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What specific observations in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading of the story strike you as insightful and relevant to “Little Snow White,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, or the poem “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton?
Warning: Comments that maintain that “Snow White” is just a simple tale for children that should not be overanalyzed will not receive credit.
56 thoughts on “Week 14 Discussion”
A specific observation in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading that I found relevant and insightful that is related to snow white is when Bettleheim speaks about the relationship between father and daughter. Snow white is essentially an orphan, she has never had a family. The count and the countess who are the king and queen couldn’t have a child of their own and through the eyes of fate, they run into snow white. The king loves and accepts snow white while the queen’s jealousy of the attention snow white is given by the king forces her to immediately resent snow white so much that she plots to get rid of her. It is sort of reflective of father/daughter relationships today, a mother can get jealous of the attention and time a father puts into his relationship with daughter, so much so that the mother starts to feel a hint of jealous and that jealousy develops into resentment and sadness out of fear of being left out. It’s almost like the mother and daughter are in competition for the king/father’s love. Another observation that would like to talk about that is relevant to snow white is what considered to be a good childhood, snow white didn’t have much of anything or anyone growing up. She lived alone and when she was faced with her first family, she was driven away from the toxic doings of the queen who ultimately wanted nothing to do with her. I think we could all agree that a family, food on the table, a shelter over your head, emotional support constitute a good childhood. The dwarves gave this happily ever after version of family to snow white, and she didn’t even have to deal with the same toxicity or jealousy she previously did. Maybe because this new family with the dwarves had more members than just the kind and the queen, the love and support were able to be shared equally between all members and that is the type of family everyone deserves.
Hello Giovanni,
I would like to agree with everything you’ve stated, the relationship between family is Important and should always present love there shouldn’t be any jealousy, animosity, or hatred that lies beneath the surface. This does in fact happen in today’s society we as woman have emotions and always would like to be placed first in a mans eye but we also have to realize at some point we won’t be first if we have children the children tend to become first from both perspectives. We can’t get into our emotions because of that and some mother’s do and it seems as if they become bitter. I would also like to agree with how you talked about good childhood. The dwarfs came in and showed her true happiness and it wasn’t fabricated she was able to let toxicity go no matter how much it followed her she was still able to be happy in the end.
Hey Giovanni,
I agree with you, the most basic concept of a family is the need for mutual companionship and warmth, which every child needs. Among them, jealousy and resentment will only make people go to the bottom. Just like the dwarf and the prince, they gave Snow White the warmth and happiness that Snow White had never received.
Giovanni, I’m glad you have given some consideration to the father figure in the Snow White story. He is not unlike the father in the Oates story, is he? Both fathers are emotionally absent. They do not educate their daughers, nor do they protect them. Where is Snow White’s father while the stepmother is wreaking havoc on the girl’s life? The huntsman, another male figure usually associated with protection because he is the vanquisher of wild animals, also does not protect Snow White. He doesn’t kill her, but he knows she will soon be devoured by wild animals. You are right that the dwarfs provide a home. They also provide protection and give advice to Snow White. In fairy tales, however, dwarfs are not portrayed as sexual beings; there are no female dwarfs and it’s unclear where they even come from.
Hello Giovanni,
Yourself and I had very similar responses as we both talked about the father/daughter relationship between the king an Snow White. It stands out because it is unusual and a unique way of a problem. For example when a family adopts a kid the parents hope the other parent loves the kid as much as they do but that is not the case here. The queen seems to be jealous that attention is being taken away from her by Snow White.
Hi Giovanni,
I am impressed by your analysis of the stories under the framework of Bettleheim’s theory. You exactly narrated that jealousy is a very harmful thing it can spoil the lives of others. Mother and daughter both compete for the King’s love. Your word “we could all agree that a family, food on the table, a shelter over your head, emotional support constitute the child” really make me speechless and wordless, because in these words you catch a big ocean in a small jug. These are the very basics of life if you did not get these things at your home then definitely you tried to get it from somewhere else either positively or negatively. A writer said that Hunger is the mother of all evils, so try to give love, shelter, protection and food to your girls to make any more Connie in your society.
Hello Giovanni
I’m agree with everything you said especially when you talk about the relationship between family is really important especially when you are a kid. In a family jealous and resentment should not exist, first thing comes first when a children arrived to a family everyone is supposed to know that this kid will be the first on everything.
