Performance of Children's Literature Fall 2024

CASD 1717 – Fall 2024

Analyzing Little Red Riding Hood

Watch

Scholars, as you can imagine, have a lot to say about this story as well. Here is Professor Anne Duggan talking a bit about this story and others.

Academic Article Examples

Choose one article and read the introduction of (you don’t need to read the whole thing) and try to get a sense of what the author is arguing and discussing.

Welsh-Burke, Nicola. “All the Better to Eat You with: Sexuality, Violence, and Disgust in ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ Adaptations.” Literature 3, no. 4 (2023): 416–429.

Bacchilega, Cristina. “Not Re(a)d Once and For All” in Postmodern Fairy Tales : Gender and Narrative Strategies. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999.

Marshall, Elizabeth. “Girlhood, Sexual Violence, and Agency in Francesca Lia Block’s ‘Wolf.’” Children’s literature in education 40, no. 3 (2009): 217–234.

Antonelli, Emanuele. “Little Red Riding Hood: Victimage in Folktales and Cinema—A Case Study.” Contagion (Greenville, N.C.) 22, no. 1 (2015): 107–132.

Vaz da Silva, Francisco. “Charles Perrault and the Evolution of ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’” Marvels & tales 30, no. 2 (2016): 167–190.

Campagnaro, Marnie. “Clothing the Child in Red: A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Italian Visual Retellings of the Grimms’ Little Red Riding Hood.” Strenæ 18, no. 18 (2021).

Zipes, Jack. “The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood Revisited.” The Enchanted Screen : The Unknown History of Fairy-Tale Films. London: Taylor & Francis Group, 2010.

What benefit is there in looking at a fairy tale or folk tale through a critical lens? Should the history or evolution of a story matter to us today? What did you learn about Little Red Riding Hood over this module?

Go Back
Finish up with Vocal Exercises

Comments

21 responses to “Analyzing Little Red Riding Hood”

  1. Mahnoor Avatar
    Mahnoor

    Looking at fairytales through a critical lens can be beneficial because it allows us to see the underlying messages, societal and cultural influences and understand their impact on the public that may not have been evident at first glance. I also think that the evolution of a story is very important to us today because it allows us to see how ideas and mindsets change overtime based on what message is being told. Storytelling reflects our society and culture, which shows how we as people have also evolved. Over this module, I have learned that Little Red Riding Hood has gone through many different changes, and the multiple interpretations told a new story every time. Overall, the many different adaptations of the fairytale have kept the importance and main idea of stranger danger alive through different stories to appeal to different audiences. 

    Reply
    1. Michelle Cortes Rodriguez Avatar
      Michelle Cortes Rodriguez

      Yes, I agree it does allow us to see how ideas and mindsets change overtime. Generations are changing and people are changing so it does have an impact on these new versions.

      Reply
  2. Victoria Lucenti Avatar
    Victoria Lucenti

    Some benefits of looking at fairy tales or folk tales through a critical lens are a deeper understanding of the story, how we perceive it, what hidden messages or moral/modern issues there are within one, and the change in variations through culture and traditions upon each story. I think the history or evolution of a story should still matter to us as individuals in today’s society because of the many messages that are seen and told throughout a fairy tale or folk tale. In reference to the little red riding hood, there are many themes presented, but again as mentioned previously in my prior comments, I believe one of the many themes of this story is the perception of trust and loyalty, and how childlike innocence affects this. In a bigger picture, this theme shows how little red riding hood’s childlike innocence affected her own perception of trust and loyalty, as in many versions of this story we read and watched how she told the wolf where her grandmother lived, the surroundings of her home that could easily stand out to the wolf, and how this affected her life and her grandmother’s in the end. This is a very crucial and important message wrapped within this story that should still be read to children, depending on the version you choose to read to them, but specifically because it relies such a heavy message to be aware of your surroundings, who you speak to, who you can trust, and much more that can truly connect to children today as many still have childlike innocence that may limit their own awareness of their perception of trust and loyalty. Over the course of this module, I learned so much about little red riding hood. I learned and realized that the context of this story can be retold, adapted, and inspired off of numerous variations that can still have the same context to the original story. I also learned the difference in variations that have affected some portions of the overall theme, as some variations were intended for more mature audiences due to the input of violence and darkness, and how others, such as the read aloud of this story took away the childlike innocence as red riding hood was more self admiring of herself that seemed to be as if she was older and not a child anymore, although again, the overall context and somewhat theme of this story was still similar to the originals as she did unfortunately get eaten by the wolf at the end.

