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Examples Of Femininity In Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

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Upon examining representations of femininity of Disney characters, it is evident there is a stark focus on the dichotomy of good girls and bad women. In other words, their behavioral characteristics and prevailing climactic outcomes in the films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, reinforce the idea that claiming agency, is not only associated with evil but also posits a representation of femininity that women are discouraged from emulating. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is an influential purveyor of gendered images and this is observed through the charming heroine who fulfills the rewards of marriage as the happiest of endings juxtaposed with the Evil Queen who is left without reward and encounters her ultimate fate of doom. Elizabeth …show more content…

Snow White is an inactive female character who apart from dancing with the animals and indulging the dwarfs made only two decisions on her own —to run in the woods and eat the poisonous apple, which resulted in her near-death encounters. Not to mention, after the Evil Queen discovered that the Huntsman she hired to kill Snow White was unsuccessful, she used dark magic to concoct a poison to deal with the situation herself. The Evil Queen's determination became her obsession, but it delivered the message that, no matter what you want or desire, if you are diligent and employ creativity, you will find whatever means to achieve your goal. Yet, the Evil Queen was never rewarded, and instead her fate follows the common narrative of wicked women in Disney fairy-tales—never gets her wishes and always dies. Of course, determination is a rather contradictory trait to bestow upon the Evil Queen, especially since it was not exercised morally. Consequently, giving positive traits to the undesirable, nonconforming Evil Queen is a recurring theme that leads to the detrimental consensus that initiative is a punishable …show more content…

Though her motives may be selfish, her flaws give a sense of character that is far more realistic and relatable to most women. She is filled with sadness, envy, and desire, which are emotions that reflect most women in society. Obsessed with her fading looks, she strives to be the most beautiful woman living and would do anything to get there. Her fears are similar to any aging woman and though she may have gone too far with the poison apple, her motives are not unnatural. Aside from her deviant goals, her intelligence and perceptiveness is a force that grants her power. Snow White’s mindlessness and naivety operate in advantage to the Evil Queen. This is evident when the Evil Queen successfully poisons Snow White, which was possible through her ability to use dark magic in order to transform into an old woman and deceive Snow White into thinking she had good intentions. Even though her motives are extremely shallow and her ways are cunning, she relies upon her own intelligence to pursue her long-desired goal of attaining beauty. As a result, she obtained a great power, stayed focused on her goals and exhibited powerful traits Snow White did not have throughout the film—agency towards ambitions.
Although the Evil Queen is never rewarded and is believed to be morally wrong for her tenacious pursuit of beauty, she does not accept a lifestyle she deems unfavorable and unsatisfactory as

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