A specific observation that I’ve noticed in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading that was insightful and relevant that is related to “Little Snow White” was the relationship and bond that the father had with his daughter that he took in because Snow White was an orphan. Though she has a good relationship with her father which was the king, the wife which is the queen had a jealousy animosity feeling against Snow White because she appeared to be more beautiful and appealing than the queen. With the bond and relationship between the father and daughter it causes the queen to become envious of Snow White which leads her into temptation on wanting to get rid of Snow White once and for all. Jealousy in today’s society comes from what people envy because they don’t no longer have or never had in the first place. They start to allow it to bother them which leads them to act irrational toward people that mean them no harm. Another observation that I would like too talk about is Abandonment and acceptance. Snow White went through a lot being a little girl, she was abandoned and was noticed by a king/queen where she was took in and still wasn’t fully accepted. She went through a lot of hurt and trauma that she didn’t feel comfortable enough to stay where she was at so she left to be with dwarfs that accepted her. She got to see how much the dwarfs actually cared for her because they welcomed their home to her. Snow White got to experience real care and what acceptance really felt like, she tried to avoid the toxic obstacles that came her way through the queen and was able to meet someone that wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life. She was accepted once and for all and didn’t allow any toxicity to take over. She then got to experience a happily ever after. Everyone at some point deserves to feel acceptance and happiness in their lives no matter what tries to strip them away from that purity feeling.
Samijah, yes, Snow White goes through a number of trials in her life. Bettleheim’s view of the story is that these experiences prepare her for life as an adult. I don’t know why you think she has a good relationship with her father? Do we see him at all in the story? Does he protect her? Does he intervene and try to stop his new wife from tormenting Snow White? By the way, the King is Snow White’s biological father; he does not adopt her.
Actually you’re right they don’t really talk about him really at all he’s absent, it’s the queen that drives her away due to her jealousy and how much she envy’s Snow Whites beauty. She does in fact goes through experiences that makes her have to grow up faster and become an adult. For instance, living with the dwarfs they give her responsibilities as a adult and she takes on a lot and have to know the right from wrongs to protect herself from danger.
Hello samijahrodriguez,
I had a similar observation as I also looked at the bond between the father and Snow White. I specifically observed how the relationship of the king and queen was negatively affected by the healthy relationship between the father and daughter. It is an unusual problem that leads back to jealousy from the queen for her new daughter.
In Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading, I discovered that the insightful and relevant of the “Little Snow White” is about the relationship of the family. Also in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”. These two are about bad relationships in the family. Although Snow White is a princess, she has never enjoyed the warmth of family. It’s because a queen of vanity and evil asked her magic mirror when she learned that Snow White was the most beautiful person in the world, she was murderous. She was jealous of Snow White’s beauty and tried to kill Snow White many times. Among them, Snow White strayed into the dwarf’s house by accident, and Snow White was also accepted by the dwarf and got a feeling that she had never felt before. And with the help of the seven dwarfs, Snow White was protected, and she felt a touch of warmth in her heart. After many difficulties, Snow White met a prince who could spend her life with her and save her life. Every family needs mutual company and warmth, which is what every child needs. Is also the most basic of a family.
Hello Shihao, I agree with you. Family warmth and comfort is very important for a child. Both girls in the story have bad relationships with their families, or parents in some way. Snow White doesn’t have much say in her relationship with her stepmother since she is evil, but in the end she learnt her lesson about trusting people easily. She met the dwarves who care for her, and look after her.
Shi Hao, yes, we do see that there is dysfunction in the family in this story. Bettleheim notes that a child can be confused and full of conficting emotions such as jealousy, but if the parents cannot work through these problems, the family is doomed. We see this in the story. The stepmother has not tamed her most basic instincts even though she is an adult. In many ways, she behaves like a monstrous, untrained child, who hasn’t conquered her anger, jealousy, or desire.
Hi Shihao:) I hope you are having a wonderful day. You had a very insightful observation about snow white’s relationship with the dwarves. I think that the dwarves were really good for snow white, they gave her a family, a support system and they never abandoned her. The king and the queen were ultimately a toxic family, and they weren’t the family that she needed, a family that consists of jealousy and such anger drove snow white to a better family.
Hello shihao, I agree with what you wrote about the family and how messed up the relationship is amongst them.Both the girls had to face whatever they faced for not having good enough parents or supportive parents.And you wrote this in such an explainable way.Cheers
Hello Shihao,
I absolutely agree with you and would like to say that both girls does in fact have a bad relationship with the ones that take them in or their parents aren’t fully there it’s as if they are emotionally absent or there’s some type of resentment. Snow White had to learn that trust is something thats gained throughout time and that you shouldn’t get persuaded so easily through people you don’t know so you shouldn’t trust them. She was able to meet people that were able to show her its okay to trust them.
At first, I found it very difficult to find anything familiar with Snow White and Connie from “Where are you going? Where have you been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. That is because Snow White represents purity as she also displays self-control over her ego. All of these details picture a direct contrast with Connie, who is selfish, reckless, and shallow despite her innocence as well. Both stories end very differently. But after reading more about the Oedipus complex in children, I started to see that his stories have more in common in the plot. I found interesting the insight into the relationship between father and daughter. In both stories, the father did not have any active presence in the protagonists’ sorrows caused by the mother or stepmother. In the same way, the hunter acted in Snow White, and he was also in the position to act reasonably in the situation. Moved by perhaps fear from the Stepmother and pity for Snow White, he decides to remain impartial, as many fathers do to not implicate themselves.
Deanne, I like what you write here about the huntsman’s decision in the story and how it relates to the detached, “impartial” behavior of some fathers. The huntsman does not behave well to Snow White, knowing she will be devoured by animals. At the same time, he doesn’t fulfill his commitment to the queen. I think of Bailey in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” too. He is utterly impotent when faced with the manipulations of his mother and useless in the confrontation with the Misfit.
Hi Deanne, yes I agree. I found it curious that while the poem and story don’t speak about Snow White’s feelings much, Bettleheim does. For example, in the story, we read that upon hearing she is no longer the ‘fairest,’ “the Queen… became quite yellow with envy” (Marshall 7). The Queen feels so much competition against her daughter, that her body puts her emotions on a physical display. However, as Bettleheim suggests, after being raised by someone like the Queen, Snow White most likely “could not help being intensely jealous of her mother and all her advantages and powers” (Bettleheim 204).
In Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading of the story that is insightful and relevant to both “Little Snow White” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is the relationship between parents and children. In both stories, both girls have conflicted with their mothers, or the mother figure. Rather than the issue being a normal thing since they were younger, the problem only developed once the girls reached a certain age when they started to mature and grow into adulthood. Bettleheim talked about narcissism in his analysis. The “Queen” in “Little Snow White” is a narcissist who is always reassuring herself of her beauty using the mirror. In the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Connie thinks that her mother used to be a beauty when she was younger according to the pictures, but now she is older and the beauty had faded. Connie thinks this is why her mother is jealous of her beauty. The same works for the “Queen” in “Little Snow White”. Although the Queen looks beautiful in her own ways, but with her age her beauty is disintegrating, and she cannot accept this fact. Because of this, she is extremely jealous of Snow White that she wants to hurt her. Another relevance to the stories is about coming of age. Through the troubles that the girls face, they are being prepared for their lives ahead. Snow White was driven out of her castle and had to work at the dwarves’ home so she can have a safe place for herself. During this time, she is learning to take care of things by herself, and others. On the other hands, Connie did realize the importance of things other than appearance at the final moments of her abduction, but it was too late for her to do anything about it. Although she learnt something in the end, she will not be able to apply to her life in the future.
Hi Thin Yadanar Su,
I like how you pointed out that in “Where are you going? Where have you been?”, the narcissist character is Connie, rather than his mother. But in any case, the narcissist ended up not having a happy ending. In Connie’s case, as you pointed out, she learned a lesson but was too late. I guess she never learned a lesson in snow White’s case because regardless of the dwarves’ advice, she still allows the devious stepmother to hurt her.
Thin, thank you for drawing these very clear comparisons between the two stories. The tragedy of “Where Are You Going . . .”, as you write, is that Connie does not live to put her new knowledge to use. This story is not a fairy tale, although Arnold Friend at times seems to have almost magical powers. I always wonder what Flannery O’Connor would have thought of this story. The ending is as brutal as the ending of “A Good Man . . .” but we don’t have any sense of redemption with the Oates story. Despite O’Connor’s darkness, she always sought to inject some sense of grace and redemption into her works.
After reading Bettleheim’s piece on fairy tales, I was struck by how Bettleheim mentioned the feelings of Snow White. In contrast, as I was reading the poem, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” by Anne Sexton, only Snow White’s stepmother’s envy is mentioned. Sexton writes, “Her stepmother, / a beauty in her own right, / though eaten, of course, by age, / would hear of no beauty surpassing her / own” (Sexton). This poem suggests the stepmother was vain and self centered, and upon seeing Snow White’s beauty, felt competition against her own child. Bettleheim takes it one step further, arguing that “Snow White, if she were a real child. could not help being intensely jealous of her mother and all her advantages and powers” (Bettleheim 204). Thus, the stepmother’s competition only worsened matters, as when Snow White grew into her own person, she began to become narcissistic herself.
Anna, thanks for these insightful comments. Yes, at the end of Sexton poem, we see that Snow White has become just like her stepmother. She has learned nothing and has only grown into a narcissistic adult. Sexton definitely takes a feminist view of the story and does not see it as coming-of-age narrative.
Hi Anna. I also found the poem version of Snow White to be quite compelling particularly the parts about pride and narcissism. Snow White just like anyone else is susceptible to succumbing to pride and envy. Of course the tale is told through the perspective of the hero and doesn’t explicitly point out their flaws and potential vices.
