The famous collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm includes two particularly significant stories: "Little Snow White" and the lesser-known "The White Serpent". The main characters of each story are, respectively, Snow White, a beautiful young princess, and a nameless, humble but charming servant. Although each story has a similar happy ending - the protagonists get married amicably and become royals (or return, in Snow White's case) - Snow White and the servant arrive at their conclusions in extremely different ways. Both characters strongly display the trait of curiosity, but one is rewarded for it, while the other is punished. The underlying reason for this difference is, of course, the respective genders. It seems that in fairy tales, women are constantly punished for their curiosity, while men always reap the rewards. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Most people are very familiar with the story of Snow White, in which a jealous stepmother tries in vain to have her young stepdaughter killed because of her immense beauty. While Snow White's defining characteristic is certainly her beauty; in the Grimm tale, he also displays a keen sense of curiosity. The twelve dwarves with whom she resides after her escape order her to "be sure not to let anyone" into the house, but she repeatedly does so despite this prohibition (Grimm 252). The first two times he lets his stepmother come in disguised, he does so out of his desire to see the "beautiful things" that the woman pretends to sell (253). This sense of curiosity seems decidedly feminine; one might assume that a man would not be as likely to show interest in objects characterized as “cute,” and especially not in hair combs or corset laces, as the merchandise turns out to be. In this way, Snow White's sense of curiosity is made to seem silly and unimportant, a girlish activity rather than an intellectual or honorable one. Despite this trivialization, Snow White is still severely punished for her transgressions. The first two times she falls victim to her stepmother's cunning, she simply falls to the ground and lies there “as if she were dead,” only to be awakened by the dwarves (253, 254). But last time, when she takes a bite of the poisonous apple, Snow White receives what perhaps many would consider the ultimate punishment: death. In "The White Serpent", the servant is tasked with bringing the king his mysterious secret meal each. night, covered so no one can see what it is. One day, he is “overcome with such curiosity” that he looks under the cover and sees the eponymous white snake (Grimm 98). It is important to note the similarity of this description to the passage in “Little Snow White” in which Snow White ultimately meets her death by eating a slice of her stepmother's poisonous apple. It is stated that he eats the apple because he “could not resist any longer” (255). Thus, both Snow White and the servant are described as having such a strong sense of curiosity that they lose control over personal impulses. Yet despite this similarity, the two characters face very contrasting consequences for their actions. Even after finding out exactly what the dish contains, the servant's curiosity is still not satisfied, so he takes a bite of the snake as well. Therefore, he can be seen as even more curious than Snow White. After all, he gives in to his curiosity twice and perhaps to the detriment of others. By eating a bite of the snake, however small, he takes that morsel away from the king. Snow White's transgressions threaten to harm no one but herself, and yet she achieves.