Christ vs. Eve: A Critical Analysis of Biblical Allusions Within "Little Snow-White"
By Emily Brown
The Brothers Grimm began collecting fairy tales for scholarly reasons, but as their motives changed, so did the fairy tales they collected. They began to cater towards children as their audience rather than scholars. With that, violence and sexually suggestive material was removed and meaning behind the tales was added. Christianity has been the dominant religion in Germany for a long time, thus the meanings behind the fairy tales were inherently Christian in nature. In the introduction of his collection of eight fairy tales with analyses, Terri Windling suggests that Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm expressed their “good Protestant values” through their continual editing and adding to their book Kinder- und Hausmärchen or Children’s- and Household Tales. (Saunders 28) In “Little Snow-White” by the Brothers Grimm, there are undeniable allusions to the Bible. Through these allusions, Snow White is presented to the reader as Christ-like figure at some points and Eve-like at others. This causes a question to arise: Why would the Brothers Grimm present Snow White as two completely opposite figures within the Bible, consequently giving her a conflicting persona?
In the Grimm’s version of the fairy tale, Snow White is described as being “as white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony” (Grimm 207). Each of these colors has significance Biblically, and red and white specifically are associated with Jesus. Isaiah 1:18 says “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool,” which clearly connects the color white with purity and the color red with impurity and sinfulness. In Christianity, Jesus is known as the “Lamb of God” in that he sacrificed himself, like a lamb, to wash each individual person clean of their sins, which in turn makes them pure. The phrase “washed with the blood of the Lamb” is used often in this religion and connects Jesus with the color red. When the individual becomes pure, they are thought to be “as white as snow.” Seeing as Jesus is considered to be the only sinless man to have ever lived, he is completely pure, or as white as snow, thus connecting him to the color white.
The color black is directly associated with darkness which has a negative connotation in the Bible. Proverbs 4:19 says “the way of the wicked is as darkness” connecting darkness with evil, and consequently linking wickedness to the color black. Jesus is not directly associated with darkness. In fact, in John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Because this verse establishes light as the opposite of darkness, it can be concluded that Jesus is, in fact, the opposite of darkness. However, black can easily be connected to the famous figure Eve, who was the first person to ever sin (Genesis 3). Because sin is evil, and “the way of the wicked is darkness,” Eve’s connection to the color black is quite blatant.
Snow White displays characteristics that are Biblically connected to each color. Her young age and trusting nature showcase her purity, represented by the color white. She was only seven years old when the plot of the tale takes place, and was fooled by the queen multiple times due to her naivety and unwise tendency to trust those she is told not to trust. Her death, caused by the queen’s selfish motives, paints Snow White as a martyr figure like Jesus, which ties her to his sacrificial death. The fact that her death can be connected to Christ’s in this way and Christ’s death is associated with the color red demonstrates her connection to the color red.
Snow White’s black hair could represent two things. It could foreshadow her difficult life of evading inevitable death, or, like the colors white and red, it could connect to her character. The former suggests another connection with Christ; throughout his entire life he was destined to die and be resurrected like Snow White. For Christ, this had been prophesied years before, so it is not a far stretch to conclude that the color of Snow White’s hair was an allusion to said prophesy. The latter, however, suggests a connection with Eve. In the story of The Fall of Man (Genesis 3), Eve was told by God not to eat a certain fruit within the Garden of Eden--often thought to be an apple--or she would surely die. However, Eve was coerced into eating the fruit by an evil serpent--often thought to be the devil--causing her eventual death. Snow White was specifically told by the seven dwarves not to let anyone into their house. However, the Queen coerced her into disobeying the dwarves multiple times. The third and final time, the Queen carried with her a poison apple and coerced Snow White into eating it, causing her to die. In this interpretation, the Queen represents the serpent from the Bible story and Snow White represents Eve, therefore, the color of Snow White’s hair suggests that there was evil within her character that would eventually lead to her death.
In addition to the three colors Snow White is associated with, she is also described as being “beautiful as the light of day” in the final edition of “Little Snow-White” (Ashliman), while she is simply described as being “beautiful as the day” (Grimm 208) in the first edition. This suggests an intentional change. The insertion of the word “light” creates a connection to Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus states “I am the light of the world.” The word light was intentionally inserted by the Brothers Grimm to create a subtle reference to Christ before the larger allusions were made in the story.