A specific observation in Bettelheim’s psychological oriented reading that was insightful and relevant to Snow White is when the author speaks about a father and daughter relationship. Snow white is a child with no family that practically gets adopted by the king and queen. Although the king is happy to have a daughter the queen seems upset and jealous with the idea of Snow White in her family. The queen isn’t pleased with the amount of attention that Snow White is receiving. Since the kings attention is being taken away from her she start to plot a plan to get rid of Snow White once and for all. In modern days when a daughter is born the father seems to put all his attention towards her and kind of forget or not have time for the woman he fell in love for. So this father/daughter relationship is great that it seems to ruin effect another relationship between the queen and king.
Hello Alexsander,
Hope all is well. I see this also on a reflection of problems between mother and daughter, not just the father’s attention. This is also relevant in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, where we see the mother being jealous of the daughter for her looks. Wherever a person was lacking as a child often reflects in adulthood and parenting. The stepmother was jealous of the attention given to snow-white by her husband most likely because she had a troubled relationship with her father and never resolved the feeling of neglect in her heart. Unfortunately because it was never managed, it made her turn ill-hearted.
A particular perception in Bettleheim’s mentally situated perusing that I observed applicable and adroit that is identified with snow white is when Bettleheim talks about the connection among father and little girl. Snow white is basically a vagrant, she has never had a family. The count and the lady who are the ruler and sovereign couldn’t have their very own offspring and through the eyes of destiny, they run into snow white. The ruler adores and acknowledges snow white while the sovereign’s desire of the consideration snow white is given by the lord compels her to quickly detest snow white such a lot of that she plots to dispose of her. It is somewhat intelligent of father/girl connections today, a mother can get envious of the consideration and time a dad places into his relationship with little girl, to such an extent that the mother begins to feel a trace of desirous and that envy forms into disdain and trouble out of dread of being forgotten about. It’s practically similar to the mother and girl are in rivalry for the lord/father’s adoration. Another perception that might want to discuss that is applicable to snow white is the thing that viewed as a decent youth, snow white didn’t have a lot of any person or thing growing up. She lived alone and when she was confronted with her first family, she was driven away from the harmful doings of the sovereign who eventually needed nothing to do with her. I figure we could all concur that a family, food on the table, a safe house over your head, passionate help comprise a decent adolescence. The dwarves gave this cheerfully ever after adaptation of family to snow white, and she didn’t need to manage a similar poisonousness or desire she recently did. Perhaps in light of the fact that this new family with the dwarves had a greater number of individuals than simply the sort and the sovereign, the adoration and backing had the option to be shared similarly between all individuals and that is the kind of family everybody merits.
A specific observation I saw in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading of ” Little Snow White” that was relevant is that jealousy can harm a person’s life. Snow White didn’t have a typical childhood. She was an orphan who had to deal with the jealousy her mother had towards Snow White. Parents are told to love and take care of their children since it is a blessing to have a child but this wasn’t the case for Snow White. Even though her father, who was the king, did care about and love Snow White her mother on the other hand was completely opposite. Snow White’s mother saw her as an opponent, competing with someone who was taking all the attention from her. Instead of growing up in a “normal” childhood where both parents love and adore you she was only stuck with one who cared and another who just wanted to get rid of her. This type of jealousy can drive a person away from someone. This is what exactly happened when Snow White came across the dwarves. Finally she was in a place where she was accepted by everyone. No one was jealous of her and no one was planning to get rid of her. She was able to get something she wasn’t able to as a child which is being loved by everyone around her.
Hello Antonio,
I agree that jealousy can poison our hearts and cause us to be full of bitterness. It is a shame that her stepmother, who is supposed to take her deceased mother’s place, hates her stepdaughter because she is incredibly beautiful. Yes, she saw her as a rival even though Snow White was of no real harm to her. As opposed to taking care of Snow White and being a female role model, she poses a terrible example and strives to kill her – tragic. I agree that Snow White did not receive a “normal childhood” for she was stripped away from her birth home and sent into the world to fend for herself. Also, you are right that jealousy divides relationships. Honestly, jealousy scares me. I never let jealousy in because it destroys peace and happiness- just like it did to Snow White’s stepmother.
Hello Antonio Osorio
agree that at the end Snow White get everything which she was not getting while she really need when she was small.Her Jealous mother always tried to killed her and she was trying to be a beautiful women. In my opinion she was an psychopath who had no control in her mind and anger which result the suffering of a little girl and pay the price. I hope this was just an Imaginatory story which never exits.
Hi, Antonio Osorio. I agree with you. As you mentioned on your comments, jealousy can harm a person’s life. Snow white’s stepmother end up with death because of her jealousy. Actually, she should be proud of her daughter’s beautiful. It is very lucky for snow white. Huntsman spared her life and she met seven dwarfs. She learns to how to survive and take care other people.
