cass ford & "the snow child"

A lot of the responses regarding “The Snow Child” are negative, citing its graphic nature as being one of the reasons they found it strange, disturbing, etc. However, I think this is an important story to look at as metaphor. Yes, it sounds a lot like Snow White, but by drawing only this comparison, other interpretations become lost. I read “The Snow Child” as a metaphor for aging, jealousy, and the fleeting and fickle nature of desire. Carter may also be alluding to the role purity and virginity play in a society; “So the girl picks a rose; pricks her finger on the thorn; bleeds; screams; falls.” The imagery is obvious when thought of as a sexual metaphor; the girl’s death after she is pricked is equally important. The story is full of imagery and metaphor; because it is so short, every detail becomes more important to interpret. Nothing was left in this story that shouldn’t be there. This complex story needs more thought and interpretation rather than being dismissed as too grotesque, or too graphic.