Fairy Tale Gone Wrong - Snow White Essay Example for Free

Fairy Tale Gone Wrong Snow White Essay Most parents have, or will, tell their child a bedtime story that they may have heard when they were younger. These stories, otherwise known as fairy tales, are thought to be nothing but a mere story to entertain, but what if these fairy tales had an underlying meaning of their own? Fairy tales have been around for more than thousands of years and are passed on frequently from one person to another. Today, most are seen as harmless stories that were made up to entertain children; however, it seems that these fairy tales may actually hold meanings that are larger than the average child can grasp. Many have heard the well-known story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; yet, few have read the gruesome, original version by The Brothers Grimm. Disney’s child-friendly version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was written with the intention of making a successful animated movie for entertainment purposes, while the Brothers Grimm version tells a story in a more shocking and brutal manner. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story that, when created by The Brothers Grimm, was actually made to entertain adults. As these stories became more and more popular people began to change the stories so that they were suitable for younger children to hear. One person who was exceptionally superior at changing fairy tales was the notable Walt Disney. He took Snow White and made it into his first full-length, animated motion-picture. But Disney wasn’t focused on portraying the original version but rather a loosely based version that would make a successful film, or in other views make him more money. While the two version are immensely different, the newer version does mimic the original in several ways. The fairy tale is still about Snow White being a beautiful young girl who is envied because of her beauty by her wicked stepmother, the Queen. Snow White’s stepmother orders the huntsman to take Snow White out into the woods and kill her, but he is unable to commit the act and lets her runs away. While Snow White is off in the woods she finds a small cottage that her newly-made animal friends help her clean. Later she find out that this small home belongs to seven dwarfs. Then the Queen finds out that Snow White is still alive in the woods and sets off to kill Snow White herself. The wicked stepmother soon finds Snow White, kills her and later is reawakened from the dead by a handsome prince. Then later, the Queen dies and Snow White â€Å"lives happily ever after†. Therefore, the basic outline is kept the same as the original, but Disney changes what seem like minor details that actually have a larger impact. Although it may not seem like monumental to many, the changes that Disney made in his version actually changed the meaning of The Brothers Grimm version entirely. For example, in the original version Snow White is thought to be around seven years old, with the number seven having a symbolic meaning, â€Å"referring to traditional superstitions about number† (Stringham). Whereas Disney changes her age losing the many different connections and also the foreshadowing that the number has. Snow White’s real mother is never mentioned by Disney, but holds an important part because when her real mother pricks her finger and the three drops of blood fall into the snow, it foreshadows the Queens three attempts at killing Snow White. In Disney’s version, he only shows the Queens last attempt at killing Snow White instead of all three attempts made in the original along with that attempt being simplified. Disney also changes the orders that are given by the Queen to the Hunstman. Originally the Queen ordered him to bring back the liver and lungs, symbolically meaning â€Å"the one containing the most blood, [ the liver ] was regarded as the darkest . . . the liver represented the darkest passions, particularly the bloody, smokey ones of wrath, jealousy, and greed which drive en to action. Thus the liver meant the impulsive attachment to life† (qtd. in Stringham). In the movie version, the Queen simply asks for the Hunstman to bring back her heart. Another aspesct that is greatly changed is how Disney represents the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney actually gives the dwarfs names and personalities and makes them seem like they are thankful that Snow White is there to help them when really the dwarfs were originally not helpers at all. They were portrayed as beings that only wanted Snow White there for her work, to clean, cook and do all the house chores. And finally, to make the film acceptable for children, Disney takes away the sexual meanings in almost every aspect of the story. As stated by John M. Ellis, writer of One Fairy Story Too Many: The Brothers Grimm and Their Tales, this is certainly a provocative story, and Disney eliminates it completely (qtd in Writers and Collections of Fairy Tales 85). These are a few examples of how different the film and the original have turned out to be. Disney clearly altered the story for the sole purpose of grabbing children’s attention and inevitably, for the money. It is nothing new that when something is said or written someone in the future will change things from the original and then someone else will continue to change the new version and so on. When stories are changed the meanings and symbolism also changes, inevitably changing the story as a whole. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a fairy tale that was taken by Walt Disney and changed for entertainment and seemingly money purposes, which resulted in losing the original meaning behind the story. Although Disney was successful with his version of Snow White, he has taken a story with hidden meaning and given it barely any.