In the psychoanalysis by Bettleheim, he mentions that the time Snow White spent in the cottage counts for her “time of troubles, of working through problems, her period of growth” (Bettleheim). This helps me understand more deeply what professor meant by this is a coming of age story. Snow White underwent kidnapping , surviving a murder attempt, and being lost in the woods. In the woods, she was ” overcome with grief”, “alone”, “hungry and thirsty” (Grimm). From the comfort and security of a palace, she was left stranded in the woods with no one to guide or help her. In order to survive, she took the intiative to run “till her feet refused to go further” (Bettleheim). When was found by the Dwarfs in the cottage they asked to her to take on the role of a houskeeper which included chores such as cooking and cleaning. I am sure she did no such activities in the palace but now she had to in order to be securely housed by the Dwarfs. This experience would force her to learn new things and take on new responsiblities. Consequently, she would mature.
In addition, the article mentions that “Little Snow White”, “warns of the evil consequences of narcissm”. Bettleheim further eplains that narcissm led to the stepmother’s downfall and Snow White’s demise twice when the enticement involved a promise to enhance their beauty. The stepmother went to extreme lengths to kill her step daughter because she couldn’t bear being less beautiful than anyone else- even if the person is her very own family memeber. And Snow White naively gave into the peddler woman’s and old widows’ prepositions. The story demonstrates how excessive concern with one’s beauty and attractiveness can propel one to do extreme and unreasonable things to feel good about themselves.
Bettleheim’s take on narcissism was very interesting to me and quite insightful. Bettleheim speaks on how narcissism is quite natural in developing adolescences but must be honed. The queen of course displays the highest levels of narcissism however Snow White also displayed more subtle levels. Both the protagonist in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” & “Snow White” display levels of narcissism. In Snow White’s case it was being tempted by gifts from the step-mother, when she was told by the dwarves to not speak to anyone. Snow White fails this test due to her narcissism 3 times and each time she is bought back from the dead. On Connie’s side it was her narcissism that allowed Arnold to trap her. It was her narcissism and desire for affection that allowed her to be wooed by the way Arnold’s fashion sense and his physique. Much like Snow White, Connie’s fixation on self clouded her judgment and lead to a fatal mistake.
The observation I made in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading and insightful that is related to snow white is because of both the girls being young, naive and beautiful they face a lot of hardship. They both at a very young age go through troubles they are not supposed to face. From parents who don’t really support them and fathers not being present enough in their life they both go through not similar but problems that one does not really face.They both are young and beautiful and that is what gets them in trouble. In “Where are you going, where have you been” she is killed because of her flaunting her beauty and in Snow white she almost got assassinated because she looked more beautiful than her mother.
A specific observation in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading that I found relevant and insightful that is related to snow white is when Bettleheim speaks about the relationship between mother and daughter. Snow white’s stepmother represents evil and snow white is naïve. The stepmother jealous her stepdaughter beauty and tries to kill her many times, but she doesn’t success. In little snow white, snow white represents innocence at birth as well as her naivety at the beginning. However, everything has changed after the huntsman spares her life and her life with seven dwarfs. She is mature. I think this is big lesson for everyone. We learn from our failures. Also, it teaches is the danger of vanity. Her stepmother wants her dead because she cannot accept the fact she is not the most beautiful one in the kingdom. This is the reason why destroy her at the end.
Bettleheim’s reading focuses on many aspects of the story. The most significant one would be parent-child relationship that relates to the fairy tale. Bettleheim describes mother-daughter relationship that is affected by the jealousy. Stepmother is jealous of daughter’s youthful beauty, while daughter is jealous of the power that stepmother possess. I think this describes many of the relationships between mother and the child. My question is why is there a step mother in a fairy tale (not only in “Snow White”) instead of biological mother ? The reading does not say much about this but my understanding is that since fairy tales are child oriented, it should not create a bad impression of the motherhood. However, if that is so, then why is father constantly absent? It’s not just the Snow White who is not protected by her father, we can give an example of many other characters such as Cinderella. To return to the point, I think jealousy is more or less typical between the mother and the child and it seems logical to me. While mother appreciates how her daughter is growing up and maturing, she also feels how her skin gets older. Therefore, one can understand why jealousy is the part of the relationship. This is exactly what urged evil stepmom to get read of a little girl who was perceived as a dust mouse (as Sexton describes in her poem) before she realized that Snow White was growing, maturing and becoming the fairest of them all.
Bettleheim mentions the role of male figure in a fairy tale. This figure is often represented by the huntsman. In this case, huntsman replaces the father figure in a way : he let’s daughter escape from the evil hands of the stepmother. However, we should mention that while huntsman helps out the little girl, he also let’s her escape into the woods, where she can encounter that hungry wolf depicted in Sexton’s poem. Again, the question is where is the father who should be protecting a child from all these troubles? It can represent a family where a father figure is not dominant. Besides “Snow White”, another example can be Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” or maybe “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by O’Connor.
