Snow White Patriarchy

Even though it ends in matricide in several versions, societal roles and conduct are introduced in “Snow White” through character interactions. “Snow White” and its variants serve as models for young women, despite their historical basis. As argued by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, as well as Bruno Bettelheim, stereotypes and societal roles are ingrained in this fairy tale, providing its audience with a general idea of how women are viewed in society. Two variants act as critiques of the original “Snow White”; Walker’s “Snow Night” and Sexton’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Through comparing each variants view of feminist ideals, Sexton’s variant is effective as a critique of how women have been portrayed in fairy tales, while Walker’s …show more content…
Seen through this lens of analysis, Sexton appears to critique the difficulty women have with connecting to each other, while Walker goes further to state that solidifying bonds is the most difficult part in a fairy tale. As Bettelheim states, “female bonding is extraordinarily difficult in patriarchy”, which makes it especially crucial for modern viewers to be shown positive interactions concerning women (Bettelheim 293). Bettelheim also establishes the importance of positive identification with mother figures, stating that “if the mother fails the child in fairy tales, the child’s very life is in jeopardy” (Bettelheim 206). While the circumstances are not that dire in the modern world, the same principle stands; women need positive female role models so that they are not stunted in emotional growth. “Snow Night” is empowering in this sense, as the relationship between Snow and the Queen is mutually beneficial, not rooted in jealousy. On the contrary, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” does not contribute positively to a progressive view of women due to the negative view of the relationship between stepmother and daughter. As exemplified in Gilbert and Gubar’s critique of this fairy tale, the “only real action—arises from the relationship between these two women”, which in this case is a case of mutual destruction. (Gilbert and …show more content…
The idea of a woman’s power is a cultural idea, one that Gilbert and Gubar outline by stating that “myths and fairy tales often both state and enforce culture's sentences with greater accuracy than more sophisticated literary texts” (Gilbert and Gubar 387). As such, the level of power possessed by women in a fairy tale directly translates to the cultural idea of power, and is either empowering or demeaning based on the type of power. While both the Queen and Snow are royalty, depending on the variant, power is gained or lost by one or each of the women. This is shown either through their own interactions or their interactions with other characters. Sexton’s version results in a loss of power for the Queen in many respects, firstly her plot to have the Huntsman assassinate Snow fails, and then she fails yet again to kill her on her own three times (Sexton 103-105). Due to her inability to have the Huntsman do her bidding and her inevitable death by Snow White’s sentence, the Queen leaves the tale the opposite of how she entered; powerless and lifeless. After she begins her murderous plot, she no longer possesses the same level of royal power, and in the end another royal, Prince Charming, sees to it that she is killed (Sexton 105-106). The transfer of power from the Queen, to Prince Charming, and by extent to Snow White further