Only Prince Charming Gets to Break the Rules

What do fairy tales have to say about gender and following the rules? Psychologist Anne E. Beall analyzed 200 major fairy tales from around the world in terms of who breaks the rules, who gets rewarded, who gets punished, and how severely. She found male characters are more likely than female ones to break the rules, and they're frequently rewarded for doing so. In contrast, female characters are often harshly punished. But this situation happens not only in fairy tales; it occurs in modern life. Beall shares research findings that reveal a link between gender and rule violation in fairy tales and everyday life.