To Conquer Death

I was thinking about the period of time Snow White is dead/asleep in the story and the possibility of incorporating a sequence surrounding that event. When I was a child it was the most memorable momment of the story and I think it's one of the parts of the story that makes Snow White so popular anyway, because of the choice of words. It's stated Snow White died as upposed to Sleeping Beauty whom it say was , well, asleep. One comes off as more of a triumph than the other for children, even if it is an enchanted sleep.

So here's something I made when thinking about mood, setting and what to focus on.

White Red Black

It is not always in fairytales that we are given visual cues to a character's appearance. White, red and black are the colours that represent Snow White and, I strongly argue, are the most fundemental aspect of the tale. Although there is an undoubtible link with the fairy gifts, I believe it is this symbology that really separates the Snow White from the other Sleeping Beauty variants.

Lets first look at what is commonly associated with the colors according to western culture:

WHITE	RED	BLACK
snow	blood	ebony
milk	passion	coal
daisy	rose	ink
absence	fruit & berries	death
light		dark
new		old
innocence		seriousness
opposite of black		opposite of white

You see, even the order each feature is mentioned is important. Always it is white, red and black.

"Oh that I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of the embroidery frame!"

In Snow White, white represents youth and innocence, red maturity and black experience with old age.

In other words the traditional stages of life: childhood, adulthood, old age. Maid, maiden, crone. And if you read analysis of the tale, such a in Bruno Bettelheim's 'Uses of Enchantment', you're likely to find this interpretation.

Looked at it this way, several things begin to make sense, like the items the Step-mother choose. Corset laces and the hair comb could be interpreted as symbols of the temptation of vanity but they are also more important in the life of a young woman, especially in preparation for marriage.

Which just so happens to be the finale of the fairytale.

Symbology and Themes in Snow White

With the study fairytales and folklore you'll always find that one tale tends to branch out into several others. A recurring theme here, a similar role there...So when I began looking at Snow White I did as I had done with 'Fitcher's Bird' by collecting stories with similar elements and comparing them to see things like common trends and how old certain parts are likely to be. Overall I find it helps for a very general understanding of the original thoughts behind the story and what it was really about.

Father Mother