Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins Term Paper

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familiar fairy tale subject with a twist to communicate the virtues and sins of any American family

Literal scene and situation

Scene is a home a "princess" shares with the Seven Deadly Sins

A woman trapped by work and worry

Speaker's mood

Mood is downtrodden and sad until the end

Metaphorical or symbolic implications of the poem

A virtuous woman holding out against the Seven Deadly Sins

Title's emphasis

Emphasizes the humor and religious overtones of the poem

Rhythm patterns

Four line stanzas with every other line rhyming

Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins

This paper analyzes the poem "Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins" by R.S. Gwynn. Specifically, it focuses on the theme of the poem and the methods the author uses to communicate the theme.

The theme of sin and virtue is at the heart of this poem, which takes a whimsical look at a woman surrounded by the Seven Deadly Sins. The author uses a familiar fairy tale subject with a twist to communicate the virtues and sins of any American family.

The literal scene and situation of this poem could be a fairy tale cottage in the woods, like the seven dwarfs owned, or it could be any family home in American suburbia. The poem all takes place inside this setting until the end, and so, the setting is not the most important element of the poem, but it sets the mood for what will follow, and gives the reader a small idea of what they should expect. The poem reads like a fairy tale, but in reality, the poem tells the story of a typical American mother, slaving over a family that takes her for granted and leaves her with little time or energy for herself. The author writes it with humor, but the subject and the situation is too true to really be funny.

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The mood at the end of the poem changes from the beginning considerably. At the end, the mood is light and carefree, because it seems as if a handsome prince is actually going to save the woman from her life of drudgery. However, the real "happy ending" is that she realizes trading life with one man for another is no happy ending, and she would rather spend her life in a nunnery with other women, where she will not be taken for granted. That is really why the ending is so light-hearted, because she is changing her life for the better, not just trading one sinful and neglectful family for another.

The symbolic implications of the poem are quite funny and quite disturbing at the same time. Gwynn uses the very familiar seven dwarfs as symbols of sin and avarice. He uses these very familiar subjects and places them in a difference setting to symbolize the American family and all its problems and sins. He shows these problems with humor, such as "Years passed. More sinful every day, the Seven / Breakfasted, grabbed their pitchforks, donned their horns / And sped to contravene the hopes of heaven, / Sowing the neighbors' laws with tares and horns" (Gwynn). You can see the family at breakfast, and then taking of in their different directions for work and school, and leaving havoc in their wake. The symbolism is funny, but all too real, because this could describe just about any family in America today. They are so busy with their own interests (sins) and problems that they do not care about anyone or anything else, and they go out into the world every….....

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"Snow White And The Seven Deadly Sins" (2005, August 19) Retrieved July 10, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/snow-white-seven-deadly-sins-68386

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"Snow White And The Seven Deadly Sins", 19 August 2005, Accessed.10 July. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/snow-white-seven-deadly-sins-68386
   

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