Womanhood in "Snow White"

Snow White is very naive, passive, and vulnerable. She plays the helpless woman who cannot fend for herself. She needs the aid of the seven dwarfs to take her in and take care of her (as long as she does the womanly chores). She cleans the house for them, cooks dinner, everything that a woman "should" do.  She also needs a man in her life to make her happy. This is where Prince Charming comes in and is the hero. 

This image upholds and subverts expectations regarding the female gender. Today women are still seen as the "care takers." They are seen as the ones to clean and cook for their family, even if this is not always the case. However, woman are stronger and do not rely on men to make them happy. 

The Evil Queen on the other hand is very jealous and superficial. The only thing she cares about is being the most "fairest one of all." Her jealousy drives her so mad that she resorts to violence. However, she also turns to a man to do her "dirty work for her." 

This image again, upholds and subverts expectations regarding the female gender. Woman are very jealous of other women. It always seems like a competition when they are out together. However, they do not resort to violence just because a girl may be prettier than them. On the other hand, they might do it in a verbal way. 


Works Cited: 


Lieberman, Marica R. "Some Day My Prince Will Come: Female Acculturation Through the Fairy Tale." College English 34. 3 (1972): 383-395. JSTOR. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.