For many, Snow White is the embodiment of the helpless Disney Princess trope — for good reason. The entirety of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is a study in Snow White’s passivity. Sure, she is technically the main character, but the events of the movie happen “to” her rather than “because of” her.
For instance, her story begins when the Wicked Queen grows angry that Snow White is more beautiful. The Queen sends Snow White into the forest, along with a hunter who is charged with killing her — until he has a change of heart, telling Snow White to escape into the forest. There, she finds the dwarfs and lives with them for a bit, cooking and cleaning until the Witch poisons her. After lying, apparently dead, in a coffin, Snow White is awakened by true love’s kiss from her prince and lives happily ever after alongside him.
In all those plot points, the onus was on other characters to either try to kill Snow White or save her. You could say Snow White is too young and inexperienced to handle these problems on her own, but that is exactly what modern Disney Princesses do. All in all, Snow White represents a type of Disney Princess that was accepted in her time, but today is mostly known for representing a need for the strong, independent Disney Princesses that would populate future films.