Princess Snow White is the titular character and protagonist of Disney’s first animated feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
She is a young Princess; the “Fairest of Them All” who, in her innocence, cannot see any of the evil in the world. This makes her more vulnerable to her jealous stepmother the Queen, who wishes to be the fairest in the land; however, Snow White’s inherent kindness and purity inspires her friends, the forest animals and the Seven Dwarfs to protect her. In the film, she is both a protective mother figure and an innocent child in her relationship with the forest animals and the Seven Dwarfs.
Background
Snow White was born into the royal family. Her mother the Queen died shortly after her birth. After some time, the King, Snow White’s father, remarried a vain and cold-hearted queen. Not long after their marriage, the King, Snow’s beloved father died, leaving the young princess an orphan.
As a young child, Snow White’s vain and wicked stepmother Queen Grimhilde feared that one day Snow White’s beauty would surpass her own. So, she dressed Snow White in rags and forced her to work as a scullery maid. Each day, the Queen consulted her magic mirror asking, “Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”. As long as theMirror answered, “You are the fairest one of all”, Snow White was safe from her stepmother’s cruel jealousy.
Personality
- “Oh! What a cute little chair. Why, there’s seven little chairs. Must be seven little children. And from the look of this table, seven untidy little children.”
- ―Snow White regarding the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White is the sweetest and the most gentle of all the Disney Princesses. She’s naïve, resilient, sentimental, helpful and kind, but can also be quite assertive and has the sternness of a mother, seeing as she warns the dwarfs if they don’t wash their hands, they’ll get nothing to eat and when scolds some of the birds after they attacked the Queen in her old hag form. She’s also shown to be quite playful, seeing as she teased Grumpy by laughing when he hit his nose as he left to wash in a huff.
She is a dreamer and a romantic, but is willing to work hard if need be to earn her keep. She enjoys singing, dancing, cooking (thanks to her stepmother making her a scullery servant in the castle), daydreaming, and loves all animals. Her kindness and generosity can often blind her judgment and she’s quick to break rules if it means to help someone in trouble (as seen when she helped the old crone when her animal friends started to attack her). She’s always quick to rebel against anything that will go against her high moral values, such as when she let the disguised Queen enter the cottage, thinking her as a sickly, old beggar, despite the Grumpy warnings.
Possibly because her own parents have died, Snow White’s very empathetic towards the dwarfs when she had at first assumed that they were a group of orphaned children when she thought they had no mother or father. Snow White is well known as an optimist. Even when others were rude to her or when things looked grim, she always gave a positive look on life.
Snow White is the most pure-hearted of the Disney Princesses; she’s never mean, cruel, or stubborn, and, because of her resilience and hopeful nature, she shows a great inner strength against adversity. This is an example of the fact that one does not have to be physically tough to be strong.
She’s coined as the Fairest Of Them All; this is because of her purity showing much more beauty than the Queen‘s vanity and jealousy. Also Snow White had a lot of other Queens who where very jealous of her so they would do anything to not make her happy.
Physical Appearance
- “Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow.”
- ―Magic Mirror to the Evil Queen
Snow White is a cute 14-year old girl, often described as the “fairest in the land.” The phrase “lips red as a rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow”, describes her most notable features, being her rosy red lips and rosy cheeks, and both her hair and skin color. She is sweet, but also shy. Being fairly short in height, Snow White also has a rather slender, flat-chested figure and dainty little feet.
Her simple signature court dress consists of an indigo bodice with a high white collar; her short puffy sleeves are a lighter blue color than her bodice and the red cloth poking through exemplify the “slashing” design, which was very fashionable in Tudor times. It involved cutting the cloth on the outside of the outfit and pulling through another layer of cloth from underneath.
Snow White’s long, shapeless skirt flows down just past her ankles and has been depicted as either bright yellow (as often shown in marketing), or light yellow (as it’s shown in the film). She has a white petticoat underneath and tan pumps with yellow bows on them. Snow White’s short black hair is styled in a bob and parted in the middle. And she wears a red headband with a bow.
Abilities
- Expert Cook: Thanks to her work as a scullery servant in her stepmother’s castle, Snow White has knowledge of cooking, which she showcased in the film. She made soup for the dwarves, and after Happy smelled it, he commented that it smelled good and attempted to try it. Then in the deleted scene of “Music In Your Soup”, the dwarves (including Grumpy) appeared to enjoy the soup as they ate it. Snow White made a gooseberry pie for Grumpy. She can prepare other dishes such as apple dumplings and plum pudding. The details of Snow White’s ability weren’t focused on, but it appears she is good at it.
- Practical skills: Snow White is able to lead the animals to help with the cleaning of the dwarfs cottage. She also makes sure that the dwarfs don’t eat until they’re clean.
Role in the film
Inciting the Queen’s Jealousy
Added by De Disney
The Evil Queen, jealous of her stepdaughter’s beauty, forces Snow White to work as a scullery servant in her castle; even in rags and clogs, however, her beauty shines through, causing the Queen to worry that Snow White’s beauty may one day surpass her own. She has such vanity that she consults her Magic Mirrorevery day, ordering the slave within to reveal the name of the fairest in the land. Every day the spirit says that the Queen is the fairest, and she is content, until the mirror informs her that Snow White has finally become the fairest in the land. Outside, as Snow White works, she sings “I’m Wishing“, attracting the attention of the Prince, who is passing by. As she sings into the well, performing a duet with her echo, she is startled as the Prince suddenly joins in. She runs indoors, and watches from a balcony as he sings “One Song“. The two are immediately infatuated with each other. Watching from above is the Queen, who angrily closes the curtains of her window in jealousy.
