Snow White
"The fairest of them all"
Snow White is undoubtedly one of the most famous fairy tales of all time. Seeing how its themes of female conflict and rivalry develop in various cultures, it's clear that history has its eyes on the future of this tale. However, that isn't to say that that's the future of the tale and its retelling. From the Brothers Grimm to Neil Gaiman, it's clear to see that Snow White has and will continue to enchant us all.
"Little Snow White"
"...if only I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood in the window frame.."
Classic and enduring, this is the version of "Snow White" most people think of when they hear the name.
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The Brothers Grimm
"Little Snow White"
This classic fairy tale is the one recognizable today as a Disney icon. Collected by the Grimms in 1812, its themes of maternal conflict and jealousy make it a tale relatable from then to now.
The Two Snow Whites of the Grimms
The Brothers Grimm in collecting German fairy and folktales collected not only the "Little Snow White" tale that inspired Disney, but also the tale of "Snow White and Rose Red"
"Snow White and Rose Red"
This lesser-known tale is remarkably different from "Little Snow White." This tale features Snow White and her sister as they encounter an angry dwarf and transformed prince.
Retelling "Little Snow White"
Rose Red
The forgotten sister of Snow White, re-evaluated.
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One tale of Snow White may rise to the top, but that does not mean that the story of Rose Red and her sister should be forgotten. Standing in contrast to Snow White, Rose Red is portrayed and symbolized to be less pure and overall more active. Although, they're presented to the reader as two parts, or the two types of flowers, of a rosebush.
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Perhaps Rose Red's less submissive nature is why we see the distinct preference for Snow White and "Little Snow White." In being both red and a rose, we can see that the two sisters may be paired together to portray two sides of femininity. However, while red can be interpreted to be a more negative and masculine aspect, it should be noted that the Grimms portrayed them both as being very good children.
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While that is all one way to look at the tale, there's also the more progressive and transgressive view tackling masculinity, homosexuality, and the repression of desire. Andrew J. Friedenthal teases these themes out in his analysis of the tale, titled "The Lost Sister."
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To Friedenhal, the red and white color scheme is very important to understanding how Snow White would have been separated by popular culture from her sister. As Freidenhal explains, "One sister receives a pure, clean slate, cleared of all wrongdoing and sexual knowledge, while the other has the sins of womanhood thrust upon her" (Friedenthal, 165). This is also interesting because while Snow White is one character in "Little Snow White," it is always explicitly stated that she be made of white, red, and black. It is as if there is some recognition for balance there which has been further teased out in various retellings that more deeply explore Snow White's character.
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Despite this, Snow White and Rose Red are inseparable and it may be concluded from their home being in the forest with only their widowed mother, that for one reason or another, there's a lack of masculinity in many forms. With only each other, Friedenthal emphasizes from scholar Jack Zipes that "The girls often wander alone together in the forest gathering 'red berries,' emphasizing the menstrual/sexual connotation to their activities (Zipes, The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm 476 and Friedenthal 166). Therefore, we can see that there may ultimately be some sort of relationship between the sisters, who are already shown to be very close, that transcends sisterly love.
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Considering this, the tale introduces the end of this type of love when the bear is introduced. Very similar to "Beauty and the Beast," one sees the transformation of a prince done wrong and the development of a hetero-normative relationship from one that borders bestiality. In representing masculinity and men, it's Snow White's attention that is attracted by the bear more than her sister's. Snow White is the one that expresses that she will miss him when he departs for a time, thus signaling an emphasis on her stronger desire for heterosexual relationships (Freidenthal 166).
Read Andrew J. Friedenthal's full analysis in this collection of essays edited by Kay Turner and Pauline Greenhill. You can find this book in the Robbins Library and Koller-Collins Center on the fourth floor of Rush Rhees Library.
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This book stood out to me immediately with its simple illustrations and Friedenthal's analysis continues to guide my own thought on Snow White's color scheme.
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Color in the future of Snow White
Snow White is the "fairest of them all," but the Grimms only describe our heroine as "she had a little daughter that was as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony wood, and therefore they called her Little Snow-White" ("Little Snow White"). In this famous description, with this vagueness one can see the large opportunity to seize. Furthermore, we can already see the diversification of Snow White. Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles Series works with a diverse cast of characters including casting their version of Snow White as a woman of color. Widely read by many, the series offers a chance for young people of color to see themselves as the heroes of their own tales, a chance not always allotted to them.
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In adult literature, Donald Barthelme's Snow White stands out with its Asian-American heroine and its progressive and postmodernist nature. Using short blurbs of various narratives, this seemingly plot-less retelling explores the contempt of people towards their assigned fairy tale roles, the place of modern education in both projecting them and erasing these, and the role of sexuality in life. This Snow White is an adult woman, a college-educated woman in the 1960s, living with seven men as they navigate New York City and their roles in their fairy tale.
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Robbins and Koller-Collins Highlights
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Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm
edited by Phillip Pullman