The numbers three and seven are used in “Little Snow-White” multiple times. In this fairy tale, seven is associated with the characteristics and journey of Snow White, while three is associated with her death. Snow White was seven years old when she became “as beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the Queen herself” (Grimm 208), and she was seven when she was sent to be killed. She ran away past seven mountains to the house of the seven dwarves. She sampled the bread and wine from each of the seven plates and mugs before finally falling asleep in the seventh bed. In Christianity, the number seven represents complete perfection. (O’Neil 32) The number’s association with Snow White reinforces her similarity to Jesus, the perfect man, through symbolism.
The number three is used only when referring to something directly related to Snow White’s death. The queen tried to personally kill Snow White three times using three different items: the lace bodice, the poison comb, and the poison apple. The dwarves mourned for Snow White for three days before finally putting her into the glass coffin. The third color listed when describing the appearance of Snow White was black which, as was established earlier, foreshadowed her death. Biblically, the number three is the number of the resurrection. (O’Neil 32) As Stringham puts it, “there is a Biblical association; Jesus rose from the death three days after he died.” (639) The multiple connections the number three had with Snow White’s death foreshadowed her resurrection through Biblical symbolism.
The number three also appears in Mathew 4:1-11, when Jesus successfully resisted temptation three times. In the desert, the devil told Christ that if he were God, he would turn stones into bread. However, Jesus replied that man should not live on bread alone, but also the word of God. The devil then took him up on a high mountain and said that if he were the Son of God, he would jump off because God would save him. Jesus replied that the Bible insists that you should never test God. Finally, the devil offered him all of the riches in the world if Jesus would worship him, but Jesus refused.
Snow White was also tempted three times by the Queen with the lace bodice, the comb, and the apple. It is important to not that the apple is a universal symbol of temptation throughout Christianity due to its connection with the story of the Fall of Man. As established earlier, the dwarves warned her not to let anyone into their house, but she allowed herself to be coerced into doing so three times. Not only does the temptation of Snow White allude to the temptation of Christ, but it brings to light a strong contrast between their characters. The apple is a direct reference to Genesis 3, which again draws attention to that particular Bible story. Again, there is a similarity between Snow White and Eve: both figures failed at resisting temptation. This is a complete contrast to Christ, who resisted temptation three times.
The most obvious, and perhaps the most important connection that Snow White has with Jesus is that they were both resurrected from the dead. However, their stories are not the same. Snow White rose from the dead three times after being strangled by the lace bodice, poisoned by the comb, and choked by the apple. Jesus was only resurrected once. In addition, he was dead for three days before he rose, while Snow White was mourned over for three days when she died for the third time. Although Snow White did not follow the exact pattern of resurrection that Jesus did, her multiple associations with the number three surrounding her death link to the three days that Jesus spent dead in the tomb. Considering the number three is an undeniable association with the resurrection of Christ, there is no question as to whether Snow White’s resurrections are references to what can be called the most famous Bible story of all time.
While it is undeniable that Snow White was presented as both a Christ figure and an Eve figure, it is still intriguing as to why the Brothers Grimm intentionally presented her this way. So why would the Brothers Grimm present Snow White as two completely opposite characters within the Bible, consequently giving her a conflicting persona? The answer is fairly simple. The Brothers Grimm meant for “Little Snow-White” to teach Protestant morals to German children in the 1800s. Snow White’s similarities to Christ signify the good in her while her similarities to Eve signify the bad. This presence of good and bad within her references the battle of good versus evil that takes place within every person. Her conflicting persona, her character that contains good and bad parts, is what makes her relatable. No person is perfect, and Snow White was meant to be a clear example of that, so any child that read her story could easily identify with her and learn a lesson or two. For example, the idea that one should listen to those that have authority over them can be taken from the fact that when Snow White did not listen to the dwarves on any of three occasions, she was killed each time. This references the Fifth Commandment, “honor thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12).
Using Biblical allusions to cause readers to subconsciously notice the battle of good versus evil within Snow White was actually quite clever. The stories the Brothers Grimm alluded to were some of the most well known in the Bible, making it almost impossible for any child that read this story during the 1800’s to not make a subconscious connection, at the least. The usage of color and number symbolism, references to the temptation of Eve and Christ, and a blatant allusion to the resurrection of Christ made for an enthralling story that has fascinated the minds of critics since its creation.
