Red Red Red

1. The story depicts the female side of a traditional family within three generations, from grandmother, mother, to daughter. The grandmother loves her grand child, showers her with gifts like a little cap made of red velvet, but unfortunately is ill, probably due to her old age. The mother one day ask Little Red Cap to deliver cake and wine to the ill grandmother out in the woods, which should make her feel better and ask that she not leave the path for fear of falling and breaking the wine. In the story, the mother did not mention dangers in the woods, such as wild animals probably because this story is about a child obeying the mother’s orders and taking care of their elders. As in many cultures, the next generation has an obligation to obey their parents and take care of them as they get older. Additionally, there might not be wild animals in those parts of the woods; otherwise an old lady like her grandmother would not be living out there alone.

2. Certain things about Little Red Riding Hood could contain gender and sexual symbolism. The color red could symbolize love; men have for a woman and vice versa or a woman’s sex appeal and openness to sexual relationships. Just like today’s society, for Valentines Day, red roses, cards with red letters, etc. are exchanged. Color red could also symbolize female’s sexiness and openness to sexual conduct. For example, Amsterdam’s Red light district, where every night females, half naked sit behind huge red-lit windows and sell their services. The wolf in the story could symbolize an attraction man have for woman. In today’s society male’s looking for a mate are often referred to as wolf, scoping the hunting ground.

3. In Aesop’s fables, the wolf is often the punishment or end result of a misdeed. In the fables, the wolf is cunning, waits for his opportunity, and prays on the weak. At any given chance, they’ll take advantage of the situation. In the story The Wolf and the Lamb, the wolf took advantage of the young lamb, making up any excuse to eat it. Also, the story of The Nurse and the Wolf, over-heard the nurse and tried to take advantage of the situation, positioning itself near the window thinking it could get an easy meal. I think that is exactly what a wolf would do, take advantage of the innocent because it is an easy target. Wolves are sneaky and would try to gain any edge if possible. If not the innocent, then the wolf would not have any confidence in success, they would rather move on.

little red wolf tales 2

1. I do believe that it was odd that the grandmother warns against straying off the path lest the wine bottle is broken, without indicating the dangers wild animals pose. One would expect a grandparent, or any parent to warn their children of any dangers that lie ahead of them. If Red was given this warning, then she would have easily avoided the wolf in the forest. If that had happened, then the encounter between Red and the wolf would have never occurred, and the story would not have progressed the way it did. It was an odd thing for the grandmother to do, but I can see why some people, including the grandmother, would look at it in that way. If she had to Red of the danger, that would have probably made Red even more curious to find out and go against her grandmother's wishes, like any kid her age would do.

2. The color of Red's hood was red, which symbolized sexual desires. This was passed from the grandmother when she gave the hood to Red. This is what most likely made her talk to the wolf instead of ignore him. The idea of gender was symbolic, which separated Red and her grandmother from the wolf and the hunter. The males were depicted as charming and seductive, ruthless and cruel beings. The wolf ate the grandmother and ate Red, which exposed his cannibalism and beast like ways. The hunter expressed ruthlessness by cutting up the wolf, and later skinning him. Eating the grandmother and Red made the wolf look as if he were a pregnant person, but not female. This is where gender comes into play again. When they were cut out, stones placed into his belly, as if he were still pregnant. A male being pregnant is an impossible situation, to occur and to deal with. When he attempted to walk, as a pregnant person, he collapsed and dies.

3. The wolf does act as an innocent bystander in the stories. He only acts on his natural and animal instincts. He would not have done what he did if Red had listen to her grandmother. Through this, the fables clearly paint a message, which always occur at the end of these types of stories. The lesson was obviously not to misbehave and obey you parents' wishes.

A wolf can only be a wolf!

1

This may seem odd to some parents, while others may agree that it was right thing to do. If we choose to ignore the obvious (i.e. speaking to the child about the danger of wild animals would change the dynamics of this story), and assume that this mother is of sound mind and has her child’s best interest and heart, I have two rational explanations as to why this mother warns Little Red Cap to stay on the path, to avoid falling and breaking the bottle.

(i) Very often parents try to shield their children from the harsh realities of life, especially when they are too young to fully comprehend the situation (or so the parent may think).  They are some cases where parents do this because of the fear that they may do more injustice, than justice, by communicating “too much” to the child, and in other cases they (the parents) believe that kids are kids, and should do exactly as they are told, without a reason.  This is usually the case with parents who are raised that way. An example of this is the fear many parents have with speaking to their children (even teenagers) about sex.

(ii)The author may be using this situation in the story to teach a lesson that is bigger than the story itself. The lesson being – if you stay on the right path, you will be able to accomplish any task no matter how difficult it may appear and if you don’t …(you know the story!!).

 

2.

In an odd way, this brings to mind the age-old question, “which comes first, the chicken or the egg?”  Did the original author pen the story with sex and gender on his mind, or was it sincerely written as a fairy tale for children? Was sex and gender symbolism cleverly constructed into this fairy tale, or was this fairy tale manipulated to convey a “new” story?  I honestly believe that you can find symbols of sex and gender in anything you want to. I also believe that, unless the original author said (or documented) that this was his intention, the person with the better argument wins.

