3.6 Snow White: Grimm Beginnings
Welcome back to The Community Library!
This is the first episode in a series on fairy tales and Disney Princesses. This week I’m talking about everyone’s favourite unpaid housekeeper, Snow White. I discuss the history of the Walt Disney Company, Snow White’s positive attitude, and why the Evil Queen might not be as evil as you think. This whole episode is basically a feminist rant, so buckle up, kids!
Listen to the episode here
Download full transcription of the episode here
This month’s book club pick is Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao! It’s an East Asian fantasy reimagining of Snow White, and I’ll be discussing it on Monday the 31st of August.
Interested in more Disney Princess / fairy tale content? Listen to me read The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen for you here.
Versions of Snow White I used as reference
‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ edited by Frances Jenkins Olcott, illustrated by Rie Cramer – Penn Publishing Company Philadelphia, 1922
‘Snow White, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, 1812 Version’ – Enchanted Conversation, fairytalemagazine.com, 24th May 2012
Texts I quoted
‘A Feminist Perspective on the History of Women as Witches’ by Maggie Rosen – Dissenting Voices: Vol. 6, Iss. 1, Article 5, 9th July 2017
‘Patriarchal Princess and Wicked Witches: A feminist reading of the depiction of women in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible’ by Marlene Lindberg – Karlstads Universitet, 29th January 2018
‘Hollywood Cartoons: American animation in its golden age’ by Michael J. Barrier, Oxford University Press, 1999
Articles I used in my research
‘The Twisted History of Snow White’ by Adam Gidwitz – literacyworldwide.org, 24th October 2013
‘Snow White: From Grimm Origins to Happily Ever After’ by Natalie Thamm – St. Mary’s University History Media, 7th April 2018
‘Snow White: Beauty is Power’ by Maria Tatar – The New Yorker, 8th June 2012
‘The way Walt Disney inspired his team to make “Snow White” reveals his creative genius – and insane perfectionism’ by Shana Lebowitz, 21st September 2015
‘Snow White and Vanity’ by Alana – Random Thoughts of a Crazy Liberal, 19th November 2009
Videos I used in my research
‘Why Disney Stopped Making Princess Films For Decades | Discovering Disney History’ by Isaac Carlson fo Wotso Videos – YouTube, 1st October 2019
‘History of Snow White – Disney Princess Film Analysis Vlog’ by Shannon McCarter for Network 1901 – YouTube, 8th March 2017
‘Fashion Expert Fact Checks Snow White’s Costumes | Glamour’ by Raissa Bretaña for Glamour – YouTube, 25th July 2019
‘One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful (Official Video)’ – YouTube, 20th August 2011
Aboriginal Lives Matter resources
My Instagram, Twitter, Blog, Goodreads and StoryGraph
The Community Library’s Instagram
Cover artwork is by Ashley Ronning
Ashley’s Instagram, website, and printing studio website
Featured image is me as a blonde version of Snow White, holding an apple that clearly isn't poisoned, because it's completely green.