Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading of “Little Snow White” offers an insightful observation regarding jealousy, which can be compared to Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” In “Little Snow White,” the stepmother’s jealousy of Snow White’s beauty represents the child’s fear of being rejected or hated by others because of their beauty or perceived superiority. Similarly, in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Connie’s mother is always frustrated with her daughter because she knows she is beautiful and admires herself often, which can be interpreted as a fear of being rejected or resented by others because of her attractiveness. Both characters must confront their fears and learn to accept themselves for who they are. This comparison shows how the underlying themes and psychological insights of fairy tales can be applied to other works and highlight the relevance of these stories in understanding human nature and the challenges we face in life.
Daily Archives: May 6, 2023
The seven dwarfs in the story can be seen as a representation of the child’s own inner psychological development. Bettelheim notes that each dwarf has a distinct personality trait, which corresponds to a stage of psychological development that the child goes through. For example, Dopey represents the child’s playful and carefree nature, while Grumpy represents the child’s emerging sense of autonomy and independence. The wicked stepmother in the story can be seen as a representation of the internalized voice of the mother, which can be hostile and critical towards the child’s emerging independence. This can create an inner conflict in the child, which is reflected in Snow White’s struggle with the stepmother. Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading of “Little Snow White” provides a rich and insightful interpretation of the story, highlighting its relevance to the psychological development of children.
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” we can observe a motif similar to fairy tales. The main character is a fifteen-year-old girl entering adulthood, who is discovering herself and naturally has conflicts with her parents. The mother, according to the girl, is jealous of her beauty, since her beauty has long sunk into oblivion. The oedipal problem of mother and daughter; a mother who feels that she is growing old against the backdrop of a beautiful and flourishing daughter, at the same time, she feels that she is losing control over her daughter and fades into the background. By the way, the mother copes with the older sister of the main character, most likely because , at the time of her growing up, her mother was younger. And the daughter believes that she is better than her mother and her sister in everything. Also, in the story, like standard fairy tales, there is a weak figure of the father, who sits with his head down, does not talk to anyone, and naturally is not able to perform any functions of the father. According to the Bettleheim, “it is the father’s duty to protect the child against the dangers of the outside world, and also those that originate in the child’s own asocial tendencies. The mother is to provide nurturing care and the general satisfaction of immediate bodily needs required for the child’s survival”. We understand that the father is completely unable to do this, and the mother is not able to understand and help her daughter with understanding her growing up and her love and possibly erotic unrest. After that, Friend appears in the story, a person from outside, in part, perhaps his name was chosen just like that, a friend is not part of the family. […]
