Bruno Bettelheim’s psychologically informed interpretation of “Little Snow White” suggests that the story is a coming-of-age story about a girl’s growth, highlighting the misinformation and mistreatment of women in fairy tales. He compares this to Anne Sexton’s presentation of the story, which portrays women as less valuable than men, often labeled as weak and in need of men. Women often aspire to beauty, as they are often princesses and kind, while unattractive women are labeled as witches. Snow White, as an ordinary girl, developed her ability to deal with societal evils. Both Bettelheim and Sexton emphasize the need for young women to be more self-reliant and considerate in a culture where they are often mistreated. Bettelheim’s interpretation uses language like maturity, narcissism, and sexuality to convey the reality that fairy tales can have on children, and suggests that they should not be read in the wrong way. On the other hand, Sexton’s retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” highlights the importance of women and their role in society. Bettelheim argues that all fairy tales are not good for kids and should not be read, while Sexton emphasizes the value of women and their importance.
One thought on “Xitlally Bravo Discussion 11”
Hello Xitlally, hope you find yourself well, I agree with what you wrote in where you stated that he compared the story to Anne Sexton’s presentation in which basically he brings women down. No female should ever be let down or be told they aren’t capable to do certain things and even that they dint have the skills to be doing things. I feel like fairy tales are given hopes and told kids that at the very end their should always be a “happily ever after” when it reality its usually never like that.