Jealousy

A large number of fairy tales deal with the theme of jealousy. It is often the jealousy of the wicked stepmother that causes the majority of the problems. This theme is most prevalent in Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In Cinderella, the wicked stepmother was jealous of the girl's beauty as well as the fact that Cinderella had been the apple of her father's eye. The stepmother was jealous that her daughters did not receive the same beauty of attention.

In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the wicked stepmother, who was also the queen, became more jealous by the day when it appeared that Snow White was becoming more beautiful. Where Snow White had the flush of youth in addition to beauty, the queen was aging without grace. The day the mirror told the queen that Snow White was the fairest of them all...