Fairest

Levine reinvents the classic story of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to warn readers of the harmful impact of beauty standards on self-worth. In the original fairy tale, the princess’s pale skin, red lips, and black hair are admired, but the same features are deemed hideous in Aza’s home of Ayortha. This premise establishes the kingdom’s demanding beauty standards and lays the foundation for much of the protagonist’s inner conflict. Throughout the novel, other characters’ perspectives instill in Aza the idea that her appearance makes her lesser: “It had caused people—guests at the Featherbed, villagers in Amonta, courtiers and servants here in the castle—to be rude and cruel” (281). To emphasize the damaging effects of beauty standards, this pattern stretches back to Aza’s infancy, when her biological parents abandoned her because of her unconventional looks. This mistreatment escalates until she’s accused of using supernatural powers to manipulate Queen Ivi and Prince Ijori because her “ugliness had persuaded Sir Uellu [she] was part ogre” (281). Aza’s cultural context and personal experiences lead her to believe that her failure to meet beauty standards dooms her to a life of loneliness and hardship.