Purest of Them All

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" 

     This line is probably the most famous quote from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which is one of the fairy tales that perpetuates patriarchal values the most. The propaganda begins in the title. The "heroine" of the story is named Snow White. White is typically the color of purity, which is why in many cultures brides wear white for their weddings. The story begins by labeling the main female character as pure in the most prominent way possible. She is also depicted as a perfect housewife, even before she's married. She's first seen as a maid, so we know she can keep house. This also shows her humility. She's a princess who seems to have no real problems or objections to being made to clean the castle she should be ruling. When she first arrives at the dwarfs' house, the first thing she notices other than everything's small size is how untidy it is. After she meets the dwarfs and they agree to let her stay, she immediately falls into a role of cooking and cleaning. 

     Every day, she bids the dwarfs farewell as they go to work, then cleans and cooks dinner for when they arrive home, and she sings while she does it! Never have I ever met a woman who loved to cook and clean as much as Snow White. Actually, I'm not sure there are even any other fairy tale women who do. Cinderella doesn't mind, but it doesn't make her happy. Aurora seems to have more of a job of gathering than cooking or cleaning. Belle daydreams and lets her father make a mess. It's only Snow White who portrays the quintessential housewife who keeps the house tidy and has dinner ready when the men get home. She has more in common with June Cleaver than most princesses. 

Snow White "whistling while she works."

     Then there's her beauty. A huntsman is so enchanted by her that he defies a queen who wouldn't think twice about killing him for disobeying her. Upon being discovered by the dwarfs, she's mistaken for an angel. She even charms Grumpy, who first asserted that "all females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!" Of course, it is often repeated that she is the "fairest of them all," so if anyone were going to charm a grumpy dwarf, it would be her. She even manages to bag a prince who falls in love with her when he sees her singing at a well, despite her being dressed as a scullery maid. Prince's didn't love scullery maids at that point in history, so she really must have been something.  He falls in love at first sight, the way fairy tale princes often do. This, of course, means he falls in love with her voice and beauty, which isn't really love. Very few of the heroes in fairy tales actually take the time to get to know the women they whisk off into happily ever afters. Instead, they mistake admiration, attraction, or infatuation for love and assume that the beautiful woman they've saved will make a good wife. But the notion of love at first sight is a debate for another day.

Sources:
Disney's Snow White