Retelling Snow White: The Tale and its Reflection of Western Culture

Retelling Snow White: The Tale and its Reflection of Western Culture

Madeleine Seidel

Folklore is often regarded as a reflection of societal norms and values. When transcribed, each story provides a snapshot of its storyteller’s social environment. Certain tales, such as the Grimms’ version of Snow White, are reissued and retold, displaying the evolving cultural context consistent with the date of each publication. These linguistic changes help audiences to understand their contemporary social challenges. This paper analyzes the linguistic evolution of the English-language printed editions of Snow White and the impact of the Disney film on subsequent printed renditions of the story. Systematic analysis of the narrative style and form of the 19^th and early 20^th century versions of the story were compared with those published after the film along with the dialogue and narrative structure of the Disney film itself. This study demonstrates that the tale of Snow White evolved linguistically in conjunction with Western culture, reflecting the changing values and societal norms that led to those prevalent today.