Woman versus Woman

Usually we hear about the struggle between man versus man. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, though, the problems are between Snow White and the Queen. These characters represent stereotypical views of women. Snow White embodies all the womanly attributes traditionally desirable in a wife. She is a good cook and housekeeper. She is friendly, gentle and uncomplaining. Of course, she is also beautiful. The Queen, the older woman, has become jaded by the fear of her fading looks, the only attribute she has to give her wealth and success. Jealousy and vanity (attributes stereotypically associated with women) come between them, as the Queen struggles to keep her place in life.

The Queen has always been the most beautiful person in the land, and she can't bear the idea of giving up her role to Snow White. She asks her Magic Mirror daily about her...