Snow White: Gender Stereotypes In Fairy Tales

Over the years, there were created a variety of versions of the well-known Snow White. In every edition and adaptation though, there were slight or evened major changes in the character of the Snow white from Grimms’ original story (1812). This essay centres on the significant changes that the character of Snow White undergoes, by contrasting the two editions of Grimm brothers' fairy tales Little Snow-White (1812,1819) to two films adaptations; 1937 Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 2012 Blancanieves. Subsequently, based on those changes and drawing data of controversial views, the essay will discuss the significance of these changes for gender politics. All things considered, the essay will show the differences of Snow White’s character throughout these different renditions and try to unfold the connotations of these changes in relation with the roles and positions of women and men.

Initially, the character of Snow White in the original rendition of Grimm's fairy tales in 1812 and 1819 is portrayed as a naïve, scared child with no self-confidence (Veselá, "Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales"). Though, she was tricked by the queen and ate the poisonous apple, in Disney’s movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White was

In Grimm's fairy tales but also on the Disney’s film adaptation, she was depicted as a scared and weak-willed person, as opposed to men who were the lifesavers of the Snow White (Veselá, "Gender Stereotypes in Fairy Tales"). However, in Blancanieves film, Carmen the Snow White, even if she was scared at the beginning, she faced her fears and she bursted into an occupation that was stereotypically a man’s field; the bullfighting. Pablo Berger, the director with his unconventional approach, he changed the norm of the typical figure of Snow White as a cultural marker. (Deveny, "Blancanieves A Film Adaptation of “Snow White” with a Spanish