Snow White - Disney Version

    As I watched Disney's "Snow White" with a critical eye, I noticed that the movie was conservative in a slightly subtle way than the Grimm's version, and it was much more kid-friendly.
    In the movie, while the women (especially Snow White) seem to be more capable than in the literary version, patriarchal themes are still widespread. For instance, when we first see Snow White, she is busy completing her tasks as Scullery Maid. Yet, instead of longing for a way out, she simply seems to accept her current circumstances. Her only goal is "for the one [she loves] to find her"(Disney, 1937). Here, Disney seems to suggest that marriage is suitable for women -- an idea also portrayed by the Grimm's Brothers. It also subtly suggests that it is fitting for women to be passive and to allow men to save them. On the other hand, Snow White takes on extreme motherly characteristics in the movie. In the literary tale, Snow White seems somewhat reliant on the dwarves to keep her alive, but in the movie the Seven Dwarves clearly benefit and rely more on Snow White than she does on them. She is also a more proactive mother figure in the movie, as she cleans up the house without being asked and even appears disciplinary toward the Dwarves when asking them to "wash-up". Perhaps, this transition toward a more matronly (and somewhat more independent) Snow White is simply a product of changing values. After all, the movie was finished around 50 years after the literary tale. On the other hand, Disney could simply be attempting to draw in the children through more child-like dwarves. Either way, the clear image that should be taken away here, is the image of the female character cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the house and the people within it. This idea, again, is closely related to the idea of the Grimm's.
    Walt Disney and his crew also manage to create a happy environment within the story despite it containing many frightening events. For example, the deaths of both Snow White and the Queen occur off camera. Of course we see the lightning strike the rocks, an event which eventually kills the Queen, but her dead body is not actually seen. Also, we hear Snow White fall and see the apple fall, but do not actually see her full body hit the ground after she bites it. In fact, we only see her body once it is beautifully preserved in the glass and gold coffin. It seems to me that Disney is trying to get a message across in a significantly more subtle way than the Grimm's. As such, Disney does not need to rely on brutal death scenes to teach the children. In fact, Disney uses bright colors, cute animals, and upbeat music to keep children engaged while attempting to get across a conservative agenda. This idea is evident when considering the scene in which the dwarves sing and dance with Snow White. The scene, which has no clear counterpart in the Grimm's version, is filled with rhyming lyrics, fun dances, and smiling faces. It does not seem coincidental that it follows the scene in which the Queen creates the poison apple. Of course I do not know what exactly Disney's intentions were here, nor do I know a thing about psychology, but the scene seems to provide a stark contrast to keep the children watching from becoming too frightened.
   After completing Disney's "Snow White", and having a moment to gather my thoughts, I tend to agree with the claims of Giroux and Zipes. There is clearly a conservative agenda at play within the movie, and I can see how the movie might make one passive; although I tried my best to stay engaged at all times, I found myself taking some scenes at face value. Hidden beneath the sounds, colors and playful animals are definite messages about class and gender that Disney sneakily to relays to children and the rest of his audience.