Brianna Sanchez Discussion 11

According to Bruno Bettelheim’s psychologically informed interpretation of “Little Snow White,” the story is a coming-of-age story following a little girl’s growth. This interpretation reveals that we, as readers, have been misled by fairytale stories since we were young, which makes it compare with Anne Sexton’s presentation of the well-known fairy tale. It presents women as less valuable than men. Men are viewed as powerful, wise, and brave, while women are always perceived as weak and in need of men.  Women aspire to beauty because, in fairytales, they are often the princesses and are kind; in these stories, women who are labeled unattractive would be nasty witches. As an ordinary girl, Snow White was naive and developed her ability to deal with society’s evil behaviors.  Both Anne Sexton’s and Bruno Bettelheim’s psychologically informed interpretations of the well-known fairy tale “Little Snow White” make remarks about women and the need for young women to be more self-reliant and considerate in a culture where they are frequently mistreated.