Snow White

A young princess with skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony is driven from her home through the jealousy of a wicked stepmother in this tale by the Brothers Grimm. She takes refuge with seven industrious dwarfs, but the witchcraft of her stepmother finds her in her new-found home beyond the seven mountains and tempts her with laces and combs before the dreadful poisoned apple seemingly takes her life. The dwarfs enclose her in a glass casket, where a prince later discovers and saves her. The jealousy of the queen drives her to her death at the wedding of the prince and princess.

Virtues and Themes:

• Christian life (CCC 1691-1696, 1 Cor. 1:2)
  • The "novice" Christian is washed "white as snow" in Baptism
  • Trials of this life purify the Christian (Snow White) and lead her closer to God (the Prince), who saves her and weds her to himself.
• Obedience, Freedom, Responsibility (CCC 1730-1738, Gal. 5:1)
  • God gives us the freedom to obey or not to obey.
  • Choosing not to obey the dwarfs puts Snow White in danger of death.
  • She is rescued again and again, receiving grace-filled opportunities to try again.
• Temptation and Concupiscence (CCC 2514, 1 John 2:16)
  • World: lust of the eyes- laces (worldly entanglements)
  • Flesh: lust of the flesh - comb (vanity)
  • Devil: pride of life - apple (forbidden fruit)

Suggested version: Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs

Translated by Randall Jarrell

Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert