The "wicked stepmother" trope is Older Than Feudalism and appears in legends across diverse cultures, though their motivations often differ by region.
In Korean folklore (KFT), the conflict is more frequently driven by greed and property disputes . This historically reflects the shift to patriarchal systems in the 17th century, where a stepmother’s security often depended on her biological children’s inheritance over that of the ex-wife's children. Bad Stepmother
Portrayed as mean-spirited and lacking empathy , she often takes pleasure in the suffering of her stepchildren. The "wicked stepmother" trope is Older Than Feudalism
In Western stories like those of the Brothers Grimm , the stepmother’s primary motivation is often jealousy and envy of the stepchild's beauty or potential. Bad Stepmother