Snow White has become a story that is cherished for its innocent love story and how the protagonist was able to defeat the evil stepmother. However, there is much more to the story than can be perceived. In various versions of the Snow White tale, what fuels the entire story is the competition between Snow White and the stepmother. Without this female competition, there would not be any plot whatsoever and the tale would not have any purpose. The female competition is encouraged by the male figure in the story, the father, and this shows how women compete with each other for the attention of men. In the Grimm’s “Snow White” and Emma Donoghue’s “The Tale of the Apple”, although written at very different times, both adaptations showcase how this
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In the Grimm, this is especially a main component because it is what causes the stepmother to decide to kill Snow White because whenever she asked her magic mirror the question, he states that it is Snow White that will become the fairest of them all. The first time this occurs is when the young girl turned seven years old and the mirror changes what it had always stated. This time when it asks the question, it says, “My queen, you’re the fairest one here, but Snow White is a thousand times more fair than you” (Grimm). The moment the mirror utters those words, the competition between the stepmother and Snow White begins. Before, the stepmother never viewed the young girl as competition for being the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The mirror becomes a symbol of the societal pressure that women feel to be the most beautiful. The moment another woman comes into the picture and dares to threaten their position, then competition ensues. The mirror becomes the pressure of always wanting to look a particular way and the moment they realize that they do not meet a certain standard, it creates a sense of lacking something. In this case, the mirror replaces the male figure and it becomes the source of what can cause competitiveness amongst women. A mirror also signifies feminity, since it is an item used by women to admire their own beauty. It becomes the item that initiates the rivalry between the young girl and her
In the Grimm, this is especially a main component because it is what causes the stepmother to decide to kill Snow White because whenever she asked her magic mirror the question, he states that it is Snow White that will become the fairest of them all. The first time this occurs is when the young girl turned seven years old and the mirror changes what it had always stated. This time when it asks the question, it says, “My queen, you’re the fairest one here, but Snow White is a thousand times more fair than you” (Grimm). The moment the mirror utters those words, the competition between the stepmother and Snow White begins. Before, the stepmother never viewed the young girl as competition for being the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. The mirror becomes a symbol of the societal pressure that women feel to be the most beautiful. The moment another woman comes into the picture and dares to threaten their position, then competition ensues. The mirror becomes the pressure of always wanting to look a particular way and the moment they realize that they do not meet a certain standard, it creates a sense of lacking something. In this case, the mirror replaces the male figure and it becomes the source of what can cause competitiveness amongst women. A mirror also signifies feminity, since it is an item used by women to admire their own beauty. It becomes the item that initiates the rivalry between the young girl and her