Literary Analysis Of Snow White

Lavina Ensor
English 105
21 November 2013
Literary Analysis of “Snow White and The Seven Dwarves” In her collection Transformations, Anne Sexton rewrites the classic Grimm’s fairytales. In her version of “Snow White and The Seven Dwarves”, Sexton insinuates that women are often judged by their beauty as if it classifies a woman as a “dumb bunny”. Sexton displays Snow White in a vulnerable and unintelligent way as she continuously makes the same mistake over and over, as she lets her stepmother in the house. Each time, her Stepmother proceeds to ambush her due to the jealousy she has for Snow White. The mirror prompts the jealousy between the evil Stepmother and Snow White. Snow White happens to be saved many times as a result of her astounding looks and purity making her more desirable by others, which develops into her most important traits as a princess. In the poem, Snow White’s Stepmother sends out her hunter in hopes of bringing back Snow White’s heart; instead, the hunter is
controlled by his emotions and abandons the plan. Sexton writes, “The hunter, however, let his prisoner go and brought a boar 's heart back to the castle” (Sexton 2). Each time, a man ends up saving Snow White. Sexton portrays that women cannot accomplish anything without the help of a man. As children grow up, they are sometimes taught through fairytales like this that women are inferior to men. Princesses are constantly saved by their prince charming. Sexton exhibits an example of this by writing, “the prince 's men carried the coffin they stumbled and dropped it and the chunk of apple flew out” (Sexton 3). She creates a thought that if it were not for prince charming, Snow White would still be on top of the mountain. Because the dwarfs wished to lay the coffin upon the hill so everyone could see Snow White, the Prince was able to acknowledge her presence and beauty. Once again, Sexton emphasizes that it is not Snow White’s intelligence or power that saves her, but her beauty. Sexton exemplifies the jealousy Snow White’s Stepmother has for her and her beauty, leading to the multiple encounters between the two in attempt for murder. The two ladies meet at the wedding where Snow White provides her evil queen with the red-hot iron shoes. David Cowart writes, “The sly last words work perfectly to suggest the archetypal and cyclic relationship between all the little Snow Whites and all their jealous stepmothers.” (Cowart N.p.). The evil queen’s last words revealed the ultimate jealousy she had for the princess all along. Snow White had finally achieved victory as she sat “rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut” (Sexton 4). The princess presents a mocking act as she is finally delighted that her archenemy no longer exists. The mirror in several scenes plays the role of the enemy. The Queen would ask, “who is the fairest of us all” (Sexton 1). The response the bigheaded Queen continuously receives lastly turns its back on her. In the poem, “the mirror replied, Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, but Snow White is fairer than you.” (Sexton 1). This generates the barrier of hatred between the Stepmother and Snow White. Resulting in the comparison of another, Gill says “perceiving and identifying ourselves in relation to others” (Gill N.p.). This initiates the attempt at murder of Snow White by her evil Stepmother. Gill explains, “how meaning is realized and dispersed are the metaphors of mirrors” (Gill N.p.). The source of this issue directly points to the mirror, not only causing the attempt to slaughter Snow White, but the death of the Stepmother.
A result of the fairytales leads to women being inferior to men, embedding this into the minds of children since their childhood. Countless fairytales expose women as powerless and in demand of a man, whereas males remain to stand strong, intellectual, and fearless. Middlebrook states, “Her work was intimate, confessional, comic, formally complex, psychologically acute, and disruptively female” (Middlebrook N.p.). Snow White is indicated as a thing by Sexton, and repetitively associated to objects with “cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper, arms and legs made of Limoges, lips like Vin Du Rhone” (Sexton 1). “Rolling her china-blue doll eyes” (Sexton 4) makes it seem as if she is equivalent to a doll. The motorized movement of her eyes that open and shut like a doll makes her appear to be lifeless, without a mind of her own. She does as she is told, like a child controlling the opening and closing of it’s dolls eyes. She then “became the prince’s bride” (Sexton 4). He began saving her from homelessness, as she would never have been able to fend for herself.
Women are thought of as unintelligent. Snow White continues to open the door to the evil stepmother allowing her to receptively play her devious games with Snow White. Although the dwarves warn her on various occasions, “Beware of your stepmother” (Sexton 2). Thinking she would learn from her previous mistakes “once more the queen dressed in rags and once more Snow White opened the door” (Sexton 4). “Sexton 's transformation of this tale is centered in a characterization of Snow White as a naïve, vain, stupid, and ultimately vindictive individual.” (McGowan N.p.). Snow White is then named a “dumb bunny”, relating her to an animal because of the little intelligence she obtains.
The impression of cleanliness is almighty in the beginning of the poem. It starts with, “No matter what life you lead the virgin is a lovely number” (Sexton 1). Purity is a major factor in the Christian belief. Women are to stay pure for their husband, and are to only be with their husband. Virgins are believed to be more valuable and worthy than any other, and stand closer to god as individuals. They are a “lovely number “ (Sexton 1) because of their innocence and pureness to be “lovely”. This is cynical in tone of virgins, to be more moral, and their virginity is a prized possession. However, Sexton criticizes this with her snarky tonality. People are judged upon their purity; if someone is a virgin, that does not certainly mean they are a good person. For someone who has lost their virginity, that does not mean they are immortal and wicked.
In this version of “Snow White and The Seven Dwarves”, Sexton makes altering adjustments to the original version of The Brothers Grimm’s Folktales.
Sexton constructs a picture of Snow White as a young naïve, stupid girl. The beauty that Snow White holds makes her who she is because without her beauty she would not have lived through her evil Stepmothers various attempts of murder. At last, her beauty brings her to her prince who brings her back to life. The prince is drawn by Snow White’s beauty and pureness, making her more admirable and desired. The Stepmother’s jealousy is inevitable, the main cause of this is the mirror starting the battle between the evil Stepmother and Snow White. Sexton paints a picture that women cannot take care of themselves without the service of men. Fabricating an automatic failure for young girls growing up with these fairytales. Every girl is waiting on their prince charming to come and sweep them all their feet, at
last.

Work Cited
Cowart, David. "Anne Sexton." American Poets Since World War II. Ed. Donald J. Greiner. Detroit: Gale Research, 1980. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 5. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Gill, Jo. "Textual Confessions: Narcissism in Anne Sexton 's Early Poetry." Twentieth Century Literature 50.1 (Spring 2004): 59-87. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 79. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Middlebrook, Diane Wood. "Anne Sexton." American Poets Since World War II: Fifth Series. Ed. Joseph Mark Conte. Detroit: Gale Research, 1996. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 169. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
McGowan, Philip. "Sexton 's Transformations." Anne Sexton and Middle Generation Poetry: The Geography of Grief. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2004. 73-91. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 79. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.