Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood

Hello everyone and welcome back to Once Upon a Time! This week we will be discussing "Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault. If you haven't had a chance to look at my post from last week, I recommend you take a look so you can compare the two tales. Last time we discussed the Brothers Grimm "Little Red Cap," which is a very short fairy tale. This week's tale is going to be just as short- only about 2.5 pages. Like the Brother's Grimm version, this tale is an easy and enjoyable read.

(click the image to view a PDF of Little Red Riding Hood by Perrault)

I'm going to start this discussion by pointing out that there is an obvious moral in this tale. Last week, when we read Little Red Cap, the idea of a moral was not as evident. Most of us read the tale and thought of it as nothing more than a fairy tale for children- a fun, short story to be read at night. However, Perrault makes it very clear in his work that THIS HAS A MORAL. And readers, if you didn't get the moral when you were reading the tale, he made sure you knew by the end. He very clearly writes the moral down for everyone to think about.

Moral

"From this story one learns that children,

Especial young girls,

Pretty, well bred, and genteel,

Are wrong to listen to just anyone,

And its not at all strange,

If a wolf ends up eating them.

I say a wolf, but not all wolves

Are exactly the same.

Some are perfectly charming,

Not loud, brutal, or angry,

But tame, pleasant, and gentle,

Following young ladies

Right into their homes, into their chambers,

But watch out if you haven't learned that tame wolves

Are the most dangerous of all"

Similarly to Little Red Cap, the wolf in this tale represents a powerful male figure. The girl , similarly, is depicted a pure young lady who also has a lustful side (which is portrayed through her wearing red cape). So what exactly is the meaning? The tale is warning young girls to be aware of men when it comes to sexual desires. All men, even the gentle and kind ones, are lascivious creatures. The tale warns girls to be on their guard or else they will become the wolfs victims. Men have a bestial side, and if girls act on the males sexual desires then they will suffer consequences.

#FairyTales