The stepmother

Outer characterisation

The stepmother's outer characterisation tells us that she is the second wife of the girl’s father. Note that the father is completely absent from the story, which is another typical element encountered in fairy tales. The evil stepmother is also a typical feature of the genre.

The stepmother is less beautiful than the girl (ll. 4-5) and forces her to do servant’s work. This also contributes to her inner characterisation, as we are told that she makes the girl do housework because she is jealous of her beauty (ll. 4-5).

Inner characterisation

The stepmother's uncaring attitude, jealousy, and hatred of the girl are emphasised when she decides to get rid of the girl forever. She sends her to look for the Well of the World’s End and bring a sieve full o...