What Is Snow White In Different Cultures

1467 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: A modern fairy tale- essay

A Study of Snow White in Different Cultures The most well known adaptation of Snow White is the one animated by Walt Disney during the Great Depression. During this time adults and children alike were yearning for a story of good defeating evil. It can be said that this could be the same for all cultures, as the story of Snow White is known far and wide, each culture having its own variant. From the brothers Grimm to the Seven Dwarfs.” However, the question can be raised, how does Snow White and it’s cultural variants reflect real life? The best place to start with is the one most people are familiar with, the Brothers Grimm version which inspired the Disney film. The story opens on the queen pricking her finger on a sewing needle,
Switzerland has one of the darkest takes on this story. Named ‘Death of the Seven Dwarves’, this story has no relatively happy ending. It begins with the dwarves, who live near the Black Forest, being approached by a peasant girl who requests a place to stay for the night. The dwarves gave up on of their beds, but before they could sleep another woman showed up at the door. The girl got up immediately and told the woman that they did not have enough beds. The woman, enraged, accused the girl of being a slut, thinking she was cohabiting with all seven of them, and stormed off. That same night she came back with two men she brought up from the Rhine and broke into the house. They killed the seven dwarves and the story states that no-one knows what happened to the
Even in the Disney version mentioned at the beginning, the fashion itself reflects that of fashion models of the 1930s. In the case of this, it reflects beauty norms and what is acceptable. There was this home-maker role preferred for women which was reflected in the way Snow White cleaned and cooked meals for the dwarves. Snow White immediately becomes a mother figure for the dwarves and this brings weakness and vulnerability, which reflects the attitude back when the film was made. This brought the women's movement back to life. It is safe to say that Snow White reflected culture back then, and influenced the reality that we experience

Show More
Related

  • The Use of Fairy Tales in Sanders-Brahms' Film Germany Pale Mother

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...lms. She includes several other references besides the long narration of the fairy tale. Soon after Lene and Hans get married, Lene pricks her finger on a curtain needle. This is symbolic of Sleeping Beauty and her loss of innocence by pricking her finger on a spinningwheel spindle. Anna also speaks of herself and her mother as witches on several occasions; which furthers the fairy tale motif.

    Read More

  • Sinister Predators In Frankenstein Essay

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    This creates sinister predators within her short stories through the use of empowering and dangerous women. in ‘The Snow Child’, the use of subversion turns the traditional fable of Snow White’s existence from maternal desire into a child who is the product of paternal desire and sexual fantasy. The original tale of Snow White explores a queen who is driven by her desire for beauty and youth, this is similar within ‘The Snow Child’ as the Countess becomes jealous of the child as the Count begins to favour her. The countess and the child are portrayed as binary opposites throughout the story; as one is clothed, the other is naked. This could reflect the importance of appearance within society, and explain the Countess’ antagonistic response to the child and acts of neglect due to her jealousy of the child’s beauty. Carter’s description of the Countess’ clothing leaves the reader with an idea of her dangerous nature; she wears “pelts of black foxes”, an association suggesting a predatory and cunning nature. She also wears “scarlet heels, and spurs” and it may be that the colour of the heels comes from the actions of the spurs, which adds to this idea of violence. We see this nature when she is threatened by the child regarding the Count’s affections, “wife” becoming “the Countess” in a shift emphasised by finally having her own thoughts and feelings in the

    Read More

  • Biblical Allusions In Snow White

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • An Analysis of “Disney’s Politically Correct Pocahontas”

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since Disney’s Snow White appeared in 1937, Disney princesses have been a present in pop culture. With the release of new movies frequent and re-release of decades old movies inevitable, a continuous stream keeps Disney princesses in the foreground of adolescent society. It is with the value of entertainment they have been created and as entertainment they should be viewed.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Sexton And The Brothers Grimm's Cinderella

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the world has transformed and progressed throughout history, so have its stories and legends, namely the infamous tale of Cinderella. With countless versions and adaptations, numerous authors from around the world have written this beauty’s tale with their own twists and additions to it. And while many may have a unique or interesting way of telling her story, Anne Sexton and The Brother’s Grimm’s Cinderellas show the effects cultures from different time periods can have on a timeless tale, effects such as changing the story’s moral. While Sexton chooses to keep some elements of her version, such as the story, the same as the Brothers Grimm version, she changes the format and context, and adds her own commentary to transform the story’s

    Read More

  • Snow White Vs Disney

    253 Words  | 1 Pages

    Snow white and the seven dwarfs is a classic fairy tale, however most people only know the Disney version of the story, but before Disney’s version there were many others. One of the first versions was written by the Grimm brothers.

    Read More

  • Gender, Race and Disney Princesses

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Disney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and “as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear”. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that Disney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonists have been introduced subsequently, and gender roles do not appear to be as stereotypical as they once were. However, many of the apparent innocent messages about race and gender in these movies, can be exposed as otherwise. Despite their mask of progression, Disney princesses still have the potential to corrupt the minds of young children through sexism and racism.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Little Snow-White

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    Though the evils of the world may discourage us from reaching our full potential, fairytales such as Little Snow-White by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm teach us that good will always triumph over evil. As many tales of its kind, Little Snow-White uses a number of literary devices to attract a younger audience and communicate to them a lesson or moral that will remain with them throughout their lives. Since children have such an abstract stream of thought, it is vital to use language and devices that will appeal to them as to keep them interested in the story.

    Read More

  • The Little Mermaid: Hans Christian Andersen vs Walt Disney

    2433 Words  | 5 Pages

    If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. Their first and perhaps lasting impression of these tales and others will have emanated from Disney film, book, or artefacts (Zipes 72)

    Read More

  • Comparative Essay: The Frog Prince Vs The Princess and The Frog

    2038 Words  | 5 Pages

    Alexandrova, Marina. "Disney and The American Princess: The Americanization of European Fairy Tales." America: The New Society (2010): 1-77. Print.

    Read More

  • Cinderella Tale Analysis

    1304 Words  | 3 Pages

    Myths and tales are commonly shared across different cultures in versions that are slightly different from each other. Minor changes are made to the story to customize the tale to a more relatable version for the people reading it. Here in this paper two versions of the Cinderella tale will be compared: the German Brothers Grimm fairy tale, “Aschenputtel”, and the Vietnamese folk version, “Tam and Cam”, retold by Vo Van Thang and Jim Larson. The two stories follow the same Cinderella framework and elements, however, the differences of the stories reflects the values of the culture who created that version of Cinderella.

    Read More

  • Snow White Compare And Contrast Essay

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    Roses are red, violets are blue, Snow White has changed, everything’s new. This is a different beginning than the original story of Little Snow White by the Grimm Brothers and retold by the director Rupert Sanders, in the movie Snow White and the Huntsman. The original story portrays Snow White as a beautiful, but naive, young woman, leading up to her eating a poisoned apple from the evil queen. The evil queen has been jealous of Snow White after she has grown up and become more beautiful. Although in both the story and the movie, Snow White eats a poisoned apple, Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman is portrayed as more brave and courageous, even after she wakes up from the poisoned apple. In the end, both the story and the movie show that Snow White’s triumphs out rules all, no matter what is thrown at her, but the difference is in how. While there are many common motifs across the story and the movie; Gender roles have changed over time, as shown in the

    Read More

  • Feminism and Fairy Tales

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a society unbridled with double standards and set views about women, one may wonder the origins of such beliefs. It might come as a surprise that these ideals and standards are embedded and have been for centuries in the beloved fairy tales we enjoyed reading as kids. In her analytical essay, “To Spin a Yarn: The Female Voice in Folklore and Fairy Tales”, Karen Rowe argues that fairy tales present “cultural norms which exalt passivity, dependency, and self-sacrifice as a female’s cardinal virtues.” Rowe presents an excellent point, which can be supported by versions of the cult classics, “Cinderella” and “Snow White”. Charles Perrault’s “ The Little Glass Slipper” and the Brothers Grimm’s “ Snow White” exemplify the beliefs that females are supposed to be docile, dependent on the male persona and willing to sacrifice themselves. In many cases, when strong female characters are presented they are always contradicting in these characteristics, thus labeled as villainous. Such is the case of the Cinderella’s stepsisters in Perrault’s “Cinderella” and the stepmother in the Brothers Grimm’s “Snow White.” These female characters face judgment and disapproval when they commit the same acts as male characters. With such messages rooted in our beloved fairy tales it is no wonder that society is rampant with these ideals about women and disapprove of women when they try to break free of this mold.

    Read More

  • A Different Snow White Story

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the years, Snow White’s story has been told in numerous different versions then its original version in 1812 by the Grimm Brothers. The main basis of the story has remained the same. Only a few minor tweaks to the story have changed. The three versions of the story that are going to be analyzed are the original story “Little Snow White” by the Brothers Grimm, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Disney, and “Mirror, Mirror” by Disney also. They each were created in very different times and the original story has changed over the years to appeal to the audience of that time. No matter how many versions there are Snow White is considered, one of the most cherished fairy tales of all time. They each use different methods to get their story across by using different colors, word usage, and scenes.

    Read More

  • Donald Barthelme’s Snow White

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first way Snow White differs from the stereotypical 1960s housewife is by her appearance. The appearance of a 1960s housewife was very important. She was expected to dress in a particular fashion that “consisted of, touched up make up and a ribbon in their hair to look fresh” (The Good Wife’s Guide,1). Barthelme demonstrates this throughout the ...

    Read More

More about What Is Snow White In Different Cultures

Open Document