    Reply
  3. Sofia Buttaro Avatar
    Sofia Buttaro

    A critical lens of a fairy tale provides important insights into its underlying meanings, cultural settings, and social effects. It enables us to comprehend the historical development of the narrative as well as the ways in which its themes and characters both represent and influence cultural values. We may learn how other communities have interpreted the story to solve challenges or uphold traditional values. We realized that the story has changed dramatically throughout time to accommodate different social and cultural settings. This critical approach demonstrates that the story’s continuing appeal stems from its capacity to address basic human issues in a way that shows relevance and reinterpretation.

    Reply
  4. Selina Chen Avatar
    Selina Chen

    Analyzing fairy tales through a critical lens helps us uncover hidden meanings and social values, revealing how stories reflect cultural beliefs. Understanding a tale’s history and evolution shows how perspectives shift over time. In this module, I learned that “Little Red Riding Hood” explores themes of innocence, danger, and the complexities of trust.

    Reply
    1. Amy Khait Avatar
      Amy Khait

      Little Red Riding Hood has made me see how it explores the themes of danger, innocence and darkness, among other fairytales.

      Reply
  5. Anthea longville Avatar
    Anthea longville

    Looking at a fairy tale or folk tale through critical lens, reveals simple stories become complex texts that reflect the psychology of humans societal structures and the artistic expression of storytelling. Yes the history or evolution of a story should matter to us today because it’s not just about where it came from, but how it continues to reflect, change and impact our society with its history. I learned over the module in Little Red Riding Hood that its a fascinating story with complex history, numerous versions and symbolic themes rooted into its narrative.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Loyfman Avatar
      Ariana Loyfman

      I agree with the points that you brought up. I think that focusing on the critical lens of a story opens the audiences eyes and allows us to see the story differently. When I am able to understand the critical thinking that is behind a story it makes me understand the plot in a completely different way and with a deeper and more meaningful understanding.

      Reply
  6. Alexa Mendez Avatar
    Alexa Mendez

    Analyzing fairy tales through a critical lens is definitely important because with it we learn the purpose and significance on why it was written. We get a deeper understanding on it.

    Reply
  7. Tory Sen Avatar
    Tory Sen

    Fairy tales and folk tales can teach us a lot about complicated problems that are similar to how people act, how societies work, and how artists express themselves. How a story starts and how it ends are important because they shape how people think about things in the future. Little Red Riding Hood is an interesting story with a lot of different versions and themes that are meant to be symbolic. Its appeal comes from its ability to deal with basic human issues and adapt to different social and cultural settings.

    Reply
  8. Brittany Giler Avatar
    Brittany Giler

    The history or evolution of a story can certainly matter to us today. Understanding how a story has changed over time can provide valuable insights into cultural shifts, societal values, and the ways in which stories are adapted to meet the needs of different audiences. Examining fairy tales and folk tales through a critical lens offers several benefits like uncovering hidden messages, challenging stereotypes, understanding cultural context, and exploring themes.

    Reply
  9. Anifat Abumislimova Avatar
    Anifat Abumislimova

    Looking at a fairy tale or folk through a critical lens helps us see the deeper meanings behind the story. In this module, I learned that Little Red Riding Hood has many versions with different endings, but with the basic story with elements of innocence, danger, trust, and growing up that teaches us important lessons.

