As I was digging around online today, musing on the level of winter weather we’ve had this year, I ran across an article on Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen.
The author of the article uses the fairy tale of the Snow Queen as a metaphor for depression. I won’t recount the story, but it is a very interesting interpretation.
It’s a great article. I often am intrigued by how regular themes of depression and anxiety appear in literature, even children’s literature.
Can any of the readers here think of any other fairy tales that may apply?
-DMR
That is a great article, and finds deep avenues of meaning in that fairy tale.
Today, way before I read your post, I happened to read “Snow White” to a small child, and I ended up wondering about the origins of the story.
Could Snow White and the Cruel Stepmother be seen as intuitiveness and logic/knowledge, corresponding to the two sides of the human brain? In our world, logic/knowledge wishes to be the most admired one. Logic/knowledge relegates intuitiveness to the hinterlands, but there intuitiveness lives, latches onto, and cares for the dwarfs (our emotions?). Logic/knowledge learns of intuitiveness’ ongoing life and poisons intuitiveness with DEPRESSION, what else! Ah, and how sad the emotions (the dwarfs) are when intuitiveness is rendered unconscious…..when numbness takes over.
Hmm…..I don’t know where to go from here. The dwarfs (emotions) chase away the Cruel Stepmother (logic/knowledge). Snow White (intuitiveness) remains asleep, however. Who is the handsome prince whose kiss can awaken Snow White?
Maybe he is Faith.
That is a great article, and finds deep avenues of meaning in that fairy tale.
Today, way before I read your post, I happened to read “Snow White” to a small child, and I ended up wondering about the origins of the story.
Could Snow White and the Cruel Stepmother be seen as intuitiveness and logic/knowledge, corresponding to the two sides of the human brain? In our world, logic/knowledge wishes to be the most admired one. Logic/knowledge relegates intuitiveness to the hinterlands, but there intuitiveness lives, latches onto, and cares for the dwarfs (our emotions?). Logic/knowledge learns of intuitiveness’ ongoing life and poisons intuitiveness with DEPRESSION, what else! Ah, and how sad the emotions (the dwarfs) are when intuitiveness is rendered unconscious…..when numbness takes over.
Hmm…..I don’t know where to go from here. The dwarfs (emotions) chase away the Cruel Stepmother (logic/knowledge). Snow White (intuitiveness) remains asleep, however. Who is the handsome prince whose kiss can awaken Snow White?
Maybe he is Faith.