In the Grimm’s version of the fairy tale, Snow White is described as being “as white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony” (Grimm 207). Each of these colors has significance Biblically, and red and white specifically are associated with Jesus. Isaiah 1:18 says “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool,” which clearly connects the color white with purity and the color red with impurity and sinfulness. In Christianity, Jesus is known as the “Lamb of God” in that he sacrificed himself, like a lamb, to wash each individual person clean of their sins, which in turn makes them pure. The phrase “washed with the blood of the Lamb” is used often in this religion and connects Jesus with the color red. When the individual becomes pure, they are thought to be “as white as snow.” Seeing as Jesus is considered to be the only sinless man to have ever lived, he is completely pure, or as white as snow, thus connecting him to the color white.
The color black is directly associated with darkness which has a negative connotation in the Bible. Proverbs 4:19 says “the way of the wicked is as darkness” connecting darkness with evil, and consequently linking wickedness to the color black. Jesus is not directly associated with darkness. In fact, in John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Because this verse establishes light as the opposite of darkness, it can be concluded that Jesus is, in fact, the opposite of darkness. However, black can easily be connected to the famous figure Eve, who was the first person to ever sin (Genesis 3). Because sin is evil, and “the way of the wicked is darkness,” Eve’s connection to the color black is quite blatant.
Snow White displays characteristics that are Biblically connected to each color. Her young age and trusting nature showcase her purity, represented by the color white. She was only seven years old when the plot of the tale takes place, and was fooled by the queen multiple times due to her naivety and unwise tendency to trust those she is told not to trust. Her death, caused by the queen’s selfish motives, paints Snow White as a martyr figure like Jesus, which ties her to his sacrificial death. The fact that her death can be connected to Christ’s in this way and Christ’s death is associated with the color red demonstrates her connection to the color red.
Snow White’s black hair could represent two things. It could foreshadow her difficult life of evading inevitable death, or, like the colors white and red, it could connect to her character. The former suggests another connection with Christ; throughout his entire life he was destined to die and be resurrected like Snow White. For Christ, this had been prophesied years before, so it is not a far stretch to conclude that the color of Snow White’s hair was an allusion to said prophesy. The latter, however, suggests a connection with Eve. In the story of The Fall of Man (Genesis 3), Eve was told by God not to eat a certain fruit within the Garden of Eden--often thought to be an apple--or she would surely die. However, Eve was coerced into eating the fruit by an evil serpent--often thought to be the devil--causing her eventual death. Snow White was specifically told by the seven dwarves not to let anyone into their house. However, the Queen coerced her into disobeying the dwarves multiple times. The third and final time, the Queen carried with her a poison apple and coerced Snow White into eating it, causing her to die. In this interpretation, the Queen represents the serpent from the Bible story and Snow White represents Eve, therefore, the color of Snow White’s hair suggests that there was evil within her character that would eventually lead to her death.
In addition to the three colors Snow White is associated with, she is also described as being “beautiful as the light of day” in the final edition of “Little Snow-White” (Ashliman), while she is simply described as being “beautiful as the day” (Grimm 208) in the first edition. This suggests an intentional change. The insertion of the word “light” creates a connection to Christ. In John 8:12, Jesus states “I am the light of the world.” The word light was intentionally inserted by the Brothers Grimm to create a subtle reference to Christ before the larger allusions were made in the story.
The numbers three and seven are used in “Little Snow-White” multiple times. In this fairy tale, seven is associated with the characteristics and journey of Snow White, while three is associated with her death. Snow White was seven years old when she became “as beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the Queen herself” (Grimm 208), and she was seven when she was sent to be killed. She ran away past seven mountains to the house of the seven dwarves. She sampled the bread and wine from each of the seven plates and mugs before finally falling asleep in the seventh bed. In Christianity, the number seven represents complete perfection. (O’Neil 32) The number’s association with Snow White reinforces her similarity to Jesus, the perfect man, through symbolism.
The number three is used only when referring to something directly related to Snow White’s death. The queen tried to personally kill Snow White three times using three different items: the lace bodice, the poison comb, and the poison apple. The dwarves mourned for Snow White for three days before finally putting her into the glass coffin. The third color listed when describing the appearance of Snow White was black which, as was established earlier, foreshadowed her death. Biblically, the number three is the number of the resurrection. (O’Neil 32) As Stringham puts it, “there is a Biblical association; Jesus rose from the death three days after he died.” (639) The multiple connections the number three had with Snow White’s death foreshadowed her resurrection through Biblical symbolism.
The number three also appears in Mathew 4:1-11, when Jesus successfully resisted temptation three times. In the desert, the devil told Christ that if he were God, he would turn stones into bread. However, Jesus replied that man should not live on bread alone, but also the word of God. The devil then took him up on a high mountain and said that if he were the Son of God, he would jump off because God would save him. Jesus replied that the Bible insists that you should never test God. Finally, the devil offered him all of the riches in the world if Jesus would worship him, but Jesus refused.
