I enjoyed reading Snow White because there are a few interesting details not included in the film, for better or for worse.
The first thing I noticed is that the written story includes information about the origins of Snow White’s name – her mother pricked her finger with a needle, and her blood fell on the white snow, making her think of having a child that is purely white, black and red. In addition, when the stepmother becomes envious of her stepdaughter, she not only asks for her heart (as shown in the movie), but also eats it. This is extremely brutal, which makes sense why Disney left it out! Disney is strategic in leaving this part of the story out because it is wicked and inhumane for any viewer (not just children) to watch a mother eat her own daughter’s heart and soul.
I also notice how in the movie, there is resistance to Snow White taking over the dwarf’s house – Grumpy refuses to wash his hands and is very against having her there. However, in the written story, there is no such resistance. Instead, they welcome her with open arms even though they know the Queen is a threat. They are happy as long as she cleans, cooks, and shows her pretty face, just like in the movie.
In addition, I thought it was interesting how Disney chose to include how the stepmother uses magic and special potions to disguise herself as an old woman; however, in the story, the stepmother simply paints her face by natural means and dresses like an older lady.
Also – the biggest mystery of all is why did Disney replace the stepmother’s original and multiple attempts of killing Snow White with a poisonous apple? In the actual story, the stepmother attempts to kill Snow White by choking her, and going to her door in the same disguise multiple times, not just in one swift act with the apple. I wonder if this was done due to time constraints or something else!
Most interesting of all is how the endings differ. Where in the movie, a kiss from the prince wakes Snow White up, in the story, Snow White wakes up from servants stumbling upon the poisonous apple. I guess Disney changed this part of the ending to make it more romantic and heartwarming for viewers. The kiss is not the only difference in the ending. In the movie, the stepmother dies from the dwarfs chasing her to her death. However, in the story, she actually has to wear red, flaming shoes that cause her to drop dead (only slightly more brutal!
Overall, I liked reading the story more because I felt like there was more depth into the story and characters and greater details. In the movie, I feel like many parts are skimmed over for the sake of cool animations and incredible graphics and songs. The differences between the movie and the written story make me wonder how such differences originated and decided upon – what is due to time constraints or symbolic, thematic reasons? I am also curious how Walt Disney uses self-figuration in Snow White, since we have read about how he adds elements to characters that align with his personal values.
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