This was an interesting piece to read. In “The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales” Bruno Bettelheim presents a psychologically oriented analysis of fairy tales, saying that they are effective tools for assisting kids in navigating the emotional obstacles of growing up. Bettelheim’s analysis stands out by his emphasis on the significance of fantasy and imagination in the emotional development of children. He states that fairy tales help children to work through difficult emotions and ideas in a secure and controlled setting, and that the use of magical aspects and archetypal characters may assist kids in making sense of their own inner worlds. This is especially so in Sexton’s poem “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which reimagines the story’s arc in a darker, more sexually charged light. Sexton’s use of bright, visceral language and graphic images assists in her to approach forbidden issues and emotions in a more authentic environment.
Daily Archives: May 7, 2023
Throughout the reading of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” written by Anne Sexton there were a lot of small and large things I picked up on while reading the psychological oriented story. A major theme that stood out to me throughout the story was jealousy and envy. The stepmother turned on Snow White as soon as the mirror deemed her a better fit, the Queen had an internal struggle that she couldn’t come to terms with as her beauty was being eaten up by age. Another specific observation I noticed in the story was the little bit of foreshadowing when it came to introducing the Seven Dwarfs. It was seven everything from the mountains, week, all the way down to the beds and number of forks in the home. Jealousy and ev=envy really could take over a person as the Queen was plotting on Snow White’s demise.
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.
Bruno Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading of fairy tales emphasizes the symbolic and metaphorical meanings of the stories, rather than their literal plot details. He argues that these tales serve a therapeutic function for children, helping them to work through their unconscious fears and anxieties. In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Bettelheim observes that the story reflects the anxieties of adolescent girls as they navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood. The character of Arnold Friend represents the dangers of sexual awakening and the threat of male aggression, while the protagonist Connie represents the vulnerability and confusion of adolescence. The story can be seen as a cautionary tale about the risks of exploring one’s own desires and the need for parental guidance and protection. In “Little Snow White,” Bettelheim notes that the stepmother represents the child’s own mother, and that her envy and attempts to kill Snow White reflect the child’s fear of losing the mother’s love and attention to a rival sibling. The dwarfs, on the other hand, represent a nurturing and protective father figure who helps Snow White survive and ultimately triumph over her jealous stepmother. In “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton, Bettelheim’s ideas about the symbolism of the fairy tale are also relevant. Sexton’s version of the story explores themes of female identity and empowerment, as Snow White must navigate a world in which she is constantly objectified and threatened by male figures.
In the story “Little Snow-White” the observations that stood out to me were sexism and jealousy. Snow White was an innocent girl who was poisoned by her own step mother because she was jealous of her beauty. Jealousy can destroy even families just because someone is better than the other in any way. In the story sexism is also shown to Snow White by the dwarfs when her only way to be accommodated was by taking care of them. The author stated, “If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want.” “So she kept house for them. Every morning they went into the mountains looking for ore and gold, and in the evening when they came back home their meal had to be ready. During the day the girl was alone.” Furthermore, this represents the role of women is to clean while the dwarfs symbolize men going out to work and coming home to food on the table. This reminds me of the story “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” because Connie also represents women and where they stand in society. Women are taken advantage of and allow themselves to be manipulated.
For me the analysis of the work Blanche-Neige by Bettelheim is the one most linked and close to the details presented in the poem written by Anne Sexton. The poem begins with Snow White’s stepmother hiring a hunter to kill her. Bettelheim in his analysis interprets the role of the hunter as “not a figure who slays friendly creatures, but a person who dominates, controls and subdues wild and ferocious beasts”. (Bettelheim page 205). Then in the poem, the purity of Snow White is highlighted by the details of her appearance. The repetition of the color “white” is significant and is even included in the maiden’s name “She was undefiled…beautiful virgin” (Sexton lines 12-14). White representing the symbol of purity, the hunter could not bring himself to kill Snow White. Conversely, he preferred to lie and deceive the mother-in-law by giving her a boar’s heart because her character was associated with that of an animal. Second, the analysis of the naivety of Snow White is another of the observations related to the poem. We tend to associate too much beauty with stupidity. In the poem, despite being given very detailed instructions from the dwarves not to open the door for her safety, she continued to open the door and hurt herself every time. In his analysis Bettelheim, highlights the stereotype that is associated with beauty and its adolescent character. The innocence of the character is incredible because despite the fact that her stepmother wants her dead she still remains clueless about the dangers surrounding her.
