This literary criticism essay explores a common theme or motif in at least two works of literature. This essay explores its topic in greater depth than the previous short essays, and must use...

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Title: Literary Criticism
Contents
Introduction    3
Comparison and Contrast    3
Similarities and Differences    3
Significance of Theme    4
Main Point    5
Details to Support the Main Point    5
Conclusion    6
Works Cited    7
Introduction
    The themes of jealousy, envy, rage is common to most of the fairy tales of different places as well as languages. Even the motif of an evil stepmother or a wicked female character is a common prevalence in most of the fairy tales. The essay will make an attempt to explore the similar themes of envy and rage by conducting a comparative study between two of the most well-known fairy tales of literature. One of the tales is ‘Little Snow White’, which is a German fairy tale co-authored by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, best known as the Grimm Brothers. The other text taken in the comparative study is the Celtic fairy tale ‘Gold Tree and Silver Tree’.
Comparison and Contrast
Four sections will be delved in the comparative study of the two chosen fairy tales.
Similarities and Differences
    Both the fairy tales, namely, ‘Little Snow White’ and ‘Silver Tree and Gold Tree’ explore the themes of envy and rage with close reference to the motif of wicked stepmother or mother. In ‘Little Snow White’, according to Tatar, the wicked female character is represented through the character of the evil stepmother. In the fairy tale, the stepmother is described as a beautiful but is extremely proud and vain, as well as arrogant. She has also been described as a woman who is aware and knowledgeable about the subtleties of the dark arts of magic. In ‘Silver Tree and Gold Tree’, the mother, that is Silver Tree is closely similar to Snow White’s wicked stepmother. As Snow White’s stepmother is envious of her daughter’s beauty, which has been described as “white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as ebony wood…” (Grimm & Grimm), similarly Gold Tree’s mother is extremely envious of her daughter’s beauty.
    Although the themes in each of the fairy tales is closely similar to one another, there are subtle differences in the details of the plot. In ‘Little Snow White’, the wicked stepmother asks her Magic Mirror the constantly resonating question, “Mirror, mirror, in the wall,/ Who in this land is fairest of all?” (Grimm & Grimm). However, in ‘Silver Tree and Gold Tree’, the mother Silver Tree sees her reflection in a well where “there was a trout”. She asks a similar question to the trout as “Troutie, bonny little fellow, am not I the most beautiful queen in the world?” (Celtic Fairy Tales, by Joseph Jacobs). In...