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En strukturell analys av kristna symboler i Walt Disneys och Rupert Sanders versioner av Snövit
Snow WhiteChristian symbolsStructural analysisSnövitKristna symbolerStrukturell analysJames FrazerWalt DisneyRupert Sanders
Snow White is one of the most popular fairytales to our time. There has been much research on the subject. `Lips red as blood- a structural analysis of Christian symbols´ in Walt Disneys and Rupert Sanders versions of Snow White` by Emma Svanström aims not to give a final answer to how Snow White should be interpreted. But rather the objective is to examine two versions in the search for any possible Christian influences and changes in such over time. The two versions are Walt Disney?s Snow white and the seven dwarfs and Rupert Sanders Snow White and the huntsman. To examine if the films have been influenced by Christianity the thesis will regard both versions as myths. This leads to the use of Claude Levi-Strauss structural analysis as a mean to find the significant symbols. To interpret them the thesis use Sir James G. Frazer?s theory about the dying and rising god as well as Ragnar Skottenes and Dick Helanders studies on Christian symbols´.The thesis found several significant symbols´ in both versions but also some who only exist in one of them or have changed over time. The results show that there are two types of Christian influences in both myths. Firstly, some Christian symbols seem to be logical interpretations to the myths. This means that the symbols meaning for some Christians seems to fit the symbols´ relations to the other symbols in the myths. However, this is not the case with other symbols. Where the meaning that Skottene and Helander gives the symbol don?t match with the symbols place within the myth. But the symbols? Christian meaning also changes between the two versions. This is due to choices the director has made and changes in their context.Secondly, there are a red thread through both versions which match up with Frazer?s theory of the dying and rising god. This influence is though stronger in Sanders version due to his context.Finally, this leads to the conclusion that the myths of Snow White can benefit from being analyst in search of Christian symbols and influences through which one stands to gain new insights. However the Christian influence is not so strong that it should be considered as the only possible way to analyze the myths.