Folklore Tale Little Red Riding Hood - Book Report/Review Example

The Origins and Significance of The Folklore Tale "The Little Red Riding Hood" And How it Has Changed Over Time To analyze the folklore 'Little Red Riding Hood' about a little girl's encounter with a wolf, or any other fairytale is a tricky business because we generally do not have a completely comprehensible collection, or a totally reliable and authentic texts from the times and places in which these stories have circulated. We mostly do not know where the tales came from or who the audience was or is. The result is that we have hundreds of different versions of a given fairy tale which possesses varying authenticities, arising from different geographical environments. One vivid description though over half a century old, related to folklore research reads that (1) folklore study is like a desert journey, where the only landmarks are the bleached bones of earlier theories. Therefore, it is not surprising that the analysis of fairytales has been the most complicated and difficult endeavour, especially with so little continuity and so much ambiguity within them. By looking into the different aspects, this essay will try to analyze the origins of the folklore Little Red Riding Hood and the significance of how it has changed over time. 1.Emma Emily Kiefer, Albert Wesselski and Recent Folklore Theories, Indiana University Publications: Folklore Series 3 (Bloomington,1947) p.9 (quoting ReidarTh. Christiansen,who in turn was quoting Aurther Bonus) The first written version of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood by Perrault and the more popular version known today; by the Grimm's brothers present a similar, yet a different story. The moral presented at the end by both the versions is similar but with a slight twist. It shows the journey of a girl's loss of innocence and her transition from childhood or adolescence to adulthood. Perrault and Grimm brother's versions of Little Red Riding Hood also help us to understand the status of women and the way they were treated by the society, along with a reflection of the culture of that period. Origins of Red Riding Hood Although no written form of the tale predate Perrault's,(2) but the origins of the Little Red Riding Hood can be traced by various forms of oral versions from different European countries preceding the 17th century; several of which still exist. (3)The story has changed much in its history and has been subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. But most are significantly different from the currently known Grimm's inspired version. In the 14th century this story was told by French peasants, as well as in Italy where existed a number of versions including 'The False Grandmother." (4)Therefore, there is a possibility that this early folklore has its origins in such similar oriental tales. The story makes a clear contrast between the dangers of the forest and the safe world of the village, which are essentially medieval and conventional antitheses. Little Red Riding Hood seems to be a strong morality tale of its time, teaching children not to wander off the path. 2.Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, "Little Red Cap." (3). Iona & Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales. P. 93-4 4. Iona & Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales. P. 93 While tracing the origins of the tales, the folklorists begin by collecting samples, dating and comparing them, noting the common traits which might suggest common plots and attempt to find their roots. In the middle of the 20th century, collectors and scholars found significant body of stories from France which was similar in plot and many even shared abundant details including defecation, cannibalism and a bedroom encounter with a beast. However, they lacked the usual fairy tale moral scolding of the heroine and most of them even shared a remarkable element where a clever heroine escapes by her wits. And folklorists are now reasonably quite certain that this is how the tale of Little Red Riding Hood was told many years ago, in the fields or sitting around the fire from the oral tale; long before the story was printed the first time. The earliest printed version of Little Red Riding Hood had its origin in the 17th century French folklore, and was included in the collection 'Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals and in 1697 in 'Tales of Mother Goose' by Charles Perrault. And as is implied by the title, this version is both more overtly moralized and ominous than the later one. A detail which was introduced by Perrault was the redness of the hood, which has been given a symbolic significance in many interpretations of the tale. This version of the tale was adapted for the French salon culture of the 17th century. It catered for an audience entirely different from what it had before and since that time, and has become a harsh tale of morality warning women of the evil advances of men. Significance of the Tale Over Time We all tend to think that fairy tales are universal and timeless but in fact they express our collective truths, even though these truths shift over time and place. Taking the example of Little Red Riding Hood - a tale we all know well but not as well as we think especially today when the social and sexual messages of fairy tales are no secret. The feminists in particular have recognized since long that fairy tales socialize boys and more importantly girls, by presenting them with lessons that must be absorbed to reach adulthood. According to Perrault's severe and strict caution, (5 )'Don't talk to strangers' results with Red Riding Hood ending in the belly of the wolf. Here the wolf is an obvious metaphor for the sexual predator and cannot be believed as a wolf 'hairy on the outside.' The tale of Red Riding Hood from its oral form to the written has had great significance for the time and period, as well as the audience for which it was written. To distinguish a fairy tale from folklore, a genuine fairy tale first must work on a non-allegorical level and have a happy resolution so as to have a therapeutic impact on the reader. According to the more widely know Grimm's version, a hunter comes along freeing Red Riding Hood and her grandmother by cutting open the wolf's belly while it sleeps.