Grimms' Fairy Tales Theme of Marriage

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.

1. How does social class impact the success of a marriage?
2. Practically every well-known fairy tale from the collection ends in marriage. Why do you think that is?
3. What do you think of the modern idea of the "fairy-tale marriage" in light of how marriage is portrayed in the Grimms' tales?

Marriage in these tales is more secular than sacred.

Women are treated like property in fairy-tale marriages.