beginning, who's only assets was her family's land and her beauty that she could use to get her way. She was a bitch in the beginning, but Westley saw through the ..."

I guess I am a little sketchy on this but wasn't she a princess in the book.