Such kind of disbalance between family member makes a child escape from the family as Bettleheim mentions. Living with a jealous stepmother and an absent father is not easy and indeed it drivers children out of the family. In this case, escaping was not Snow White’s idea, however we see that she does not miss her home and has no trouble with adapting her new life. I think fairy tale can teach us about the importance of the balance between parent-child relationships .
Hi Mariam,
You’re bringing up many solid points. Apparently, in some traditional versions, as well as in the Brothers Grimm’s first published version of the story, the Queen was Snow White’s biological mother. It is speculated that the change was made from mother to stepmother so as not to make children anxious about their own mothers, as you suggested. The father figure is indeed absent, and the closest incarnation of it would be the hunter ordered by the Queen to kill Snow White. However, in alternate versions of the story, that task is carried by the Queen herself, or delegated to a servant. This leads me to believe that this figure wasn’t that important to the story. However, we are free to read what is in the text, regardless of whether the author intended it or not (especially in this case where the authorship is complicated). The hunter doesn’t really spare her life as you mentioned, but is merely washing his hands of the responsibility of killing her himself. The father figure is definitely absent, or at best not dominant.
Bettleheim discusses the idea “that an over-rich fantasy life interferes with our coping successfully with reality”. He wrote, “it would be simple to blame such a prohibition of fairy tales on a narrow-minded, uniformed rationalism, but this is not the case”.
“Where are you going? Where have you been?” has a constant theme of reality and fantasy. Connie is a self-absorbed young girl and her mother reminds her of how vain she is. Connie’s mother believes her daughter is useless due to “trashy daydreams”, but a child is a product of (bad) parenting. My guess is this is a learned trait from her mother. Her father is emotionally and physically unavailable which would explain her need to be desired by men. Her basic needs are ignored therefore her values and morals are tainted. It’s important her parents exist in her life in order to share with her life skills. They could have played the role of parents which would have saved her life.
A specific observation in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading that I found relevant to Snow White is the discussion of families’ functionality. Problems within a family, especially children are rooted in the parents. Often as a young child, one goes through many waves of feelings they can not tame yet or figure out, and if you can not look to your parents for guidance, those feelings become a more serious issue later on. This happened with the stepmother. She has no idea how to control her own jealousy or issues with self image. She had a damaged relatonship with her parents, especially the father. She felt ignored and replaced. This bottled up emotion, ended up being projected onto Snow White, and the endless cycle would have continued if not for the dwarf family, who showed her what a family should be like. They were there for her emotionally, and cherished her. Its interesting to see how often the mothers are jealous of the daughters like in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”.
Hi Caroline,
You touched on a lot of points on very real, dysfunctional families. I, too, believe there are consequences to troubled parenting. I did not realize until reading this how poignant the jealousy Connie’s mother had toward her is. Snow White was a little different in that a “family” came into her life when she needed it. Snow White received what she was missing in her home. Connie wasn’t so lucky. Two stories of young ladies lost and in need of love.
It was fascinating revisiting this fairy tale, exploring Anne Sexton’s different approach to the story’s meaning, and putting it in parallel with Joyce Carol Oates’s short story. I had never seen the Disney adaptation, having only read the Brothers Grimm version as a child, so I wasn’t that surprised by the horror elements of the tale. However, the sexual undertones which had gone completely over my head back then became apparent to me this time around. Bruno Bettelheim’s Freudian reading of the text revealed further symbols that I missed. I didn’t catch the oedipian aspect of the story initially, as I did not see the hunter as a paternal figure, and was too focused on the young age of Snow White at the beginning of the story to pay attention to that dynamic. I only saw the narcissism, shallowness, and jealousy of the Queen. The oedipian aspect is very clearly under the surface. As Bettelheim says, “[t]he now widely accepted form of “Snow White” leaves the oedipal entanglements to our imagination rather than forcing them on our conscious mind.” Anne Sexton’s version of the story makes it ever more explicit, with its overtly sexual metaphors. She also develops Snow White’s character, showing her as a potential jealous Queen herself. That twist makes the story more cyclical.
Anastasia, the fact that you haven’t seen Disney version was surprising to me. I think introducing to Bettelheim’s reading is easier for you than it is for me. While reading, the only images that popped up in my head was tiny, cute little dwarfs and it was really hard for me to focus on the Freudian viewpoint. Although, I admit that it was exciting to see the completely different side of the story. Up to this point, fairy tales were just fairy tales to me. Honestly, I would never think about the oedipan aspect. Even though I am familiar with the concept, I would not make any associations. After reading about Bettelheim’s viewpoint, I went over different fairy tales in my head thinking about the meaning behind each of their actions.
