Essay on The Variations in Little Red Riding Hood

The Variations in Little Red Riding Hood Fairy tales are under attack in the United States from both right- and left-oriented pressure groups. (Ravitch, 62-96) From the left, the charges include sexism, stereotyping, distortion, and anti-humanism. (Ravitch, 84) From the right, the charges include immorality and objections to the portrayal of violence, death, and the supernatural. In addition, some critics claim that the tales terrify their children. (Ravitch, 76). In The Language Police, Diane Ravitch claims that both groups understand the importance of putting pressure on state textbook adoption committees, and that, as a result of such pressure, most major publishers are simply dropping the tales from the textbooks they sell to†¦show more content†¦Perrault did, however, append a short poem with a moral in it. The moral warns young women to beware the treacheries of men. The sources of Perraults version are a matter of dispute, but his intended audience is not in dispute. His tales were aimed at genteel French society, not children. It is ironic therefore, that Perraults tales, and especially Little Red, are now considered fairy tales for children. Perraults tale has been published both with and without the moralistic poem, but both versions are often considered inappropriate for children. Some people claim that the sudden ending -- with the eating of Red -- terrifies children. Others, of course, point to the inappropriateness of the poems lesson in virginity for four and five-year-olds. In the Grimms version, both Red and her grandmother are eaten by the wolf, but miraculously saved by a huntsman who, instead of shooting the wolf, cuts open its belly, apparently while the wolf is still alive, in order to release first Little Red, and then her grandmother. Red then fills the wolfs belly with stones, and as a result, justice is served and the wolf dies. The moral of the Grimms version also differs from that of Perrault. The Grimms emphasize obedience. Before she sets out, Red is given strict and fairly detailed instructions by her mother, not to stray from the path. The wolf tempts her from the path, she sins, and thus her being eaten by the wolf is often considered by critics as the punishment for herShow MoreRelatedShort Story : Little Red Riding Hood1364 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† is an extremely well known fairy tale that has been told across the globe in a multitude of versions. The story is often told with a young girl dressed in a hooded red coat, sent by her mother to deliver a basket of food to her sick grandmother. On the journey to her grandmother’s house, Little Red Riding Hood meets a wolf, whom she assumes to be good-natured. She tells him where she is headed and who she is planning on visiting. Although the little girl trusts the wolf,Read MoreLittle Red Riding Hood By Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs1244 Words   |  5 Pagesstory of Little Red Riding Hood also changes. 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Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pagesof tales. How many of us can recount a version separate from the animated classics of our childh ood? It is truly hard to believe that sometimes there are much more racy versions of these same tales. Today, I ‘d like to share one such variation of Little Red Riding Hood called In the Company of Wolves, written by Angela Carter. I will recount ancient folklore of werewolves, introduce the sexually charged characters as I walk with you through the seemingly familiar yet much more raw path to grandmother’s