Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood does not have a happy ending and she does not develop much as a character. It demonstrated the idea of childhood: Little Red was portrayed as naive and gullible, traits that were associated with children. Perrault modified the tale to fit an upper-class audience, gives her the iconic red hood, and she becomes helpless to the wolf's advances (Zipes, p.
The concept of childhood had changed and that change is reflected in Little Red Riding Hood.
Children needed to be molded in accordance with beliefs and goals away from adult society (Shavit, pg. Moralists and pedagogues advanced the idea that "innocent children are closer to God" and were different from adults (Shavit, pg. When mortality rates decreased, aspects of childhood began to appear, such as education, spaces designed for children, and children's games. Low life expectancy and high mortality rate during the early years of life left little room for what we traditionally think of as childhood (Shavit, pg. The relatively recent emergence of childhood literature is due to the absence of the concept of childhood prior to this time (Shavit, pg. 8).Ĭhildren's literature as we know it today was relatively unheard of until the 18th century.
The oral tradition is known as "The Story of Grandmother" and is missing the iconic red hood, but it embraces and "celebrates the self-reliance of a young peasant girl" (Zipes, p. While it is not as old as some fairy tales, it is part of a group of literature that paved the way for works written and directed specifically towards children as the primary audiences (Zipes, p. Starting in France, Tyrol, and Northern Italy around the 15th century, it lacks many of the characteristics that we associate with what we consider the traditional tale. The oral tale of Little Red Riding Hood predates Perrault's 1697 version (Levorato, p.
The details of her journey to grandmother's, her encounter with the wolf, and what transpires afterward have transformed over time to represent ideals and morals. Little Red Riding Hood is the tale of a girl who was sent on a journey to bring goodies to her grandmother and unexpectedly encounters a wolf along the way.
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