We all know the story of Snow White. She was so foolish to keep falling for the stepmother's antics until it killed her. At the end of the story, she eats an apple that ends up being poisonous, leading to her inevitable demise. I say inevitable because time after time she ends up having these toxic interactions with the stepmother and from the first mistake she hadn't learned her lesson.
The final interaction that killed her perfectly fits the point being made — outer beauty is not everything. From the story of Snow White, we can analyze several different aspects of humanity, but the focus on the apple is mainly to demonstrate the concept of outer versus inner beauty. Although this point is represented through a concrete object, it beautifully encompasses the idea of false facades and looking to see that there is much more to a person than their exterior.
So if you don't know the story of Snow White, a basic summarization is that Princess Snow White has a stepmother with a huge ego, a greedy personality, and is green with envy. She has one desire — to be the fairest in the land, and that was all that was on her mind. Snow White is considered the fairest in all the land and the stepmother is not okay with this at all. The mirror never lies to her so day after day she is dissatisfied with hearing that she is second best.
She attempts four times to terminate Snow White, failing each time until the final attempt. The final attempt being a poisonous apple that she had handcrafted. Snow White's saving grace? You guessed it. A Prince comes by and somehow ends up resurrecting her. The stepmother gets what she was due to receive when she's tortured to death at the royal banquet. In the end, her greed and envy result in Snow White living on to be the fairest in the land.
I want to hone in on the apple. You might not think much of it when reading the fairy tale in its entirety The apple in this story describes the statement "Outer beauty is not everything" almost perfectly. Even though an apple is an inanimate object, who says the same can't go for people as well? Handcrafted by the stepmother, she makes sure the outer appearance of the apple is flawless but fills the inside with a substance so potent. Little did Snow White know that this beautiful specimen was filled with a life-ending malignancy.
Nowadays in society, this portion of the story can be paralleled to exactly what everyday people encounter. Lust is heavy in the air, but we do not take into account anything more than an outer appearance. Advertisements, social media, and entertainment all aim to highlight physical appearance, because we are pushed into believing that sex sells. We have been brainwashed to look for the most attractive person, but what else will you be getting besides sexual pleasure?
The happiness caused by the brain's release of oxytocin, better known as the love hormone, only lasts for a brief period, and this is what causes the feeling of happiness and euphoria. What happens after the period of satisfaction? Is there a deeper meaning to the sex? Besides a physical connection, was there a mental connection? Riddle me this, does anyone ever stop to admire your mind? Your morals? Values? Goals? Mindset? Personality?
No. Everyone is quick to admire the girl or guy with the nicest body and/or face. The most beautiful humans may also turn out to be the most empty. Humans are just a vessel containing the real parts of humanity. A lot of these vessels are empty, shallow, or filled with toxicity, and it isn't realized because everyone is so focused on outer beauty.
I believe this also plays a huge role in relationships today. How come breakups and divorces occur? It's because people get caught up in looks as opposed to taking the time to appreciate a mind that's just as beautiful. If you find a lover that you personally find beautiful on the outside, and have taken the time to see how their mind works as well, there would be significantly fewer disagreements and more discussion, and this would result in a successful relationship.
We need to be awakened. A beautiful exterior could possess a rotten interior. Just like when Snow White broke the beautiful exterior of this seemingly perfect apple only to contain a toxic substance that took her life, people can replicate this scenario almost exactly. Do not lead to your own demise. Do not let the negative ideologies of society alter your mindset. Do not be afraid to stray away from the cultural norms. Do not have the fear of what other people think of you in mind. You need to be your own person, let go of that mob mentality, broaden your mind, open up your heart, and the rest is history.
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