Abstract

Fairy tales are some of the first stories we hear as young children. They are one of our first exposures to literature that teach us simple lessons and morals. Many of these tales come from the Brothers Grimm’s collection of tales from the 19th century. “Snow White” is one of these well-known fairy tales, as it has received many film adaptations in several countries. This study analyzes the messages of East and West Germany’s film adaptations of “Snow White” in the context of German postwar culture. I looked at the use of film techniques and applied the framework of adaptation theory to complete this study. Some of my key findings are that the films were used as re-education tools for the postwar German audience and that the films’ messages vary to emphasize certain cultural values. The West German film Schneewittchen und die Sieben Zwerge strongly emphasizes western culture, while the East German film Schneewittchen encourages socialist and communist values.

Advisor

Muellner, Beth

Second Advisor

Bostdorff, Denise

Department

Communication Studies; German Studies

Disciplines

European History | Film and Media Studies | German Language and Literature

Keywords

Snow White, Schneewittchen, Film, Adaptation, Germany, Postwar, Heimat Film

Publication Date

2018

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2018 Brigitte K. Galauner