I am not going to agree or disagree with their arguments.  Instead I am going to argue that art (fairy tales included) is subject to interpretation, by the person viewing it.  I agree that there may be standards, experts and even accepted beliefs, but what good are they to people ignorant of them? Point in case – if I do not know that the color red represents lust, passion and eroticism, because I never looked deep into the meaning of colors or even because in my culture it represents war, I may look past the apparent evidence of sexual symbolism.

Even when looking at the actions of the characters in this story in particular, in my opinion, each characters action aligns perfectly with what is expected of him/her.  Mothers send kids visits to visit their parents, grandparents are usually older and more susceptible to illness, young kids are often curious and adventurous and wolves are known to be as dangerous as they are cunning.  Any sex or gender here?  Again, it depends on the reader!!

3.

I do not agree that the “wolf” in Aesop’s fables often plays a bystander who interacts with seeming innocents that misbehave.  To agree that this is his role, will be unfair to such a formidable character.  The wolf is the Dennis Rodman of fables; yes, his role paints him as the “bad guy,” but without him, there would be no finger pointing and, even worse, no lessons to learn.  Believe me, the wolf takes one for the team- the team being Aesop and his readers.

Secretly I envy the wolf.  He seldom comes off as the loser even if he is deceived.  Not to mention, while the lamb and the sheep etc. are never resurrected, the wolf always survives to star in the next fable.  Arrogant, sly, self-centered, respected, feared, seemingly intelligent, greedy…this guy is no different from the CEO of Bear Stearns, or even better, Donald Trump.

All considered, I must admit that I, myself, learned a lesson from these fables, which is-nice guys finish last!

Little Red

In my perception, I don’t find it odd that the mother warns little red about staying out the path lest the wine bottle is broken. Little red is an innocent girl who does not know evil and respects and obey her mother very much. If she left the path was for a good reason, to get flowers for grandma. The reason why, I believe, the mother did not mentioned the wolf or any other animal is because she does not want little red to be walking in the woods frightened and that would provoke a different reaction of her towards the wolf and could have been easier for him to attack her in that moment. The mother acted with discretion and trusted her daughter’s instincts. Kids are very curious and if the mother warned about the animals when the Wolf was acting very polite with her in a first place she probably would have questioned her mother’s advice and judgment towards wild animals in the woods and decided to give the wolf a chance to be friendly with her.

I think the scholars’ association of Little Red with gender and sexual symbolism goes beyond the actual morale of the story which tries to teach children that mothers are wise and know more than your curiosity and if you try to do the opposite of what you are told you might get in trouble and hurt not only yourself but someone else. People are free to interpret and find a deeper significance to any story told. For example, an article from Ms. Magazine suggests that a previous version was interpreted as a seduction tale where the girl striped her clothes lying in bed beneath a wolf and latter she was killed by the wolf. This was interpreted as if the girl had lost her virginity. http://www.msmagazine.com/summer2004/danceswithwolves.asp
Maybe previous versions of this tale were not intended for children but it was more like art to be interpreted for adults.

Aesop’s fables always end with a lesson that relates to every body. In these the wolf was shown as an animal that was not necessary looking to do badly but he was just driven by his ferocious instincts. He is a smart animal that knows how to get what he wants like in ‘The Wolf and the Crane’ where he promise something in order to get what he wants and did not reward the crane but he did not kill it either because if he killed her it would not had helped him with the bone stuck in his throat. He also knows how to intimidate others by his appearance like in the Wolf and The Lamb. He is doing the right thing in his perception but morally it is not right.

Little Red Wolf Tales2

1. It doesn’t seem odd to me that the mother warns against straying off the path lest the wine bottle is broken and the mother did not say anything to her daughter of the danger of wild animals. Fear is not a good helper. Young girl has to be brave and live her life without fear. The forest with wild animals represents our life with different dangers. To survive in that life kids have to listen their parent’s advice and follow them. The mother told Little Red Hood “behave yourself on the way, and do not leave the path.” But often children learn from their own mistakes. Another lesson the Brothers Grimm show to kids is always remember and help their grand parents.

2. I disagree with scholars that Little Red contains gender and sexual symbolism. According to scholars the red color represents sexuality and associated with love. The wolf is a man who wants to distract young girl. The Brothers Grimm wrote the story for young kids. They don’t know anything about sexual symbolism. They are just kids and want to hear a nice story.

3. I love Aesop`s Fables and their lessons. We know that the fables are the allusive interpretation of the things or situations that happened in our life.
My impression is that the wolf is perfect character for these stories. He is smart and wit, dangerous and catty. Especially in a fable ”The Dog and the Wolf.” The words “ better starve free than be a fat slave” describe his brave and freedom-loving nature, which really understands sense of life. Another fable “The Wolf and the Crane”. A wolf behavior in the story represents the phrase “Be content. You have put your head inside a Wolf’s mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you.” It demonstrates that wolf is a right character for this story. He is smart and dangerous. The lessons is “gratitude and greed go not together” just proof it.

