killer-queen


Sexton refers to Snow White’s stepmother as a “killer-queen” (77) as a perfect way to capture her cruel malicious ways. Not only is Sexton referring to the queen as a killer because she orders the hunter to kill Snow White and disembowel her but also because she devours, what she thinks is, Snow White’s heart and repeatedly attempts to kill her. When the queen finds out that Snow White is not dead, she is not satisfied. Even though Snow White is gone from the castle, to a place where the queen does not have to see her, she is determined to have her dead. The queen is not satisfied until Snow White is not breathing because that is the only way that she will know for sure she is the most beautiful. This infatuation with killing Snow White makes the queen similar to real killer that we see on the news and read about, she will not stop at anything until her job is complete. The queen’s multiple attempts at murdering Snow White are driven by her jealousy. Sexton alludes a classic case seen in varieties of myths and folklore. The stepmother has envious feeling towards her stepdaughter, usually stemming from her beauty. (M Kidane).