Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs An English Literature Analysis

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is based on a German fairy tale published in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm. It is the first full-length traditionally animated feature film and the first Disney animated feature film. It premiered on December 21, 1937, and was a critical and commercial success. The film had international earnings of more than $8 million compared to its $1.5 million budget. The popular film has been re-released many times. Adjusted for inflation, it is the highest-grossing animated film.

The story features a magic mirror, a poisoned apple, glass coffin, and the characters of the Evil Queen and the seven dwarfs. The seven dwarfs were first given individual names in the 1912 Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and then given different names in Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Listen to a reading of the story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

As a classical work of literature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story that contains literary elements (setting, characters, theme, mood, etc.) and literary devices and techniques (analogies, imagery, irony, foreshadowing, etc.) that authors use to communicate meaning to their readers and to enhance their writing. Knowledge of the setting and characters in a story help the reader to understand what the story is about. The difference is that literary elements are essential characteristics of all works of written and spoken narrative fiction. Literary devices and techniques are features of literature that may or may not be included in fictional stories.

Literary Elements

The setting of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the country of Germany in a castle, in the woods, and in a cottage in the woods. There are twelve characters in the story – Snow White, Evil Queen, the seven dwarfs, Magic Mirror on the Wall, Huntsman, and the animals collectively. The mood of the story and the film is dark and includes dark humor. The conflict is that Snow White’s stepmother is jealous of her beauty and tries to kill her out of jealousy and because of what other people think. The themes are purity, innocence, beauty, jealousy, pride, and evil.

Interesting Fact

The flowers in the trees in Snow White are called Galanthus flowers, or snowdrops. Galanthus flowers are small, droopy, bell-shaped flowers that grow anywhere from six to 10 inches tall. Also called snowdrops, the name in Greek literally means milk flower. They bloom in the winter and early spring, and late autumn. They will even sprout up through the snow. They grow well in any type of soil and in the shade. Snowdrops are poisonous when eaten making them unpopular with rabbits, deer, chipmunks, and mice. They also don’t require any weeding or deadheading.