Snow White was also tempted three times by the Queen with the lace bodice, the comb, and the apple. It is important to not that the apple is a universal symbol of temptation throughout Christianity due to its connection with the story of the Fall of Man. As established earlier, the dwarves warned her not to let anyone into their house, but she allowed herself to be coerced into doing so three times. Not only does the temptation of Snow White allude to the temptation of Christ, but it brings to light a strong contrast between their characters. The apple is a direct reference to Genesis 3, which again draws attention to that particular Bible story. Again, there is a similarity between Snow White and Eve: both figures failed at resisting temptation. This is a complete contrast to Christ, who resisted temptation three times.
The most obvious, and perhaps the most important connection that Snow White has with Jesus is that they were both resurrected from the dead. However, their stories are not the same. Snow White rose from the dead three times after being strangled by the lace bodice, poisoned by the comb, and choked by the apple. Jesus was only resurrected once. In addition, he was dead for three days before he rose, while Snow White was mourned over for three days when she died for the third time. Although Snow White did not follow the exact pattern of resurrection that Jesus did, her multiple associations with the number three surrounding her death link to the three days that Jesus spent dead in the tomb. Considering the number three is an undeniable association with the resurrection of Christ, there is no question as to whether Snow White’s resurrections are references to what can be called the most famous Bible story of all time.
While it is undeniable that Snow White was presented as both a Christ figure and an Eve figure, it is still intriguing as to why the Brothers Grimm intentionally presented her this way. So why would the Brothers Grimm present Snow White as two completely opposite characters within the Bible, consequently giving her a conflicting persona? The answer is fairly simple. The Brothers Grimm meant for “Little Snow-White” to teach Protestant morals to German children in the 1800s. Snow White’s similarities to Christ signify the good in her while her similarities to Eve signify the bad. This presence of good and bad within her references the battle of good versus evil that takes place within every person. Her conflicting persona, her character that contains good and bad parts, is what makes her relatable. No person is perfect, and Snow White was meant to be a clear example of that, so any child that read her story could easily identify with her and learn a lesson or two. For example, the idea that one should listen to those that have authority over them can be taken from the fact that when Snow White did not listen to the dwarves on any of three occasions, she was killed each time. This references the Fifth Commandment, “honor thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12).
Using Biblical allusions to cause readers to subconsciously notice the battle of good versus evil within Snow White was actually quite clever. The stories the Brothers Grimm alluded to were some of the most well known in the Bible, making it almost impossible for any child that read this story during the 1800’s to not make a subconscious connection, at the least. The usage of color and number symbolism, references to the temptation of Eve and Christ, and a blatant allusion to the resurrection of Christ made for an enthralling story that has fascinated the minds of critics since its creation.
Bibliography
Grimm, Jacob. “Little Snow-White.” Grimm’s Household Tales. Detroit: Singing Tree Press. 1968. Print.
Ashliman, D. L. Little Snow-White. Pitt. 2002. Web. 2002. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm053.html
O'Neill, Eddie. "The Bible By The Numbers." Catholic Answer 27.3 (2013): 31-33. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 May 2014.
Saunders, John Hanson. The Evolution of Snow White: A Close Textual Analysis of Three Versions of the Snow White Fairy Tale. Diss. The Pennsylvania State University, 2008. Print.
Stringham, Enikö. "Disney And The Butchering Of Snow White." Economics, Management & Financial Markets 6.2 (2011): 637-652. Business Source Complete. Web. 3 May 2014.
The Living Bible. Self Help Edition. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971. Print.
Grimm, Jacob. “Little Snow-White.” Grimm’s Household Tales. Detroit: Singing Tree Press. 1968. Print.
Ashliman, D. L. Little Snow-White. Pitt. 2002. Web. 2002. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm053.html
O'Neill, Eddie. "The Bible By The Numbers." Catholic Answer 27.3 (2013): 31-33. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 May 2014.
Saunders, John Hanson. The Evolution of Snow White: A Close Textual Analysis of Three Versions of the Snow White Fairy Tale. Diss. The Pennsylvania State University, 2008. Print.
Stringham, Enikö. "Disney And The Butchering Of Snow White." Economics, Management & Financial Markets 6.2 (2011): 637-652. Business Source Complete. Web. 3 May 2014.
The Living Bible. Self Help Edition. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971. Print.