Hi Anastasiia. I’ve watched the Disney adaption many times before so I found it quite interesting to see the many differences between Disney and Brothers Grimm version of Snow White. The sexual undertones of the story had also gone over my head and I hadn’t even considered this until I read Bruno Bettleheim’s analysis of “Snow White.” You made a great point when you mentioned Anne Sexton also using overly sexual metaphors as well as portraying snow white as a “potential jealous Queen herself.” in her poem. Anne Sextons poem mention the narcism in Snow White and by the end of the poem we see Snow White become completely immersed in her own beauty just like her stepmother.
Bettleheim Always works in treating and helping children who are emotionally disturbed and also focuses on parent-child relationships. In the story “Little snow-white,” The girl Snow was an orphan after her mother was dead, her father(king) was married to another woman (queen) and became a stepmother of the Snow White. After the adoption of a new mother, the father(king) Snow white never cared and tried to protect his daughter. He never took responsibility for his daughter. The stepmother also seems mentally ill because she cannot differentiate the beauty of a seven-year-old small child to whom she should give care and love she tried to kill to satisfy her anger and ego. There was no role model of a father like he was dead. The seven-year-old girl was running for her life in the jungle just be saved from her stepmother who was jealous of her beauty where The parent and children relationship was described as jealousy this was unacceptable. At the same time, reading the story character of the stepmother is never seen as a human being. She was a Psychopath who was ready to eat her seven-year daughter’s liver and flesh which made the story unacceptable. The because of her mother, Snow white was going through a time she never thought of. The negativity of stepmother and just because of her unexplained beauty from the magic mirror take a story in an evil direction. I didn’t enjoy this story because I cannot imagine and even don’t want to hear this kind of negativity from the stepmother because she has to understand that she was also a daughter of someone and love and care for a seven-year-old child. These were the main observations in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading, where the relationship between the parent and child was always in the frontline.
Bettleheim Always works in treating and helping children who are emotionally disturbed and also focuses on parent-child relationships. In the story “Little snow-white,” The girl Snow was an orphan after her mother was dead, her father(king) was married to another woman (queen) and became a stepmother of the Snow White. After the adoption of a new mother for his daughter, the father(king) never cared and tried to protect his daughter. He never took responsibility for his daughter. The stepmother also seems mentally ill because she cannot differentiate the beauty of a seven-year-old small child to whom she should give care and love she tried to kill to satisfy her anger and ego. There was no role model of a father like he was dead. The seven-year-old girl was running for her life in the jungle just be saved from her stepmother, who was jealous of her beauty where The parent and children relationship was described as jealousy this was unacceptable. At the same time, reading the story character of the stepmother is never seen as a human being. She was a Psychopath who was ready to eat her seven-year daughter’s liver and flesh which made the story unacceptable. because of her mother, Snow white was going through a time she never thought of. The negativity of stepmother and her explained beauty from the magic mirror takes a story in an evil direction. I didn’t enjoy this story because I cannot imagine and even don’t want to hear this kind of negativity from the stepmother because she has to understand that she was also a daughter of someone and love and care for a seven-year-old child. These were the main observations in Bettleheim’s psychologically oriented reading, where the relationship between the parent and child was always in the frontline.
In Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading, I learned that “Little Snow White” is about the family dynamic, which is informative and meaningful. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is also mentioned, these two are about dysfunctional family relationships. Despite her status as a princess, Snow White has never known the love of a family. She was also safeguarded by the seven dwarfs while finding a prince, who can live the rest of her life with her and preserve her life after overcoming many obstacles. In a household, mutual companionship and tenderness is the most important thing. Snow White obtained something she was unable to reach as a child, and she is adored by all those who know her.
Hi Angel, I agree that an important aspect of Snow White that relates to Bettleheim’s reading is the family dynamic. Snow White can prepare kids for the unfortunate reality that some family units are not functional, and can be abusive. I think another important lesson that it can offer is that family can be found in unexpected places. In Snow White, this was with the dwarves.
In Bettleheim’s psychologically possessed story that describes the behavioral and emotional change in both stories “Little Snow White” and “Where are you going, where have you been? Describe the relation and behavior of both girls. Both stories narrated that the mother is always a role model for her girls. So it is the very first duty of mothers to attach their daughters with them. The association between a mother and daughter give very positive feedback in their adulthood. According to my perception, Bettleheim theory reflected that bad behavior alternatively leads toward final destruction. Snow White is an emblem of purity, beauty and chastity. White color is the signification of innocence and virginity. The negative and threatening psychology of the stepmother insisted Snow White move somewhere. Snow White and Connie both girls are contrasted to each other just like black and white. Connie is a girl who obsessed with emotional and psychological changes. She did not follow and obey his mother’s instructions so as a result; she had to bear a big setback. Every mother needs proper collaboration and understanding with his daughters. The escapism of Snow white make protected her, now she was protected with dwarfs and felt warm with them. On the other side elopement of Connie was the cause of her suffering. Instead of many warnings, she did not control the narcissism that ultimately leads her toward the final destiny. Bettleheim also talked about such self-love that leads toward abduction. Connie realized the importance of her family but it was too late. Family care attention, love and collaboration give positive results while the shortage of basic needs makes the reason for negativity in Connie.
