Whether Girl or Sabbat Function as Little Red Riding Hood Rewrites - Essay Example

Task: Whether “Girl” or “Sabbat” function as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) rewrites The never-ending struggle between evil and good in Little Red Riding Hood has made it one of the best fairy tales in the world. The tale, which has undergone transformations from generation to generation, makes use of different characters to interpret variations in the society. The journey through the deep hoods also brings into light hidden meanings and red cap amidst life struggles. In as much as there are interesting differences between the stories, it is apparent that the message is similar. Arguably, the changes in tale versions have been to suit cultural and social constructs in respect to sexuality, morality, gender, and violence. In as much as “Sabbat” appears to be in the tale, “girl” is more dominant and serves as the Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). In all versions of the tale, there are human relationships evidenced by the presence of people such as grandmother. Certainly, a “Sabbat” cannot have a grandmother unless in a fiction. Evidently, the girl had a grandmother and was anxious to learn various things. As a result, when given a Red Riding Hood by her grandmother she ends up wondering around in the forest. Certainly, the latter plays a more important role in shaping perception and understanding of the tale (Hillert 71). The original versions make the wolf a dangerous animal that eats the girl. Nevertheless, the following versions make it difficult for the story to end in the direction as she gets saved before the actual process. For instance, in one instance a saviour disguises as her father to initiate a safe retrieval from the dangerous situation. In other instances, the saviour appears as a hunter or woodcutter to rescue the Little Red Riding Hood. The moral ambiguity in all the stories appear to focused on a human experience. Variation in moral message among the different versions of Little Red Riding Hood represents different issues. Conceivably, the theme of not talking to strangers dominates the story that makes it easy for children to learn. Undoubtedly, many parents have been on the verge of teaching and educating their children not to talk to strangers. The educative book makes it easy for parents to educate children without going through hard lessons (Mays 46). Contrary to Perrault version that has additional text located at the end of every story, others leave the unintended version for readers to employ different measures. Interestingly, the human experience of the girl in the tale makes this possible. Without a consistent word layout, it is difficult to bring into light the exception message found in the varied tales. The grandmother’s explicit message ensures young maidens do not land in various problems. Little Red Riding Hood emphasizes the importance of listening and following instructions. People are expected to do everything right and no guess what happens next. Apparently, the story does not present the same ideas. In as much as the girl heeds to the advice of the grandparent, she wonders of into the forest. Evidently, this is only possible through a girl and not a “Sabbat”. Therefore, as the story gained popularity and more people became socialised the humanity content comes into light. For example, the wolf instructs the girl to throw all her clothes into the fire. The implicit hidden meaning and focused on limitations make it easy for children to learn (Hillert 89). From this perspective the varied versions of the tale tries to avoid all things it finds inappropriate for children. The child tricks the wolf and escapes without any harm. Interestingly, she also has no chance for retaliation. Undoubtedly, the occurrence of events is only possible through the use of a girl and not “Sabbat”. Grimm’s version talks about the little Redcap more similarly to Perrault with modification in the beginning and endings. The interesting turn of events bring into light the different anticipated moves in the story. For example, in this version, the grandmother lures the wolf into a trap using cooked sausages. The new development does not appear in previous versions, which leaves readers in suspense. From this perspective, the modifications do not serve the topic well. Despite talking about the Little Red Riding Hood, a more adventuring outlook appears. The girl and her grandmother hunt for the wolf using various means. In this light, “Sabbat” can play a more prominent role in stimulating growth and success of the storyline. When the grandmother gives the little girl, a hood she is extremely happy to make use of it and put into practice (Hillert 112). Because she lives deep down into the woods, the small girl has no place to play or walk around. The bush is full of wolves and all dangerous things that derive a lot of danger. In as much as she promises not to wonder in the forest, the promise does not prove worthwhile. Instead, she strays from the path when tricked by the wolf. As she picks flowers in the forest, the wolf rushes back to the grandmother’s house to eat the grandmother. After eating, the wolf gets tired and takes a nap in grandmother’s bed. As the situation changes, the huntsman comes into the scene filling its stomach with stones. After the oblivious events, the story changes into the common ending formula that leaves the granddaughter, grandmother and huntsman in harmony. Grimm’s Red Cap presents a cruel picture but appropriate for the contemporary children. In this respect, Grimm’s version has the “Sabbat” functioning more as the Little Red Riding Hood than the girl. In conclusion, LRRH has faced numerous modifications to suit different moral expectation and audience setup. Evidently, many versions of the tales have a girl taking role as the Little Red Riding Hood. In as much as the age bracket targets children, it balances between a fiction and reality. Undeniably, this has led to the creation of different online versions that allow readers to re-tell the story. The girl brings into light several moral issues, which are not possible through other characters. It also opens the door for exploration of other wishes and worthy discussion points. Work Cited Hillert, Margaret, and Gwen Connelly. Little Red Riding Hood. Chicago, Ill: Norwood House Press, 2006. Print. Mays, Kelly. J.. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter Eleventh Edition. New York : W.W. Norton, 2013. Print Read More