Dramatic Analysis of the 'Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs'
In the story Snow White and the seven Dwarfs Snow White is the fairest of the land with her bright red lips, raven black hair and skin as white as snow. The Queen, also her step mother, is extremely jealous over the beauty snow white has and sends a huntsman out to kill Snow White so the queen can be the most beautiful in the kingdom. The Queen orders the Huntsman to kill her, shocking the huntsman with this action the queen gives the ultimatum to kill or he will die himself, and to prove himself he must bring back the casket given to him by the queen with snow white’s heart inside. When the Huntsman brings snow white deep into the forest planning to kill her instead of proceeding with the quest the queen has given him the huntsman freezes and says “I can’t do it forgive me I beg you my highness… the queen will stop at nothing run child run, hide and never come back”. The Huntsman sees no reason to kill snow white due to her kindness and innocence, representing the good in the world allowing her to be free as long as she hides away resulting in lying to the evil queen giving her a pigs heart instead.
Snow White shows her kind naive characteristic on when she stumbles upon this strange house she found in the woods with the directions of the woodland creatures. The Naïve actions she completed was the act of going into this strange house not knowing what was inside without a question or doubt about it. Snow White just automatically believed that it was a safe place to stay and wanted to stay with the seven other men who lived there although she’s never met them. Snow white shows the kindness during this scene is when she summons the woodland creatures and begins to clean the house without asking the men first, she thought they were orphans and wanted to do a kind action.
Snow White shows her innocence childish acts of not knowing any better in the scene of when the prince came and gave snow white a kiss to awake her from the dead. This kiss from the prince was her dream come true of always wanting her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet to marry her and live happily ever after in a kingdom. This action of snow white shows her innocence because she is still allowing these strange people to come into her life so quickly and not thinking about the consequences that may happen. This is like when the queen disguised as an old lady poisoned her with an apple, she just allowed the old lady into her home without a thought.
Throughout the Story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs symbolic solely was presented thru the chirping of the woodland creatures. Thru the noises of the woodland creatures it symbolizes the good and helpfulness that snow white granted to the others she met along the way in her journey. This can be seen as when Snow White was singing about her prince, this shows her kind and innocent personality because she’s just daydreaming about a prince in shining armor the bird and small woodland creatures chirp amongst.
The Symbolism of birds can be a wide variety of things such as many people believe that ravens symbolize death which in the story the queen describes snow white hair just as black yet when the prince sees snow white laying in the glass coffin the prince describes her as having “raven hair LUX (53:34). The chirping amongst the animals can also be viewed as guidance for snow white as when snow white was running away from the huntsman lost in the woods she took to the bird and rodent chirping asking for a way to get to a safe place leading her to the Seven Dwarfs house in the woods. The forest is “the place where we get tested and we must learn to replace fear with faith. We cannot find our way out of the forest or turn back until we have completed this stage of our journey, but to do so also carries danger and we need courage to surpass its perils. In the forest, we must fight against the forces of darkness within ourselves, if we are to emerge into the light “. This is where the birds come in as guidance to help someone who is in need.
The birds and other small rodents chirping were trying to lead snow white away from eating the apple. Although she still took a bite of it the birds were trying to stop her saying “don’t eat it” as well as trying to say something about the men attempting to remind snow white about their reminders of how evil and manipulative the queen is as well as being weary and allowing any strangers in the house.
From the actions of the Queen dying and Snow White being relived it shows that the good wins and the evil dies. This was only possible because of Snow Whites Naïve innocent and kind personality throughout the story. “Despite all the hard work, Snow White stayed sweet, gentle, and cheerful. Day after day she washed and swept and scrubbed. And day after day she dreamed of a handsome prince who would come and carry her off to his castle”. Snow Whites Naïve personality allowed herself to eat a strangers apple poisoning herself into a curse that only a true loves kiss would wake her from yet the symbolic guidance of the woodland creatures and help of the men who loved her for her kindness and beauty stick with her that prevented the jealous evil queen to use her “Black Magic”.
Overall, in the Story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the theme of Snow White comes mainly from this point due to this is where the Climax of the story occurs which creates the theme Good versus Evil with the good always winning. This is viewed in the Climactic scene of when snow white was tricked into eating the apple from the evil queen. The Queen tricked the naïve girl dressing up as an old woman entering her house persuading snow white to eat the apple. After being tricked into eating the apple snow white falls asleep and “dies” being conserved into a coffin. At this point it seems as if evil won yet evil actually hasn’t. the seven dwarfs came home from work and chased the evil queen resulting her falling off the cliff to die. The dwarfs conserve Snow Whites body because of how beautiful she is and this allowed enough time for her prince to come and see her to kiss her awake and back alive.
Work Cited
- Gadd, Ann. “Fairytales and Symbols” Common symbols in fairytales and what they mean. 2014. Para21.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Disney Classic. 2nd Random House Edition. Little Golden Book. November 27, 2013 Page 5
- Lux Radio Theater. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 1934-1955
