Biblical Allusions In Snow White

Snow-White is arguably one of the most well-known and revered fairy tales of all time. Versions of it permeate almost every culture, or at least can be recognized by most cultures throughout the world. It has been adopted into film, with later spin-offs and adaptations occurring in recent years. There is certainly some deeper appeal to it, hence its popularity throughout time. Some may find it hard to accept that a portion of its appeal could be due, in part, to the tale’s Christian roots. As a symbolic reading reveals, however, at the heart of the Grimms’ story are the stories central to the Bible. The character of Snow-White comes to be a dual representative of both Eve and Christ. Why might the Brothers Grimm present Snow White in this

Much of the biblical references in Snow-White occur symbolically through color, numbers, and objects. Color offers the most obvious examples. Towards the start of the tale, the queen, having pricked her finger while admiring the snow through her window, articulates a wish: “‘Oh that I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the embroidery frame’” (215). Shortly thereafter, the wish is fulfilled, similar to how God’s articulated wishes are fulfilled during the Creation Story, and Snow-White is born with a light complexion, flushed lips, and dark hair. This triad of colors ̶ white, red, and black ̶ has dominated human culture since primitive times. On one hand, as we discussed in class, the three in partnership serve to represent the human itself: red being blood, white being bones and bodily fluids, black being excrement. This idea positions Snow-White in the realm of human, susceptible to mistakes. In this sense, she is reminiscent of Eve. Also considered within the context of the bible, these colors can place her in a divinely category, too. Jesus, The Lamb of God, is pure and sinless in all ways, making the color white a clear emblem of his perfection. Red is also associated with Jesus. At the Last Supper, he shares the cup with his disciples, saying, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new

Again, there are parallels to Eve in the story of the fall of man. Considering black typically has negative associations with it, in this case it serves as a foreshadowing element of the bad that is about to come. In the Bible, despite God’s warning of “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die,” the serpent manages to coerce Eve into eating the forbidden fruit anyway (Genesis 3:1). Similarly, in Grimms’ tale, Snow-White allows her step-mother in three times despite the seven dwarves’ warning to “Let no one into the house” (216). If Snow-White is Eve and the queen the serpent that tempts her, then the blackness of her hair serves as an indication of her eventual downfall. The other interpretation of black again uses it as a foreshadowing element, but more along the likes of Jesus, in that though he was destined to die on a cross, so too was he destined to be resurrected. In this context, the black can mean that although Snow-White will eventually give in to her evil step-mother, she is a character born of and named for purity and perfection. Therefore, like Jesus, she too will be