A Tale Dark and Grimm

Characters and events appear in groups of three throughout A Tale Dark and Grimm. Gidwitz uses triples, commonly known as “the power of three” or “the rule of three,” primarily for emphasis and to establish patterns. Fairy tales are known for using characters in threes, such as the three bears of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” or “The Three Little Pigs,” and Gidwitz keeps to this tradition with the three ravens.

Repeating an event or story element three times establishes a pattern, such as the three riddles Hansel finds answers to in hell, and Hansel’s three different excuses for pulling out the devil’s hair. Groups of three also allow for patterns to be broken, such as when Hansel and Gretel ask for help to find the seven swallows. The sun and moon are unhelpful and have negative characteristics, where the stars are kind and supportive. The stars break the pattern, emphasizing how different they are from the sun and moon.

The pattern of three also helps readers recall story events and characters. This is particularly useful in the oral tradition of storytelling, which is how fairy tales were originally rendered. Many fairy tales also have religious undertones; three is a common number in religion, one example being the holy trinity in Christianity—father, son, and holy spirit.