Hi, all!! For you youngsters-at-heart who still love Disney movies (like yours truly!), I thought I'd post this little "essay", I suppose you could call it, about finding Christian symbolism in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs! I showed it to a friend who thought it was "amazing!!!", so I thought in turn, "What have I to lose by posting it here?" Enjoy, I hope!!

This film is a parable. It speaks of Christianity, a faith named for a man who taught through parable and metaphor. Snow White is a trusting and vulnerable young girl. In effect, she symbolizes mankind in all its spiritual fragility, but especially prior to the Fall of Man. Adam and Eve in their innocence were fooled by the crafty Serpent. They partook of the Forbidden Fruit he offered them, and the result was immediate spiritual death. Similarly, Snow White is fooled by the evil witch and eats the poison apple presented to her (Many people speculate that the Forbidden Fruit was in fact an apple, although the Bible just says “fruit”), and death is the outcome. But nearly everyone knows this story, and can’t help but smile when the Prince arrives and resurrects his beloved princess with love’s first kiss. We as Christians have a similar promise from our Heavenly Father. If we put our complete faith in Him, we too shall receive a beautiful ending. Snow White is a model Christian; compassionate, unselfish, patient and optimistic, with quiet, inner strength and a cheerful work ethic. She never loses faith that ‘someday her prince will come’, and her faith is ultimately rewarded. The man she loves comes to her rescue, and The One Who Loves Us shall come to our rescue, freeing us from both physical and spiritual death with Love’s kiss, and spiriting us off to His castle in Heaven to live happily ever after.

One of the things that I love about this movie is the interesting fact that the Prince is absent for most of the story. You glimpse him at the beginning of the film and at the climax, but, as the title implies, the story focuses on Snow White and the seven dwarfs. It is Snow White’s life that the viewer sees, despite the pivotal role that the Prince plays as her liberator. This is an excellent example of how loving and unselfish Jesus is. God is all-powerful, and Christ could easily come riding in on a glorious white horse and announce, “Here I am! I am your Savior! Everybody MUST love me and look at me!” But He doesn’t. Despite Jesus’ role as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of our fairytale, we don’t see Him. He is invisible to the naked eyes, and only those who, by the power of Faith, are capable of grasping the big picture and understanding God’s plan for the world, will see Him in their souls. Jesus’ love for all of us is so deep and strong that He’s willing to stand in the background and let His beloved children take center stage. THAT is real love.

On a side note, I am also fascinated by the appearance of doves in the wishing well scene, wherein Snow White and the Prince meet, fall in love and send one another “dove kisses.” The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit!

As for the purpose of the seven dwarfs, I think it’s just an example of how God promises to tend to our every need. After fleeing from the huntsman, Snow White finds herself frightened and completely alone. But her animal friends restore her to her wonted cheerfulness, and with their help, she finds friendship and safety in the dwarfs. Those with strong faith needn’t ever worry about being completely alone. God will always provide them with everything they need to experience true happiness.

I loved this sweet, charming film when I was a little girl, and with this special insight in mind today, I love it all the more. I can’t say whether or not this Christian symbolism was Walt Disney’s intention, but I kind of like to believe that it was. I know he was a conservative Christian, and I adore the story of how he had faith in his “baby”; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs being the pet project that he believed in when nobody else did, including his own wife and brother. It makes perfect sense to me that he may have lovingly woven some of his faith into the film’s tapestry, just as Andrew Stanton did with Disney-Pixar’s WALL-E, or C.S. Lewis with the Chronicles of Narnia series. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Snow White is shown kneeling by her bed in prayer before going to sleep: “Please bless these men who have been so kind to me, and please make all of my dreams come true. And please make Grumpy like me. Amen.” A selfless, hard-working girl who relies on her own unwavering spirit AND help from God to make all of her dreams a reality? I don’t understand why anyone would think that that’s not a princess worth emulating.

*I wrote that last sentence because I think it's a shame that so many fictional heroines these days seem to be portrayed as "tough and feisty!" as opposed to sweet and gentle. Sure, strength and courage and independence are all great qualities to possess, but I find sweetness and kindness to be far more attractive traits in BOTH sexes. God created His children to love each other and care for one another, after all! Having compassion and character is just as important for Christians now as it was in Biblical times, no matter who you are or what society says*