(6)The hunter represents the good fatherly side of men and the wolf the 'dangerous seducer.' When Red Riding Hood is freed by cutting open the wolf's belly by the hunter, it suggests the method of the wolf's demise while saving her from the possible seduction. 5. Ibid, p. 127 6. Bettelheim, op. cit., p. 170 But Carter in her typical deed of compression, manages to combine the Perrault and Grimm version, and at the same time merged the wolf/hunter into one motif. Also, by adding a sense of culture; she gave birth to the new oral tradition. Her most brilliant compression perhaps is that of combining the hunter and wolf by means of the werewolf. Thus, the 'hairy on the inside' wolves are symbolically complete people. Therefore, Red Riding Hood can denounce the werewolf (wolf) and embrace werewolf (hunter) which means dealing with her repression of sexuality, her fear of it - both at the same time. Carter's sense of context have never worked to better effects than by using a striking array of authentic details, when she establishes the culture of the oral tradition and interweaves it with the legend of the werewolf. And only then does she send Red Riding Hood on her way home. The Little Red Riding Hood written by Charles Perrault in Paris 1697 was a tale, written for the aristocrats of the court of Versailles. It was a tale which dramatized a contemporary sexual contradiction in a period notorious for its royal courtesans who rose to power through sexual liaisons and were mostly celebrated at court. It was an era known for seductive activities and anyone who made it to the King's bed would earn the title the, 'official mistress.'' But nonetheless, it was also a time which cherished the chastity of a female, and was demanded by the prevailing institutions of marriage. Hence the age of seduction was also a period of institutionalizing chastity; when both men and women could be banished, disinherited or sentenced to death for the crime of elopement, rape or seduction. Angela Carter, "About the Stories", Sleeping Beauty and Other Favourite Fairy Tales (New York: Schocken Books, 1984), p. 126. It was also a time when young women were repeatedly warned of the dangers of wicked and unscrupulous men. Thus we see that Perrault used the coloour red to cloak his heroine, the colour which also symbolizes blood and scandal and suggests that the girl's sin which foreshadows her fate. Her hood or chaperon; who guards the girl's virtue, also takes on the tale's lesson. Perrault explicitly added these rhyming morals in order to warn the young ladies of the society to remain chaste and not to fall in the trap of the wicket men surrounding them. While the 19th century Little Red Riding Hood acquired a man to protect her, and grew more discreet. The fatherly figure in the form of a woodcutter rescues her from the belly of the wolf and provides her with a second chance to walk her way through life, unlike the 17th century version. This version published Grimm brothers in 1812, is the one known by most people today which they adapted for a new children's audience. Unlike Perrault's incriminating moral, their revision suggested a spiritual rather than sexual danger and stressed upon the lesson of the day which was 'obedience.' This moral was quite easily accepted in the Victorian Europe. Later, the 1875 colour print of Little Red Riding Hood made the story incalculably popular in England's literature for the children because the heroine's garb represented the Victorian working class. But the 20th century saw a change in the society and culture and thus, the Red Riding Hood was redressed as a heroine in advertisements. The red colour was mostly represented as a symbol of lust, promising to 'bring the wolves out.' This representation of the Red Riding Hood was in total contrast to the 17th century heroine who was warned to be ware of the wolves and strangers to preserve her chastity. Gender Roles and Stereotypes The plot of Red Riding Hood revolves around a test of self reliance or a wisdom journey; as some scholars call it. It should not perhaps be surprising that we often do not find such female characters in our classic literary fairy tales, which were written by men over centuries. The main reason being, that an unwed woman in those eras remained a child well into her middle ages. But since the 1970s, modern fairy tales have been presented with strong heroines. This was the time which brought about a great critique and a challenge to the traditional fairy tales. The feminists have questioned and pointed out the sexual stereotyping and how women have been presented as helpless beauty queens in the classic fairy tales of Perrault and the Grimm's versions of the Little Red Riding Hood. They also argue that such tales made the little girls to become glamorous victims. Not only that, the stories from the women's movement and beyond; have also reclaimed the heroine from the male dominated literary tradition. They have presented her as the sexual