Mawwiage. It is kind of the point of most fairy tales. More than half of the tales in the Grimms' Fairy Tales deal with marriage (yes, we counted; you can thank us later), either by describing the act of marriage, or by mentioning married people, the institution of marriage, and so on. Marriage frequently appears as a reward, as though by slaying a dragon or solving a riddle, it's automatically doled out by the fairy-tale vending machine. Mmm, tasty marriage.
Questions About Marriage
- How does social class impact the success of a marriage?
- Practically every well-known fairy tale from the collection ends in marriage. Why do you think that is?
- What do you think of the modern idea of the "fairy-tale marriage" in light of how marriage is portrayed in the Grimms' tales?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Marriage in these tales is more secular than sacred.
Women are treated like property in fairy-tale marriages.