A specific observation in Bettelheim’s psychologically oriented reading that I found relevant and important that is related to snow white is when it talk about family, the relationship that a father has with his daughter and how important this is. Snow White was an abandoned girl who finally found a home, a father who gave her a lot of attention and affection just what she needed, this relationship between father and daughter who carried Snow White with the king “her father” that caused some jealousy. big in the queen; she and snow white did not have a relationship as such and this is due to jealousy. Snow White, despite having the affection of her father, did not feel like having a family since her mother tried to get rid of her and because this was the worst in her infancy, I think that for a child the family is the most important thing so much for the support For the love, for the attention they need, and because Snow White did not have that until she met the dwarfs who offered her a royal family without grudges, without jealousy. In spite of them being more, they had a super connection and managed to share in equal parts all her love and it was up to here when Snow White knew what a family was a home. We all deserve a family and it is the most special thing we can have since it is a unique support and here it is more than clear that a family is not only composed of mother, father and children a family is a group of people who support each other, that they love each other and they go through everything together.
Hello Ivanna, I completely agree with you that family is the most important thing. It is interesting to see how jealous can also come to a mother. Most of the time we see jealousy between children on who is the favorite child but this is so strange how a mother can be jealous of her own daughter. This is can be so damaging for a young child’s life. At a young age children should be loved and learn right from wrongs but instead Snow White is in a hostile home where her mother is jealous and trying to get rid of her. If you push someone away from you they will find someone to replace that void you left them and that what happened when she found the dwarves. People who actually cared about her something Snow White never experienced.
Hello, Ivanna
Sometimes all we have is family but in snow white’s case, she was lacking in the love that a family is supposed to provide. Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can cause people more harm than good. The stepmother projected all of her past trauma onto snow-white treating her own child like she was an enemy instead of someone worthy of being loved. Snow white was being treated with the love that the evil stepmother never experienced cause her to hate and resent snow white, which no child should not be loved by their family.
Bettleheim says that fairy tales with dark undertones that discuss, through symbolism, real and potentially relevant negative events children may face in their lives are important for preparing them for these events, as he claims that “Before a child can come to grips with reality, he must have some frame of reference to evaluate it.” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is relevant to this claim. Children are often given the impression, at first, that family is perfect, always supportive, and always there for you. Snow White, however, features an orphaned girl brought into a family with an abusive Step-Mother. The problem with the family is resolved with the dwarves, and represents the idea that sometimes the best family is made later in life, and not the one you are born or brought into. While a child reading this fairy tale will most likely not recognize these themes, I believe it can subconsciously offer the “frame of reference” Bettleheim claims is necessary to evaluate such a situation, as a child with little knowledge of the world.
Bettleheim made many phycological observations about snow white like the relationship of dwarfs and Snow White but also the relationship between Snow White and her parents. The king adopted snow white, he cared and loved her as if she was his own child. But the jealousy of her stepmother ruined any chance of snow-white having a family. The “evil” stepmother wanted the same attention that her husband the king was giving to their daughter. People sometimes let their emotions control their actions which only causes problems for not only themselves but for the people around them. This jealously grew to the point where she tried to get rid of snow-white sending a huntsman to kill her. The huntsman failed in fulfilling the queen’s orders leaving snow white to fend for herself, where she ended up lost in the woods and finding the dwarfs home. These events caused snow white to question the love of her father because of the actions of the queen. The dwarfs took her in giving her a different experience than what she got in the castle because she did housework for the dwarfs, something that she never had to do when she was royalty. They treated snow white with the love that she wanted and were there for Snow White when she needed them. She was able to receive true love and have a different childhood than the one she would have had if she had made different decisions story shows how dangerous jealousy is and how happiness is attainable you give yourself a chance to find it.
A specific observation from psychoanalyst Bruno Bettleheim’s analysis of “Snow White” that struck me as insightful and relevant to “Little Snow White” by the Brothers Grimm and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton was the mention of narcism. Bettleheim states, “The story of Snow White warns of the evil consequences of narcissism for both parent and child. Snow White’s narcissism nearly undoes her as she gives in twice to the disguised queen’s enticements to make her look more beautiful, while the queen is destroyed by her own narcissism.”(Bettleheim) The story by Brothers Grimm only brings up the narcism and vanity of the stepmother while Bettleheim’s analysis and Anne Sextons poem mention the narcism in Snow White as well. We see in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton that Snow White later becomes just like her stepmother, completely engrossed in her own beauty by the end of the poem. “Meanwhile Snow White held court, rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut and sometimes referring to her mirror as women do.” (Sexton)