Gallardo 1

Ashley Gallardo
Professor McClure
Writing 39B
6 November 2016
Power Crazy Men
In attempt to keep mans manhood and dominance secure, men condemn womens
abilities as a way to subvert feminism for their own fulfillment, this is present in Neil Gaimans
Snow, Glass, Apples. The womens role in this story serves as an extended metaphor for
societys true power lying within the hands of women rather than men. This story specifically
focuses on their reaction to the feminist movement of the 1960s-1980s and presently. Neil
Gaiman in Snow, Glass, Apples creates a contrast between Snow White and the Queen to display
the hypocrisy by our dominant leaders within this patriarch. Gaiman does so by incorporating
themes such as pedophilia, necrophilia, and incest. Neil Gaiman critiques this society for
choosing Snow White the promiscuous blood sucking monster even though it results in some
type of lost when they have an ample superior choice in the queen who ironically they see as
more of a threat. Neil Gaiman critiques them to represent Snow White as the approved role of
women that of a submissive or compliant woman under the control of man. This essay will
discuss the Intro
To Dark Nights Dreaming by poet Tony Magistrale an expert in Gothicism and
horror specifically it will focus on how the queens feminist role battling against a young child is
reflective of our societal battles and what occurs when we go against the norms. In addition,
Men, Women, and Chainsaws by professor Carol J. Clover of rhetoric language, will display

Gallardo 2

how Snow White while opposingly different from most slasher stories, plays the final girl in
response to the feminist movement.
The queen characterized as a modest, and formal woman who knows what she wants is
denied of her role for the reason that her composure emasculates men by threatening their
dominance. Her role is denied because it does not comply with that of the stereotypical role of
woman who submits herself to men. The story begins with the queen reminiscing the very
moment she met her true love, the king. Before she met him, she claimed Id seen his face in
my dreams and in reflections for all my life: sixteen years of dreaming of him This piece of
detail portrays the queen as a typical woman who dreamt of finding true love. To the readers
understanding, this was very important to the queen, seeing that it was in her reflections all of
the time. The queens focus was on her beloved king, which shows she values love, and
commitment. Therefore, presenting the queen as responsible by sticking to her mind and not
frolicking around by changing it. This idea of the queen being formal is reinforced when we see
her devotion to the king, when he wanted me he would send for me, and I would go to him, and
pleasure him, and take my pleasure with him (Gaiman). This reflects to the audience how
formal the queen is, by living in separate chambers but still playing the role as a married couple
which she found pleasure in, this is evident with the use of the commas. The commas are there to
add a dramatic pause revealing how fond she was to satisfy her husband. However, to the king,
this is not about marriage. This is the first time, we hear of the king asking for her, and from this
point on we only hear of him when it comes to sex. According to Whelan Bridget, a fiction
writer, fairytale stories are known for linking "princesshood" to contemporary concepts of ideal
girlhood. Generally, mens ideal girlhood consist of serving men therefore the queens role is to

Gallardo 3

fulfill her duties by exciting the king and going back to her life or in her case simply going back
to her chambers. However because the queen did not view sex as fulfilling her duties by
submitting herself to the king and instead saw it as an act of love she was viewed as a threat by
the men in this story. The queen being a modest, formal and independent woman reflects on
behalf of the respect she has for herself which is why she does not simply submit herself to her
king but instead chooses her emotion. The king becoming aware of this belittles her near to
nothing other than a sex object. Bob Batchelor an American literature and pop culture author and
Maja Bajac-Carter doctoral student in the College of Communication and Information at Kent
State University argues that horror films explicitly links together the premise of torturous
violence with the exploitative erotic thrills of pornography(51). By belittling the queens to a
sex object the king rejects her role and the woman shes become. This reveals through the king
that women in general will forever be denied of their role and will be objectified as a sex symbol.
Women being a sex object forces them to succumb to men so that men can show their dominance
over women, this is why we only hear of the king when it comes to sex because this is his way of
securing his manhood before the queens composure makes her a larger threat.
Furthermore, Gaiman emphasizes the queens threatful keen attention and cautiousness
to contrast that of Snow White in hopes of revealing later to the readers which roles played by
the woman society prefers. The contrast is presented through Snow White and her monster-like
actions, in which the queen distances herself from Snow White. The first time the princess comes
to the queen, the readers understand this is uncomfortable for the queen which leaves her in a
strange predicament; shes never with the princess, not even during dinner, a time of bonding
with the family. This time, when the queen looked up, she was there(Gaiman). The princess

Gallardo 4

sudden appearance was uncanny, she entered without making a noise, hinting towards her
unnatural attributes. The queen noticing this did not make her fear apparent, and instead
warmed to her and, with [her] finger, gently, [stroked the princess] cheek(Gaiman) until
abruptly the princess sank her teeth into her Mound of Venus, her Mound of Venus is in
reference to her palm while also referencing towards a womans pubic region. The queen
shrieked from the pain but soon silenced herself. The queens silence is her way of identifying
the problem and then analyzing it, because she realized the princess was being seductive towards
her. The queen had the option to do a number of things to the child: such as punish her, hit her,
or yell at her, however, she did not. Instead the queen acted cautiously and digested the way
Snow White acted as opposed to heading straight on into conflict, but mostly she acted this way
because she was mortified, I had been frozen by her, owned and dominated (Gaiman). The bite
on her Mound of Venus was intentional it was meant to strip the queen of her dignity making her
feel naked and vulnerable to show her that no matter what Snow White would always come back
in charge. The queen was threatening enough, she was Snow Whites step-mom, she took her
fathers attention from her and she took her crown. Therefore the queen wasnt just a threat to the
men but also to Snow White. However, because Snow White realized the queens cautiousness
she knew she would have to terrorize the queen more, through the king.
Not complying with societal norms can be drastically condemning seeing as that the
menace can come indirectly from the source. The king in this story represents a median as to
what can occur if women are given a valued role in society. The king in this story with a beard
so red, his hair so gold, his eyes the blue of summer sky, his skin tanned the gentle brown of ripe
wheat.(Gaiman) embodies all men. The readers grow an admiration for the king who is seen as

Gallardo 5

a man of strength and beauty with the comparison to nature. The descriptions do not encompass
an unknown area they are relatable, theyre meant to create a likeness between the readers, the
commoners, and the king therefore, representing all men. However, the king is one of the few
who gives rise to women, specifically the queen. At first the king would call for the queen,
eventually he sent less and less for her. Although the king objectified his wife as a sex symbol,
he was still acknowledging his wife, and her presence but soon he became a shadow, his hair
and beard faded and [became] lusterless and limp. He died unshriven(Gaiman) for having an
affair with his promiscuous, immature, and powerful daughter. The description is contrasted with
that of the first one, serving as a sign of weakness. According to Magistrale, an English professor
from the University of Vermont in Intro To Dark Nights Dreaming states that the audience is
now secure in the knowledge that while its value system may have been severely challenged, the
status quothe norm of its societyhave been reaffirmed by showing us what awful things
happen to people who venture into taboo lands. The king did what was right, sleeping with his
wife. However because the queen is representative of the dominant woman in control he knew he
must succumb to his daughter, losing all his morals and as a result was punished with death.
Snow White is the one who punished her father with death for having slept with the queen. The
readers notice his death as a form of punishment because Gaimans explains, the king died
unshriven meaning he died as a sinner, for accepting incest and overall, accepting his daughter
who he clearly preferred over his wife since he called for his wife less and less.
Moreover, Neil Gaiman criticizes the men for choosing the preferred woman or monster
Snow White, because it results in their loss of morals specifically in this case their purity. Neil
Gaimans critique is revealed through the hypocrisy among dominant men living up to their

Gallardo 6

immoral gender roles and societal norms. A monk encountered Snow White and without even
second-guessing, he immediately knew what he wanted from her He grinned, as if it were a
long time since he had seen another human, and beckoned her over to him(Gaiman). The fact
that the monk grinned, as opposed to a gentle welcoming smile, implies his excitement hinting
towards a pleasure he seeks in her, not an appropriate one because he beckoned her over in
order for her to be near him. His intentions with her were not permissible, He pulled in his robe
until he found a coin a tiny, copper penny, and tossed it to her and just like that one hand
crept, spider-like, through the tangle of hair, until it closed on his manhood;...(Gaiman). The
monk does not value the princess, or any women for that matter, we know this because it was not
the idea of her being a princess that excited him, it was the sight of a woman. Once again sex is
symbolized as a sign of power in men. The princess was subverted by the monk with the use and
sight of his manhood but the fact that he only paid a penny, shows how within this society
women are accustomed to subverting themselves to men that they willingly do so. Being
subverted by the monk introduces not only Snow Whites impurity a thin blackish liquid began
to dribble from between her legs, but also the monk who is categorically contradictory for
giving up his beliefs for a moment of fun.
Moreover, to reflect on behalf of the preferred type of woman Snow White in her own
way is characterized as the final girl described in the horror genre since it keeps her from
fitting in with the threatening typical woman. In slasher movies the final girl, is the last
remaining victim who happens to go against societal norms, as does Snow White who seduces
people to get what she wants. According to Carol Clover in Men, Women, and Chainsaws the
final girl is, on reflection, a congenial double for the adolescent male. She is feminine enough to

Gallardo 7

act out in a gratifying way...but not so feminine as to disturb the structures of male competence
and sexuality(Clover, 51). Therefore, Snow White does not fit in with the built up typical
woman, specifically the queen or those of the fantasy genre. Her feminine side is evident in her
appearance, skin was still pale, her eyes and hair coal-black, her lips as red as blood(Gaiman).
Dark hair, pale skin and red blood lips serve as an indication that a character is beautiful. The red
lips alone are a sign of warmth, passion or love, but this being part of the horror genre, Snow
White must have a dark side to her, she is So pale. So cold.(Gaiman) with fingernails as sharp
as glass. The short sentences used to describe Snow White, add emphasis to the detail for the
readers to realize that this is an unnatural attribute therefore, creating a sense of eeriness to fit the
horror genre in order to represent part of her masculinity. In addition to her appearance making
her slightly masculine Snow White shares a strong sex drive like men. Snow Whites masculinity
and strong sex drive sets her apart from both women, these characterizations still allow the men
to have control over her because her masculinity side makes her share the same thoughts and
desires as men such as her compliancy in the bedroom.
Neil Gaiman further critiques this society by incorporating the theme necrophilia, the act
of having sexual intercourse with a corpse to display why of the two women represented this
society would choose Snow White. According to Ann C. McGinley a Professor of Law at the
Boyd School of Law of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas men achieve their masculinity
through performances, or interaction with others, and there are varying ways to perform
masculinity. Sex is one of the most common ways men assert their dominance, it allows them to
do as they please to women who are compliant like Snow White. During the act the women are
seen as submissive or lesser than the men although they may not be. Therefore when the prince

Gallardo 8

slept with the queen, he lost interest in her immediately, slipping out his manhood(Gaiman).
The word manhood refers to his penis as a symbol of strength, masculinity and dominance. The
prince desired the queen to be stone cold with [her] hands folded across [her]
breasts(Gaiman). However, the queen could not fight her urges she felt [her] hips raise, [and]
felt [herself] begin to match him(Gaiman). The way the prince wanted her, is that of a corpse. A
corpse knowingly is dead therefore, they cannot do anything this is what he wanted of the queen,
to lie as still as a corpse beneath him because it was his performance that proved his masculinity
and dominance. He left the queen the very next day because he could not get what he expected
from her, control. This idea is evident when he encounters Snow White, a lovely corpse under
the crystal mound(Gaiman), a compliant woman who gives him the thrill of thinking hes in
charge.
There are two roles women play in a society- females who assert their dominance and the
women who comply with societal norms. The women that comply are the ones who are
acknowledged while the others are dismissed. In all the examples given above it is evident that
the prince and the monk favored Snow White for her submissive compliancy. The king, the one
person who actually followed his morals even if not for the best reasons which was sex, faced
punishment for giving rise to the dominant woman. In a world made up of controlling and power
crazy men, the queen is the true monster of the story. As reported by Noel Carrol in the Nature of
Horror monsters are unnatural relative to a culture's conceptual scheme of nature. They do not
fit the scheme; they violate it. Thus, mon-sters are not only physically threatening; they are
cognitively threatening. They are threats to common knowledge. Therefore, the queen is a threat
to this patriarchal society; she is physically threatening and is a threat to common knowledge for

Gallardo 9

her role as a leader when men have always been seen as the reason of power. Therefore the
princes fear in this story is meant to represent that of men who dread the idea of feminism
resulting in their loss of control over women. This is reflective of our own society, for example
the 2016 presidential election. Hillary Clintons slogan Im with Her, her being capitalized as
an identification for a time of change, where women are no longer suppressed and evidently are
dominant.

Gallardo 10

Work Cited
Carrol, Noel. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. Vol. 46, No. 1, 1987, pp. 51-59
Clover, Carol. Men, Women, and Chainsaws. Princeton University Press. 1992.
Intro to Dark Nights Dreaming. Edited by Tony Magistrale and Michael A. Morison. University
of South Carolina Press. 1996.
Jones, Norma, Maja Bajac-Carter, and Bob Batchelor. Heroines of Film and Television:
Portrayals in Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowan & Littlefield, 2014. N. pag. Print.
McGinley, Ann. MASCULINITY, LABOR, AND SEXUAL POWER (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
http://www.bu.edu/bulawreview/files/2013/08/MCGINLEY.pdf.*
Whelan, Bridget. "Power to the Princess: Disney and the Creation of the 20th Century Princess
Narrative." Interdisciplinary Humanities 29.1 (2012): 2134. Ebsco.