Entering the Forest
Added by De Disney
The Queen summons her huntsman to her and orders him to kill Snow White. The Queen asks him to bring her heart back in a special box as proof that he has succeeded in the task. The Huntsman takes Snow White to a secluded glade and, checking that no one else is present, advances on the princess as she is helping a young bird return to its parents. Snow White sees the Huntsman’s shadow on the rock in front of her, turns around and screams in terror. However, the Huntsman cannot bring himself to kill her upon seeing the beauty in a princess such as herself and begs Snow White for forgiveness. He tells her of the Queen’s insane jealousy and tells her to run away and never come back. She takes his advice and flees through the forest, and her fright is manifested in the plants around her; branches suddenly resemble claw-like hands, and floating logs resemble crocodiles. Overcome by terror, she eventually collapses, sobbing. As light enters the forest, the woodland creatures cautiously approach Snow White while she cries, and she befriends them. Together they sing “With A Smile And A Song“. No longer frightened, Snow White asks the animals if they know where she can stay. They lead her to the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs; she enters and finds that no one is home. Noticing that the whole cottage is a complete mess, she cleans the house, with the help of the animals. She hopes that its residents, whom she believes to be children due to the size of the furniture, will let her stay if she cleans up for them. At this point she sings “Whistle While You Work“. Later that evening, she and the animals go upstairs to find seven little beds. Feeling sleepy, she falls asleep over three of them.
Meeting the Seven Dwarfs
Added by JaDangerz
The Seven Dwarfs return home from a day’s work at the Dwarfs’ Mine. They see light coming from the window of their cottage and smoke coming from its chimney. They enter the house, creeping around as they search for the ‘monster’ they believe that has invaded their home. They hear a noise (some birds from the forest, joking about) coming from upstairs, and, after an unsuccessful attempt by Dopey to chase the thing down, they enter the bedroom together. They approach the three beds that are being slept in, and are about to strike when Doc removes the bed cover to reveal Snow White sleeping. They are all infatuated with her, but Grumpygrumbles about her unwelcome presence, waking her up. She is first startled by the dwarfs, but soon befriends them, guessing the names ofDoc, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey and Grumpy because their names are carved on the beds. All the dwarfs except for Grumpy agree that Snow White is welcome to stay if she does the housework for them. A noise from downstairs reminds Snow White that she has left some soup boiling. She rushes downstairs, and tells the dwarfs that it is almost ready, and that they will have time to wash. She asks the dwarfs to see their hands and, upon seeing that their hands are dirty, insists them to march straight outside and wash; otherwise, they will not get anything to eat. The dwarfs reluctantly march outside and wash while singingBluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (The Dwarfs’ Washing Song). They have just finished washing themselves when Snow White calls to them that supper is ready.
Added by De Disney
After supper, the dwarfs perform “The Silly Song” for Snow White, and she dances with Dopey (who reaches her height by standing on Sneezy‘s shoulders). She then repays them when she sings “Some Day My Prince Will Come” as the dwarfs listen. The dwarfs then declare that Snow White will sleep upstairs, and that the dwarfs will find somewhere to sleep downstairs. Before Snow White goes to sleep, she says her prayers, blessing the seven little men for being so kind to her and wishing to make her dreams come true, as well as asking to make Grumpy like her.
At the Queen’s Castle, the Queen, after being told by the Magic Mirrorthat Snow White still lives, descends into her laboratory and transforms into the Witch. She prepares the Poisoned Apple, one bite of which will send it’s victim into the Sleeping Death, which can only be cured by ‘Love’s First Kiss’. Believing the dwarves will bury the princess alive, the Witch leaves the castle and proceeds towards the Dwarfs’ Cottage.
The Poisoned Apple
Added by Hey1234
The next morning, Snow White kisses each dwarf goodbye as they leave for the mine. Before Grumpy leaves (being the last one to depart), he warns her not to let anyone or anything in the house. Touched that he cares despite his negative exterior, Snow White decides to bake a pie for Grumpy with help from her animal friends. She is then startled by the appearance of the Queen, disguised as an old peddler selling apples, peering through her window. She offers Snow White the apple, but is attacked by the woodland creatures, who recognize the danger. Snow White shoos the animals away and takes the old woman inside for a drink of water. Meanwhile, the animals rush off to fetch the dwarfs. Thankful toward Snow White for being so good to “poor old Granny,” the Queen tells her that the apple (which has been poisoned) is a magic wishing apple, capable of making all of Snow White’s wishes come true with a single bite. Snow White takes the apple and, before taking a bite, wishes for the Prince to carry her away to his castle, where they will live happily ever after. The Queen then persuades her to take a bite before the wish grows cold. Snow White does so and soon falls to the floor after feeling the poison’s effects, which causes her to fall into a Sleeping Death. As the Queen is leaving, she is seen by the dwarfs, who chase her to a cliff, where she falls to her death to be eaten by vultures.
Love’s First Kiss
Added by Hades Fan
The dwarfs find Snow White and they grieve her “death” as they return home. In mourning, they hold a funeral for her at their cottage. Finding her so beautiful, even in death, they cannot find it in their hearts to bury her and instead place her in a handmade coffin carved of glass and gold.
As the time goes by, the Prince hears of this and rides to the clearing where her coffin has been placed. The dwarfs make way for the Prince to approach Snow White. He then gives the princess a kiss, a “Love’s First Kiss”, which breaks the curse, reviving Snow White. She wakes up and, upon seeing the Prince, extends her arms out to him as he scoops her up in her arms. The dwarfs rejoice, as the Prince carries Snow White to his horse. She kisses each dwarf goodbye before leaving with the Prince for his castle (the outline of which is shown in the clouds above), where they live happily ever after.
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