Sexuality in Little Red Riding Hood - Essay Example

Section/# Little Red Riding Hood: A Cautionary Tale of Sexuality and Female Beguilement Invariably, fairytales often represent the societal understandings and/or subliminal messages that most readers merely skip over. Yet, rather than skipping over these deeper messages and failing to analyze them, it is necessary to engage with these as a means of building a further interpretation of what these fairytales actually represent and what social warnings or consciousness was intended to be imparted by them. For the preceding analysis, the case of Little Red Riding Hood will be analyzed in terms of the means by which it represents such societal warnings. Invariably, as with most fairytales, there are indeed a myriad of different versions of Little Red Riding Hood; however, for a means of clarity and overall purpose of analysis, the forthcoming discussion will focus upon the least common denominator that is exhibited between all of these stories. This is of course the fact that a young girl meets a wolf/werewolf on the way to her grandmother’s to deliver food that her mother had prepared. Dressed in what can only be described as dainty attire, the beguiling creature attempts to ultimately trick her. In certain versions of the story the trick is successful and the wolf/werewolf eats the young girl. In other versions, the trick is unsuccessful and the girl is able to escape. However, regardless of the ending in question, the underlying moral and social representation that should be understood is one in which strong sexual overtones pervade this particular story and the importance of maintaining chastity and situational awareness are championed. One of the first elements that can and should be discussed in terms of Little Red Riding Hood and the sexual overtones that are represented throughout this story has to do with the detailed description of the little red cloak, the little red, or the little red coats that Little Red Riding Hood is claimed to wear in almost each and every variant of the tale. The importance of this symbol has to do with the fact that it ultimately represents the female hymen. As Little Red Riding Hood is depicted as a young, chaste, and ultimately your girl, the red tape that she wears is indicative of her nature and presents the analytical mind with a deeper level of understanding of the tale in terms of sleekness and sexual virtue. In many ways, it is somewhat surprising that such a painfully obvious illustration of human anatomy has gone unnoticed by countless generations of listeners, readers, and storytellers. Another core similarity that exists between almost all the variants has to do with the fact that the wolf/werewolf ultimately meets the girl on the way to visit her grandmother’s house. This initial interaction is extraordinarily important as the wall/werewolf is portrayed in a devilish manner. By asking to see and pointed questions and coming across as kindhearted, friendly, and ultimately desirous of the best result for the girl, the wolf/werewolf is represented almost identically to the way in which the serpent is represented within the Garden of Eden. Whereas the reader can of course quickly discern that the smarmy attitude of the wolf/werewolf is nothing more than a ruse to benefit from the young woman’s naivety, she is of course clueless to this reality and falls victim to the beguiling ways of this creature. Once again, returning to the sexual overtones that are represented throughout this story, the reader should be painfully aware of the fact that the initial interaction, smooth words, and feigned interest in the girl are all common practices that this story wishes to alert the reader to. Rather than coming out right and saying that certain men will attempt to defile a woman’s body by winning them over with sweet words, the allegory of the wolf/werewolf is an accurate representation of the means by which this process and temptation oftentimes occurs. Likewise, by mirroring the tale that is represented within the book of Genesis in terms of the way that the serpent, Satan, also beguiled and deceives Eve of her virtue and godliness, the wolf/werewolf is represented in almost an identical manner. The third element of sexual overtones that are represented within this particular story has to do with the interaction with the wolf inside the house of the grandmother. Firstly, by most accounts, the wolf does not answer the door and requires Little Red Riding Hood to push it open. Additional information is provided in terms of the fact that the door itself is alive and Little Red Riding Hood must exert significant effort as a means of dislodging it. Once again, the illustration of the hymen is relevant in terms of how the story progresses and how the sexual defilement of this young and chaste virgin actually occurs. An alternative interpretation of this particular scene has to do with the fact that Little Red Riding Hood is stepping outside your comfort zone and otherwise doing something that she would not be required. As the interaction progresses, Little Red Riding Hood begins to question some of the dynamics of the interaction that are taking place. For instance, in almost each and every detail, Little Red Riding Hood poses the exclamatory questions of “what a deep voice you have!?”, “What big eyes you have!?”, “What big bands you have!?”, “What bigmouth you have!?” (Grimm 2). To each of these subsequent questions and exclamations, the wolf/werewolf responds with elevating answers that finally reveal his true nature. The deep voice is claimed to be used as a means of greeting, the eyes as a means of seeing, the hands as a means of hugging, and the mouth as a means of using. As the reader/listener progresses through this chain of understanding, it is clear and apparent that the wolf/werewolf will “have his way” with this young girl and whatever protests or supplication she might have or make will be ignored outright. Should also be noted that a further level of sexual innuendo that is represented in terms of this particular fairytale has to do with the fact that the process of eating or devouring is oftentimes considered as tantamount to break in medieval culture. In much the same way that the land would be described as raped if an invading army came through pillaged and took what it wanted, the defilement and the process by which removal of virtue would take place and able young woman against her will was comparative to the process of eating and devouring. From the information that has been described thus far, it is clear and apparent that the story of Little Red Riding Hood is much more than what the reader might necessarily expect. Although it is invariably true that an analytical approach to this particular children’s tale could be taken from a number of different perspectives, it is the understanding and expectation of this particular student that the sexual innuendos and determinate meaning that this story represents is ultimately the broader underlying tale which should be denoted first and foremost. Whereas in the modern era is oftentimes easier for parents to discuss issues of sexual propriety and consent with their children, the era in which this particular folktale came to be prominent was one in which discussion of sex and sexuality was greatly considered a taboo. Likewise, the need to ensconce the different meanings of rape, sexual virtue, and the beguiling way in which certain men would seek to take advantage of young virgins was necessary within this particular story as a means of representing such an understanding to the young men and women that would listen to it. Analyzing the deeper meanings and effectively creating a level of discernment in terms of Little Red Riding Hood and the sexual innuendos that it represents is an effective way of peeling back the layers of secrecy that oftentimes are part and parcel of the way in which sex and sexuality is understood within society. Work Cited The Brothers Grimm. "Short Stories: Little Red Riding Hood by Brothers Grimm." East of the Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. Read More