    Reply
  10. Naurah Romulus Avatar
    Naurah Romulus

    Looking at fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood through a critical lens helps us see the deeper messages and how they connect to society. Understanding the history and evolution of these stories shows how they’ve been adapted over time to deal with issues like gender roles, power, and morals. Over this module, I learned that Little Red Riding Hood has changed from a simple warning about “stranger danger” to more complex stories about independence and strength.

    Reply
  11. Nitzan Naim Avatar
    Nitzan Naim

    Looking at a fairy tale through a critical lens helps us understand the powerful impact these “universal stories” have on shaping our beliefs, values, and mindset. As we saw in this module, Little Red Riding Hood is integrated into many aspects of culture—stories, commercials, TV shows, and more. Growing up, I mostly saw girls being saved by men as the core theme in fairy tales, so exploring the history and themes of these stories has been eye-opening. It shows how these tales reflect shared human experiences that everyone can relate to. While the history of a tale is important, the way Little Red Riding Hood has been adapted over time makes it more about the evolving meanings it takes on. Through this module, I’ve learned how deeply this story is integrated into our culture.

    Reply
  12. Vanessa Lara Avatar
    Vanessa Lara

    Looking at the stories through a critical lens allows us to have a deeper understanding of the message that the story tells. It’s not just any story, it has a message and a significant one to many cultures which is why they’re interpreted in different ways to fit culturally. It’s excruciatingly Important to continue to have these fairytales because they allow all ages groups to understand the message. Whether you are as young as 4 or older you can understand the message little red ridding hood is sending.

    Reply
  13. samantha velez Avatar
    samantha velez

    Looking at fairytales through a critical lens helps us evaluate the purpose of telling these stories, who do they really impact, do they actual have an impact and what can we pull from them that are helpful. The history and evolution of stories correlate with looking through a critical lens, we can see how history will define how a story is told and because of that the story evolves over time. With Little Red Riding Hood her story was adapted into many different versions but the principle never changed.

    Reply
  14. Amy Khait Avatar
    Amy Khait

    I think that by looking at fairytales through a critical lens it can help us to see the messages and lessons in the story. It allows us to see who is affected and impacted in the stories. The evolution/ history of a story aids us in seeing how a story evolves throughout time. It makes us see the cultural and generational shifts that has an impact on stories. Throughout the module, I have learned how Little Red Riding Hood has had many adaptations. It has been told in many different ways and has had various versions, but the main idea of the story and important lessons, such as stranger danger has still been kept.

    Reply
  15. Camille Connor Avatar
    Camille Connor

    Analyzing fairy tales can have a big impact on your mind while you are reading a fairy book. Reading a “Little Red Riding Hood” you can use your mind and imagination and expand it more.

    Reply
  16. Kaylee Pontone Avatar
    Kaylee Pontone

    It’s so important to analyze stories because we learn so much about how people think based on how they change it or perceive it–Her point about sexualizing Little Red Riding Hood to say that she brought the danger upon herself made my jaw drop! This is teaching people the “she asked for it” phrase you hear so much. This story is really important for young girls to know that a wolf is hiding everywhere, and she is not asking for anything.

    Reply
  17. Jaylyn Calles Avatar
    Jaylyn Calles

    The benefit in looking at a fairy tale or folk tale through a critical lens is knowing the moral of the story and knowing the lesson that’s trying to be taught. The history of a story matters to us today because we will be able to know the lesson being taught will be learned by the listener in a effective way. I learned little red riding hood has many variations of the story by how it’s told read or performed.

    Reply
  18. TIFFANY LARGO Avatar
    TIFFANY LARGO

    looking at fairy tales through a critical lens help us see a deeper meaning behind them , the history matters because each versions shows what people cared about at the time i learned little red riding hood isn’t about danger but empowerment

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *