Fairytales can be powerful stuff. The original volumes — published by the Grimm brothers — were called “children’s tales,” despite being regarded as completely unsuitable for children. Still, for almost two hundred years, Sneewittchen (Snow White) has endured as a popular story, with many retellings amping up the good and evil and jealousy and gallantry and, of course, dwarves. Disney’s Snow White — the first animated feature film produced in America — came out in 1937, and became an instant classic.
To be sure, a lot of the language of Snow White is Eurocentric and racist. The queen asks her mirror who is the “fairest” of them all, “fair” meaning pale-skinned and therefore beautiful. Pitting the older woman against the younger is also a problematic (though ancient) trope; as is a prince rescuing the damsel in distress from the crafty old hag. In a modern telling, the queen could represent society and aging and the pressures to remain wrinkle-free and beautiful; Snow White’s life in the forest could represent living outside of society, where youth and nature and singing and animal friends are all that matter. But as a kid, I just loved the fun innocence of the story. There’s a certain charm in a young girl raised in the woods, with critters and friendly little non-sexualized playmates. It’s sweet.
