Bielamowicz,1

Patricia Bielamowicz
February 1, 2016
Enlgish; C-Mod
The adaption of the original Snow White by the Grimm brothers took on different
viewpoints of feminism; and has been modernized throughout books, television and movies. In
Snow White by Brothers Grimm, Walt Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Once Upon
a Time, and Mirror Mirror they all show viewpoints of feminism. Also in each story, their Snow
White may show common traits but they are very similar.
In the original story by the Grimm Brothers and Walt Disneys version both have the
same feminism look on how women should clean up after men. According to Mouse to Mermaid,
young boys may be assured that when all is right with the world, women and nature remain
ready to serve them, no matter how messy they may be, since women are a domesticating and
civilizing presence and nonhuman nature is a resource pool to provide beasts of burden. (Bell,
Lynda and Sells 128) This quote truly represents how men thought and some still think,

woman are meant to serve men. This quote corresponds with how in the original and Walt
Disney version, Snow white only stayed in the cottage if she cooked and cleaned for the dwarfs.
The only difference in the two stories is that in Walt Disneys version she offered to cook and
clean to stay but in the original she was forced to cook and clean in order to stay. However in
Once Upon A Time, Snow White is in the 21century and also has many flash backs of her old
life. In this television show she is independent, caring for others, live on her own, and mother
like instincts.

Bielamowicz,2

In many adaptions of Snow White is known to be a very nurturing person, she talks to
animals, and cares for seven men. While reading Mouse to Mermaid I came across a type of
feminism called ecological feminism. Ecofeminism for short, argues that women and nature and
linked in history through different civilizations. Meaning all women and nature are linked
because women bear children and a nurturing sense of protection. The original story was
published back in 1812 so many of our ideas of motherhood and nurturing has changed but yet
we are in no position to declare if they have gotten better or worse.
In almost every version until since recently Snow white has played the so called damsel
in distress. In Grimms version the queen constantly tried to kill her and failed multiple times.
But throughout the entire story Snow White keeps making the same mistake, by trusting the old
hag that the queen turns into. Once Upon A Time, in the 21 century Snow White felt like there
was a part of her missing. Later on she remembers who she truly was; she was a crime
fighting/thief around the woods of the queens castle. In Mirror Mirror, Snow White does the
right thing, and fights for the little people. The queen in the original is very similar to Lady
Macbeth, because they are both vain, murderous, and have predatory powers.
There are many adaptions of snow white in books, comics, television, and film but as a
whole the story teaches that youre going to meet people who like you who and want to help,
then youre going to meet the people that either you dont like or they dont like you. You just
have to put a smile on your face and hopes it annoys them. Snow White took on different
viewpoints of feminism and roles that have been modernized. The story was published in 1812,
so many of our ideas and beliefs have changed about feminism.

Bielamowicz,3

Bibliography
Bell, Elizabeth, Haas Lynda and Laura Sells, From Mouse To Mermaid. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1995.
Grimm, Brothers. Snow White. 1812.
Maslin, Janet. "FILM VIEW; Snow White Is No Feminist." 19 July 1987. The New York
Times.
Mirror Mirror. Dir. Tarsem Singh. 2012.
Once Upon A Time. Prods. Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. 2011-.
Walt Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Dirs. William Cottrell and David
Hand. 1938.