1930's Animated Woman// Betty Boop and Snow white

In 1930's animation rarely was there any female character to feature as a main character, however there were these two characters.  Betty Boop and Snow White (1937) , both female characters from the 30's were two of the main representations of the 'female' stereotype from around that time.

Betty Boop first featured in an animated short in 1930, a short piece tilted 'Dizzy Dishes' and is the typical depiction of a 'flapper girl'. A carefree sex symbol, seen as more of an 'adult' cartoon character then most would of assumed at that time. Despite featuring as stereotypical roles such as a Maid and a nurse, Betty originally have a certain independent charm to her design. However, in later years and under new enforcing rules on representation within animation, her character was slowly redefined into a 'house wife' figure. Rather then a carefree sexually liberated female character.

Snow white is the classic cartoon example of a 'house wife' role in the movie 'Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs' regardless if she is a main character or not. Instantly she is seen as nothing more then a pretty face who is then casted out from her home because of this into a role as a 'house wife'. The house wife role is simply, (often) a female character who remains at home with little to no responsibly of her own besides cleaning, cooking and tending after other characters. It's clear from this movie she does just that. It's true she isn't the only female character in this movie, however the second is depicted as a 'villain' and is simply a vainer version of snow white herself. In the end she is tricked into a 'death' like state by this 'villain' character and is only then saved by a man. Who strangely kisses her dead corpse and brings her back to life.

It's strange how both characters appear similar. Snow white being modelled on the depiction of 'beauty' from that age, who's hair style resembles bettys slightly and both sharing the same 'make up' style to their characters. However unlike snow white, Betty was once an individual liberated character rather then just assumed to be a 'classic stereotype'. She was a sex symbol rather then a symbol of a 'house wife' and didn't conform to the 'rules' on what a woman should be until her whole character was censured.