Brandi Beneke

Dr. Burke
ENGL 414A
20 March 2014

Low-Stakes Writing: Folk and Fairy Tales

Little Red Riding Hood has been subject to many revisions over time, reflecting
both changes in target audience and social and cultural constructs of its era. The early
variations of the story differ from later versions in a number of ways, including with
respect to morality, sexuality, and violence. The numerous versions of Little Red Riding
Hood have undergone many modifications in their moral message. All are consistent with
the obvious theme dont talk to strangers, but simultaneously address differing issues
consistent with the ideals of their era, as well as vary in their degree of ambiguity in
delivering this moral. Perraults version is delivered with an addition of text at the end of
the story entitled Moral, which leaves little uncertainty of his intended meaning. His
version warns girls of the danger of conversing with inappropriate suitors, who many
mislead such young maidens into partaking in improper acts of sexuality. Other versions,
such as The Story of Grandmother, have a less explicit message, but may have served as a
warning tale to children to be weary of predation from males (or bzous, in this case). The
Grimms adapt their tale to a new audience and a new moral, emphasizing the importance
of listening and being obedient to ones parents. The Grimms Little Red Riding Hood
promises to do everything right to her mother but fails to head the advice by wandering
off the path and subsequently winding up trapped in the wolfs belly. At the end of the
story, however, upon being saved, Little Red Riding Hood declares, Never again will I
leave the path and run off into the wood when my mother tells me not to. While
Perraults moral was eventually eliminated from the tale, its message remains today in
our reference to men who chase women as wolves. The themes of sexuality in Little
Red Riding Hood have been progressively less emphasized over time. While The Story of
Grandmother explores sexuality in an uninhibited manner, with the wolf openly
instructing the girl to throw all her clothes into the fire and inviting her to jump into bed
with him once she undresses, Perraults version includes sexuality in a more implicit
manner. Little Red Riding Hoods red cap is symbolic of sexuality and the wolfs literal
consummation of her can be considered a parallel to a girls sexual consumption by a
male. The Grimms version provides even less of an erotic tone, the moral appearing to
be focused more on obedience to parents than to Perraults sexual warnings. These
allusions to sexuality or other such elements are inappropriate for child audiences. While
earlier versions appear more subdued with regard to violence toward the wolf, violence in
later versions appears to be more prevalent. For example, in The Story of Grandmother,
Little Red Riding Hood merely tricks the wolf and escapes with no harm to either party.
In Perraults Little Red Riding Hood, the girl is gobbled up, leaving no chance of
retaliation. Grimms major change in the story is the addition of a male character who
rescues Little Red Cap and Grandma from the wolfs belly before Little Red Cap fills the
wolfs belly with heavy stones so his legs wouldnt carry him and he fell dead. The
progressively more violent revisions seem to be consistent with a society that is
becoming more and more desensitized and tolerant to hearing and seeing violence.
Grimms version of Little Red Riding Hood includes a happy ending, which Perrault
purposely left out of his version. Perraults version was a cautionary tale, and the Grimms
transformed this into a story about reward and punishment and learning a lesson.