Introduction
The Perrult version starts off by focusing on the main character Little Red riding Hood. Her mother asks her to take some food to her. Her grandmother lives across the forest, and her mother gives warns her not to stray off the path. Along the way she meets a wolf who asks her what she is doing. She tells him where he is headed, and what she is carrying, and also tells him where her grandmother's house is located. Little Red Riding Hood was late to her grandmother’s house as she strayed off the path to pick some flowers. By the time she arrived, she noticed that her grandmother’s door was open and entered in. She came across the wolf in her grandmother’s clothing, but didn’t quite understand, or realize that it was him. A dialogue emerged between the two, before he pounced on her and swallowed her up also (Perrault and Stobbs 23-24).
Thesis
Perrault’s version of Little Red Riding Hood is a classic version of the tale that depicts a helpless little girl who is a victim of evil – the wolf. While Dahl’s version of the story depicts Little Red riding Hood as a female figure who is stronger than she first appears. In Dahl’s version, instead of getting swallowed up, Little Red Riding Hood kills the wolf with a pistol, skins him, and wears his fur as a coat. She becomes the hunter, and not the hunted (Dahl).
Perrault’s version of the story uses classical literary language. The opening sentence, “Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen” shows how the language is very precise and formal (Perrault and Stobbs 23-24). The characters in Perrault’s version fit in with the accepted roles at the time in which it was written. Traditionally, women tended to the household and trained up their girls to do the same, whilst the men went out to work.
Overall, Little Red Riding Hood in this story is depicted as delicate, and helpless. Although Little Red Riding Hood left the path to do a good deed for her grandmother, in the end, she becomes a victim of the wolf, because she believes that the wolf is her grandmother (ibid). In this way, the author shows that the little girl is someone who is sensitive, disobedient, and naïve.
Dahl’s version depicts Little Red Riding Hood as cunning, and smart. In this sentence where she and the wolf are speaking, “Then Little Red Riding Hood said, but Grandma, what a lovely great big furry coat you have on”, shows the reader a glimmer of difference between the original tale (Dahl). In this way, Dahl is showing his readers that the girl is not naïve, she is smart, and doesn’t believe for a second that the wolf is her grandmother. Instead, she thinks about what she could get out of the situation. To the wolf’s surprise Little Red Riding Hood not only knows who he is, but is about to become a victim himself. In one of the last few sentences Dahl writes, “She whips a pistol from her knickers, she aims it at the creature's head and bang bang bang, she shoots him dead” (ibid). Little Red Riding Hood has progressed from a victim as depicted in Perrault’s version, to a cunning hunter in Dahl’s.
The differences between the two versions speak volumes about the character and personality of Little Red Riding Hood. The first version fits in with the accepted social norms, and gender roles of the time. While the second, introduces the concept of feminism. The last paragraph of Dahl’s version states, “I came across Miss Riding Hood, but what a change!” (ibid). “She said, hello, and do please note, my lovely furry WOLFSKIN COAT” (ibid).
This shows the complete transformation of Little Red Riding Hood. She is now the hunter, not a delicate little flower, but a strong female figure that is in charge of her own destiny. I think the purpose of these differences is to highlight the concept of feminism, which had only started to become mainstream when Perrault’s version was published.
The moral of the story in Perrault’s version is to obey your parents. While the moral of the story in Dahl’s version states that whilst speaking to strangers is not a good thing, you can protect yourself, and in order to do so you should use wisdom (ibid). The readership of this new version is aimed at children between 10-18. It’s inappropriate for very young children because the concept of violence is prevalent, and almost encourages children to use weapons.
Conclusion
Overall, I think the change in the story is congruent with the change in social norms and gender roles. I think the new version is funny, but it also horrifies me to think of a young child using a gun. That is because, commonly in America we hear of children who steal, or acquire guns, and use them against the people they despise, which are usually other children.
Works Cited
Perrault, Charles and William Stobbs. The Little Red Riding Hood. New York: H.Z. Walck, 1972. Print.
Dahl, Roald. "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf". Revolting Rhymes. Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. 1st Ed. New York: Puffin Books, 1995. Print.
