Standards of beauty

STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

The Evolution of Snow White

KEEPING WITH THE THEMEFocusing on the fairy tale of Snow White, I am going to

discuss the ways that standards of beauty have

evolved overtime. I would like to prove that today’s

contemporary fairy tales communicate standards of

beauty in a more constructive and positive manner.

A standard is a principle that is used as a basis for judgment. All throughout history, women have been expected to meet certain standards of beauty, and

are judged because of their physical appearance. These standards depict an "ideal beauty” which is admired

and in some cultures considered necessary to

achieve perfection.

WHAT ARE STANDARDS OF BEAUTY?

PLAN OF ACTION

Introduce and explain standards of beauty

Compare and contrast format

Limit sources to only those that pertain to film adaptations

In Genera

l

In Fairy Tales

In Snow White

SOURCE SYNTHESIS

The author, Kathi Maio, discusses film adaptations of the fairy tale Snow White with particular focus given to

"Mirror Mirror” and "Snow White and the Huntsman”, both released in 2012. The films' attempts to modernize the story with strong heroines are examined, and their

relationship to the 1937 animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" by Walt Disney is touched on.

Beauty Fades But Fairy Tales Never Die

Grimm & Disney Mirror Mirror & Huntsman

PAST VS. PRESENT

1812 1937

2012

THE COUNTER-ARGUMENT

“In Snow White and The Huntsman, the weak link is the casting of the title character. Kristen Stewart (of Twilight fame) stars as waif turned Jeanne d’ Arc version of Snow White, but she can’t pull off the character anymore than she

can a British accent.”

Therefore, Maio believes that the director of Snow White and the Huntsman failed at modernizing the

tale of Snow White, whereas I am trying to convince my readers that he positively altered the way that

standards of beauty are communicated in fairy tales. .

RECAPTURING BEAUTY

This article written by Dr. LaNae Valentine discusses the beauty extremes to which women

across cultures will go in order to reach perfection. The examples that she provides

clearly demonstrates how serious standards of beauty are today, and truly emphasizes the need

for reform. In central Africa, the Mangbettu tightly wrapped the heads of female infants in

pieces of giraffe hide, to attain the elongated cone-shaped heads that were taken to be a

sign of beauty and intelligence.”

Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth aims to convey that with an increased gain in social power and prestige,

women are now expected to adhere to more strict

standards of physical beauty. Ultimately, Wolf argues for

more normative standards of beauty.

SIGNIFICANCE

Information from this book will help me to introduce and define standards of beauty for my audience. In addition, since the book was first published in 1991, I could use evidence from recent adaptations of Snow White, to show that standards of beauty are slowly

beginning to improve.

According to Mary Poles, “This Snow White, albeit 10 minutes too long and

loaded with the standard action sequences of 21st century summer,

feels excitingly progressive because it actually represents the victory of inner

beauty.” Then she says, “Not to cast aspersions on the loveliness of Kristen Stewart, but I believe—or hope—that’s the result of an intentionally bold move by first-time director Rupert Sanders in terms of casting his two female leads.”

RELEVANCE

The author solely discusses the film adaptation of Snow White & The

Huntsman, which is proving to be the most talked about adaptation in recent

research. The author completely supports my thesis by saying that Sanders made an intentional, but very bold move by starring

Stewart as Snow White.

Snow White: Beauty is Power

Maria Tatar says, “Snow White and the Huntsman captures deepening anxiety about

aging and generational sexual rivalry in clever, self-reflexive ways, with Charlize Theron as a beautiful cougar (and established Hollywood

star) threatened by a younger, sylph-like Kristin Stewart. In the world of the film, beauty is the

locus of female power, and is thereby fleeting in its effects (men are “enchanted” by women but “use” them until they eventually “tire” of them); it is the source of both fascination and horror.”

CONNECTION

This article not only touches on standards of beauty, but it shows the connection between beauty and power. As standards of beauty have changed over time, different sexes have taken on new gender roles in society. In relation to the article from

Times, this author also focuses on the casting of Snow White & the Huntsman.

Works cited

Maio, Kathi. “Beauty Fades But Fairy Tales Never Die.” Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Journal. October 2012. Web. 3 March 2013.  Poles, Mary. “Snow White and the Huntsman: The Fairest Feminist of Them All.” Time

Entertainment. Time Magazine. 31 May 2012. Web. 22 February 2013. Tatar, Maria. “Snow White: Beauty is Power.” The New Yorker. 8 June 2012. Web. 17

February 2013. Valentine, LaNae. “Recapturing Beauty.” Brigham Young University. n.p., n.d. Web. 7

March 2013. Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. William Morrow and Company, 1991.