and physical aggressor, questioning the cunning nature of the wolf. But this story contains many elements that distinguish Orenstein, Catherine. (Summer,2004).Dances With Wolves. Little Red Riding Hood's Long Walk in the Woods. Ms. Magazine. folklores and myths about male heroes and like most fairy tales, it follows structure associated with coming of age. And rather than presenting a passive heroine who waits to be rescued by the woodcutter, the oral tale features a triumphant heroine, who is not cheated by her adversary. There is a difference in the early variations of the tale as compared to the ones known in the present times. The antagonist is not always a wolf but sometimes an ogre or a werewolf. This is what made these tales relevant to the werewolf trails of the time, similar to witch trails. We also notice that in these stories Little Red Riding Hood escapes with her own arch-ness with no help from any older male or female figure. The adding of the woodcutter/huntsman later, would limit the little girl to relatively a passive role. This has led to criticisms that the story was changed to keep women 'in their place' who needed the help of a physically superior man to save her, be it in the form of a woodcutter or a huntsman. The oral fairy tales, symbolic of women's skills and work, were often told by women. As these stories were wives tales, it is not surprising that a female storyteller would represent female maturity in different terms from that of male historians. But as it turns out that these folklores have come from many countries and the Red Riding Hood's empowered sisters have been found all over the world. Not only in France and Europe, but also the other parts of the globe; makes us question our so-called universal and timeless stories about women, and our very idea of a heroine. While analyzing the ideologies at work in the fairy tales in general and Red Riding Hood in particular, we examine both the radical and traditional components of the story. A deeper analysis reflects the important components in relation to gender role and sexuality in a way that is distinctly linked with the production and expression of ideological biases, both on the part of the writer and reader. Many classic tales have been rewritten since the 1970's, both by men and women to reflect modern ideas about women. But not many outside the field of folklore are aware of the fact the some of our most popular stories have oral roots, which are strikingly different from the feature heroines and literary traditions who are far from passive. And the folklore of Little Red Riding Hood is one such case. Social and Cultural Aspects If we compare the two best know versions Red Riding Hood, the message between the lines is the entry into adulthood. In Perrault's version the child when consumed by the wolf loses her virginity and enters adulthood. This switch into adulthood explains the non-negotiable relationship between the world of the child and the world of the adult, as they are clearly defined by the society of that time. While in the Grimm's Little Red Riding Hood, the transition is not defined as clearly. Though the child reaches maturity when she is consumed by the wolf but her transition does not end there. She must continue her journey with new experiences and gain knowledge after she is cut out of the wolf's stomach. The Grimm's version portrays somewhat an overlapping sphere of the childhood and adulthood merging, as Red Riding matures and eventually becomes an adult. Both the versions give emphasis to cultural beliefs about childhood innocence being dependent on sexual innocence, but each version explores differently; the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. Expressing his views on the fairy tale, Bettelheim argues that Red Riding Hood in the beginning is still a child and it is only after her walk through the forest that she leaves childhood and is ready to become an adult. And depending upon the text which is read - Perrault's or Grimm's- the message of the loss of virginity will be altered. Red Riding Hood epitomizes the concepts the society has of the child being innocent, undisturbed and untouched, though this image is basically a projection of adults onto the world of children. While Shavit (1989) points out that up to the 17th century, the child was not perceived entirely distinct from the adult and as a result, was not recognized to have special needs. He further explains that childhood innocence did not always exist, but is a product of the Industrial Revolution when children no longer relied upon as a main part of a family's workforce. He further emphasizes that childhood is not inherently a time of innocence; rather it's the adults who try to shield children from the pains of the world and devise this stage of growth. Bettelheim, Bruno, (1976). