The Baker & His Wife
The tale of the baker and his wife is an original story by James Lapine which was created for Into the Wood. It helps to link the other fairy tales in the show. "They are the audience's surrogates, representing middle-class working people. As with similar characters in many Sondheim shows, they are our way into the story. We can relate to their lives, desires, and values. Like the Balladeer in Assassins, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George, Robert in Company, they are our "viewers through which we experience the story. Unlike similar characters in other Sondheim shows, the Baker and his Wife are not entirely honorable people" (From West Side Story to Assassins). Based on their anxiety over their inability to have a child, the couple is probably nearing middle age, with the Baker's Wife's biological clock ticking away.
Excerpt from A Companion to the Fairy Tale
The role of helper and adversary (Mysterious Man).
Born Yesterday: The Spear Side by Maria Tatar
Excerpt from The Fairy Tale as Art Form and Portrait of Man by Max Luthi
Both on the Fairy Tale Hero.
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