Little Red Wolf Tales 2

1. It doesn't seem very odd to me that mother warns Little Red Cap against straying off the path lest the wine bottle is broken. I think the mother sees everything and everybody in this world very nice and kind. And Little Red Cap is such a pretty girl, wearing her grandmother's gift - the red cap, such an angel. Who is going to touch her? The family probably has never seen any rudeness, danger, and cruelty.I absolutely understand the warning about the bottle. Red cap is a little girl who likes to play, run, jump as all the children. Sometimes kids fall because they are not as careful as adults, they get bruises, break their knees and cloths. No wonder mother is trying to protect her child.The bottle of wine was very important because the grandmother probably did not have central water system and it was hard for her to get the water from the well at the backyard. And I understand the word "wine" not as an alcoholic drink, but the water. Though it would be hard to think like me for the little children who this fairy tale was written for.
2. I found few elements which tell about gender and sexual symbolism in the story. Of course, the red color. It represents passion, fire, eroticism, and love. Maybe the red color of girl's cap made the wolf stop her in the woods. Another way to look at it: the red color is the color of love. The grandmother made the gift to the granddaughter in red color to show how much she loved the little girl. The family in the story consists of women only(mother, daughter, grandmother) - that points on gender. The fairy tale has a lot of sexual symbols. Little girl is being stopped in the woods by the wolf - adult man and there is nobody around. It makes me think about a maniac who is looking for his victim. When the girl reaches her destination she sees the wolf in bed. Why couldn't he be in the chair? And when wolf ate the grandmother he "pulled the curtains shut". The atmosphere is very erotic. Then he "jumps on the top of poor Little Red Cap" and ate her. It is also interesting that the Red is being delivered twice - from mom's stomach and wolf's: "He cut a little more, and the girl jumped out."
3. I liked Aesop's fables very much. Wolf is shown not as just a greedy hunter but also as a smart and fair animal. For example, in "The Wolf and the Crane" the wolf doesn't kill the crane as we would expect though he doesn't keep the promise of reward the way the crane wants. But from wolf's point of view he made "enough reward" to let him go. In reality wolfs don't hunt alone, they are always in flock. In the stories wolf is alone and all his victims are little to him: kid, crane, lamb. I am sure if he met a bear or a big muscular man, he would never attack them, he is not that stupid.

1. It seems odd that the grandmother warns against straying off the path lest the wine bottle is broken, yet no mention is made of the danger wild animals pose. Why?

One reason that the riding hood was not warned of the dangerous wild animals may be for the most practical reason: the author would have no story to tell. If she had been wary of the wild animals that may scheme to eat her, she would have strictly followed the path, gone straight to her grandmother’s house and all would be well.

Another reason could be that the mother was unaware of her daughter’s daftness and over estimated her common sense. Sending a young girl on a journey through the woods alone is not the best idea unless you have confidence in their ability to avoid trouble. Also, with the strong emphasis that the author’s place in staying on path, warning riding hood of other obstacles may compromised the main goal.

2. Scholars argue that Little Red contains gender and sexual symbolism. Find elements and discuss; you might begin with an analysis of colors, animals, and the character's actions.

The color red has many meanings. It can symbolize blood, fury, fortune, love, vibrancy, health, youth and sensuality. In the story of little Red riding hood, the color red is portrayed in its youthful yet sexual context.

In a literal sense, red being the color of blood and vitality can indicate the wolf’s animal instincts to eat the little girl, and the flash of color that attracts much attention in the dreary dark setting of the woods she walks through. Red is also known to be closely related to sex. In that context, little red can be seen as the virgin who has been led of the path of abstinence and becomes tainted. When her mother warns her to stay on the path to her grandmother’s house, this can be interpreted as staying on the righteous path of abstinence and not allowing men to deceive little red. Clearly, the wild animals including the wolf are the sexual predators out to seduce the young girl. The linked picture furthers this suggestion because little red is seen in the bed with the deceitful wolf. Her hooded cape no longer on, it is a possible indication of the forceful taking of her virginity and childhood.

3. Looking at Aesop's Fables here, the wolf often plays a bystander who interacts with seeming innocents that misbehave. What is your impression?

I agree that the wolf often plays a bystander taking a less physically active role and instead using words to trick or influence the innocent characters. I believe that this trait comes from the sly and scheming attributes often associated with wolves in fairytales. It is possible that this often reflects Aesop’s Fables because his themes involve not allowing oneself to be wooed by deception, or give in to impudence and greed. In the case of “The Wolf and the Kid”, the child is taught a lesson by the wolf who, although does not pounce or scare the child, uses words to alert him of his cowardice. In many of the fables, it is the wolf who delivers the main message or theme of the fable either warning or teaching the reader a lesson through actions.