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Discussing the aspects of childhood in relation to social and cultural context, Henry Jenkins (1998) argues that as Red Riding Hood leaves the house and enters the woods, she moves into a utopian space which is free from adult cares. As she travels through the woods, she is free from sexuality and only becomes aware of it when she reaches her grandmother's house and symbolically has sex with the wolf. In Perrault's version she is corrupted by the wolf in the end, while she is protected by her mother's warning in the Grimm's version. He further views what adults perceive childhood to be; and the underlying message is that the innocent child is basically a creation of adult imagination, and the children's culture is shaped by the expectations of adults. Though many pieces of children's literature and stories like Red Riding Hood are aimed at children but are written by adults and therefore, represent not the children but the adult version of it. While both versions of the Red Riding Hood illustrate differently the idea of the role of sexuality and virginity in growing up, but Perrault's is more direct in its connection between losing virginity and entering adulthood, with an unconditional and abrupt transition. The story ends with Red Riding Hood being devoured by the wolf and at this critical moment, her innocence is gone forever. She completely transcends into womanhood and her image as a child is killed with her being eaten up by the wolf. Perrault's version does not allow Red Riding Hood to ease or move into the role of an adult and is given no help in making the jump from being a little girl to being Jenkin, Henry. (1998). Introduction: Childhood Innocence and Other Modern Myths.Children's Culture Reader. Ed. Henry Jenkins. New York: New York University Press. 1-37 a woman. And as she has become a woman, she is not allowed to exist anymore in her child like state, which is also a reflection of the social and cultural aspects of the society of that time. There is neither salvation nor redemption as in the later version of the story, known by the children today. Red Riding Hood gets no chance to explore her switch to becoming an adult because her sexual encounter with the wolf is the beginning and the end of that change. As the story closes, Red Riding Hood disappears as the wolf eats her up and the death of the little child represents the metaphoric death of her as a child. And as her innocence has been taken, Perrault conveys that everything has ended for the Little Red Riding Hood as childhood and adulthood exist as polar opposites. This version exemplifies the concepts about children and the adult's roles in childhood, seeing both the spheres as incompatible. He views children as completely opposite to their parents, whose role they take up only as grownups. When Perrault portrays Red Riding Hood's growth into a woman after having lost her virginity to the wolf, he upholds the conventional idea about childhood. On the other hand the Grimm's brother's version shows the transition as more of a graded experience of Red Riding Hood's growth into a woman, which is less defined in comparison to what Perrault depicts. Conclusion Though Perrault's moral has eventually been eliminated from the fairy tale, his metaphor has survived even to this day. The term we still use for a man who chases women even today is referred to as a 'wolf.' It is clear the Perrault's version of the fairy tale is meant to teach the children a moral as well as conveying the importance of young girls being aware of men, He states his message under the moral at the end of the story warning young girls to beware of the wolf/strangers in the forest, which is symbolic of men in their lives. Perrrault not only wanted to entertain his audience; but also wanted to teach them specific moral lessons. However, in the Grimm's version Red Riding Hoods struggle to enter adulthood does not end by being eaten up by the wolf, but she is cut out of the wolf's stomach; gaining the necessary experience to protect herself during future encounters of similar nature. The Grimm's version further shows that losing one's virginity is not the only factor involved in becoming an adult, or necessarily the first step to adulthood. And though today's version of the Grimm's fairy tale is still suggestive of the left over details from Red Riding Hood's much racier French past, yet the modern readers remain amazingly and sometimes comically oblivious. ________________________________________ REFERENCES 1. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Little Red Riding Hood 2. Jacob & Wilheim Grimm, "Little Red Cap." 3. Iona & Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales. P. 93-4 4. Iona & Peter Opie, The Classic Fairy Tales. P. 93 5. Ibid, p. 127 6. Bettelheim, op. cit., p.170 Orenstein, Catherine. (summer,2004) Dances With Wolves. Little Red Riding Hood's Long Walk in the Woods. Ms.Magazine. VanderMeer, Jeff. (2001). Unbidden She Comes: Angela Carter. The Scriptorium: The Modern World. ___________________________________ BIBLIOGRAPHY Bettelheim, Bruno. (1976). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Icn. Carter, A. (1984). About the Stories. Sleeping Beauty and Other Favourite Fairy Tales. New York: Schocken Books. Grimm, Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm. (1993). Little Red Cap. The Trails and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. Ed. Jack Zipes. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. 135-138 Jenkisn, Henry. (1998). Introduction: Childhood Innocence and Other Modern Myths. Children's Culture Reader. Ed. Henry Jenkins. New York: New York University Press. 1-37 Jones, S. Steven. (April, 1987). On Analyzing Fairy Tales: "Little Red Riding Hood' Revisited. Western Folklore, Vol. 46, No. 2. pp. 97-106 Perrault, Charles. (1993). Little Red Riding Hood. The Tails and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. Ed. Jack Zipes. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. 91-93 Shavit, Zohar, (1998). The Concept of Childhood and Children's Folktales: Test Case - "Little Red Riding Hood." Little Red Riding Hood: A Casebook. Ed. Alan Dundes. Madison. Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press. 129-158 Zipes, Jack. (July-Sept.,1984). Folklore Research and Western Marxism: A Critical Replay. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 97, No. 389. pp. 329-337 _____________________________ Read More