Disenchanting the Fairy Tale: Retellings of "Snow White" between Magic and Realism

Abstract

As the fairy tale is recycled in contemporary retellings, the influence of realistic literature is perceptible. This article explores how authors and illustrators have turned magical fairy-tale elements into more realistic or at least more ambiguous events. The retellings exploit the coincidence as an ambiguous space between magic and realism or make clever use of stylistic and narrative devices such as metaphors and unreliable narrators to give a new dimension to supernatural elements. The focus is on illustrated versions and retellings of the Grimms’ “Snow White,” as well as on criticism of that tale, which has also tended to rationalize magic.

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