Do you know you’ve finally grown up when the character you most connect with in Snow White is Grumpy? I often found myself relating to his sighs of annoyance and not-so-subtle grumbling. I disliked Disney’s Snow White for some of the same fundamental reasons that I disliked the book: the repeated stupidity of Snow White even after explicit warning, the enforcement of rigid gender roles, and the unnecessary length of the entire piece. However, as a viewer, I had a more favorable experience with the film than with the Grimm’s text. The visuals and audio were simply astounding for the 1930s and it made it clear to me how Walt Disney found his success. However, technological advances aside, I felt the bones of the story were improved by the development of the symbolism of the apple, the introduction of the mirror as a character, and the greater emphasis on the role of the dwarves.
I thought Disney’s development of the symbol of the apple with the addition of a wish fulfillment component, made me more understanding of why Snow White defied the dwarves’ warning to not trust any strangers. In the Grimm’s Snow White she takes the apple because it looked delicious. However, in Disney’s Snow White, not only is the apple visually appealing, but it also grants a wish to that person who eats it. Snow White is in a dire situation, so I do not blame her hope exceeding her ability to think logically. This wish fulfillment is the same reason that we as viewers buy into Disney movies, even though they may be outdated and problematic, at least some part of us hopes that these magical “Happily Ever Afters” will happen to us too.
Another change that Disney made from the Grimms’ tale was turning the central symbol of the movie from the looking glass into a mirror. I cannot discern a difference between these two objects and I believe Disney most likely only changed the name as “mirror, mirror on the wall” has a better cadence. Semantics aside, looking glasses and mirrors serve the same function. Mirrors have been a longstanding symbol in literature and art, but generally, those who look into them are not looking for something “exact”, but for an idealized reality. The ancient Greeks told the story of Narcissus, a vain man who looked into a reflective pond and fell in love with himself, but he looked into his reflection to find gratification not reality. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the glass opened another world of mirror images where change of size and reversal of time occur– not reality. By nature, mirrors are an inverse of reality, where everything is flipped and delayed by an instant. However, in Snow White mirrors are used as the ultimate authority. The Evil Queen is willing, perhaps is even excited, to commit murder based on the information it giver her.
Lastly, and this point is admittedly less analytical and more personal, but I loved the development of dwarves as characters. I did not remember how cute they were and how much they made me smile. Although there were certainly some aspects that were questionable — such as the description and treatment of Dopey and the sexist quotes such as, “All females are full of wicked wiles”— they, on the whole made me smile throughout the whole movie. Additionally, by naming each dwarf Disney gave them each a distinct, loveable personality. And last, but not least, to Disney’s credit — both Hi-Ho and Someday My Prince Will Come really are amazing songs and I do not doubt they will be stuck in my head for days to come. Even as Grumpy was able to smile when he received a kiss on the head from Snow White, I too, received a glimmer of joy from Disney's Snow White.
I thought Disney’s development of the symbol of the apple with the addition of a wish fulfillment component, made me more understanding of why Snow White defied the dwarves’ warning to not trust any strangers. In the Grimm’s Snow White she takes the apple because it looked delicious. However, in Disney’s Snow White, not only is the apple visually appealing, but it also grants a wish to that person who eats it. Snow White is in a dire situation, so I do not blame her hope exceeding her ability to think logically. This wish fulfillment is the same reason that we as viewers buy into Disney movies, even though they may be outdated and problematic, at least some part of us hopes that these magical “Happily Ever Afters” will happen to us too.
Another change that Disney made from the Grimms’ tale was turning the central symbol of the movie from the looking glass into a mirror. I cannot discern a difference between these two objects and I believe Disney most likely only changed the name as “mirror, mirror on the wall” has a better cadence. Semantics aside, looking glasses and mirrors serve the same function. Mirrors have been a longstanding symbol in literature and art, but generally, those who look into them are not looking for something “exact”, but for an idealized reality. The ancient Greeks told the story of Narcissus, a vain man who looked into a reflective pond and fell in love with himself, but he looked into his reflection to find gratification not reality. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the glass opened another world of mirror images where change of size and reversal of time occur– not reality. By nature, mirrors are an inverse of reality, where everything is flipped and delayed by an instant. However, in Snow White mirrors are used as the ultimate authority. The Evil Queen is willing, perhaps is even excited, to commit murder based on the information it giver her.
Lastly, and this point is admittedly less analytical and more personal, but I loved the development of dwarves as characters. I did not remember how cute they were and how much they made me smile. Although there were certainly some aspects that were questionable — such as the description and treatment of Dopey and the sexist quotes such as, “All females are full of wicked wiles”— they, on the whole made me smile throughout the whole movie. Additionally, by naming each dwarf Disney gave them each a distinct, loveable personality. And last, but not least, to Disney’s credit — both Hi-Ho and Someday My Prince Will Come really are amazing songs and I do not doubt they will be stuck in my head for days to come. Even as Grumpy was able to smile when he received a kiss on the head from Snow White, I too, received a glimmer of joy from Disney's Snow White.
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