Summary:
Analysis of how Charles Prerraults version of Little Red Riding Hood illustrates the society in which it was written there values and gender values.
I will also be showing how fairytales can sometimes have extended meanings and how they can teach quit a lot. I will have also shown how Fairytales can serve cultural functions to explain a society to itself, revealing its own mechanisms and taboos in highly symbolic language, images.
The simplicity, linearity and one dimensionality of fairytales have led to the belief in there allegorical nature, a conviction that fairytales mean something quite different from what stands in the text. As with most literary works there is deeper meaning in fairytales than just meets the eye. Little Red, the Wolf, and Grandmother are all one-dimensional characters. The illustrations are simple and sweet. No one character has more emphasis than the other and the focus is on the highly symbolic language, images.
The hearing of Fairytales is particularly suitable for children, as children need to learn how to navigate the society and culture they are growing up into. Little red riding hood by Charles Perrault is a good example of a traditional French fairy tale which plays a symbolic function in representing the society in which its written the values of that society and the gender roles within it. As well as being a simple enough for children to understand the moral lessons and being enjoyable so that children want to listen to it.
The type of society being represented by Perrault in his 1697 version of lRRH was a note ably changed society from the one represented in the early oral French fairytale which were much more magical and Gruesome. The society Perrault represents is industrialized and scientific. The piece of Westphalia in 1648 represents the change from the church ruling to the 'state' ruling. It was the time of industrialation the telescope, microscope, banknotes and ice cream. LRRH reflects this in the way Perrault changed the fairytale from being magical and including werewolves to being close to reality with the use of a wolf. Perrault shows that the society he lives in better understands the world around them.
It also shows that the society was full of evil people. It was not safe to talk to strangers etc. The red cloak was also a classic signal of a prostitute in 17th century France. One can interpretat this to refer to a classic warning against becoming a working girl. This is sutle suggested by the imagery of a young girl lazley working threw a forst and Torking to a stranger. The stranger lands up in bed with the young lady and lands up killing her and hes killed her grandmother. And points to the fact that prostitution must have been a problem in that society at the time. By killing the girl Perrault shows that the consiquences of such deborcheris actions were serios in his time.
Perrault illustrats the values of his society which he portrays as declining and getting closer to home. This is illustrated through the fact that he uses a wolf instead of a werewolf. The wolf represents the dodge men roming around newly unbanized cities, who were unemployed or homeless are something of that nature, they were desprate, and would therefor be dangerous esspecially for young women. This shows us that society in his time had concerns with social ilss that's plaged unrbanized cities and the low values that accompanies it.
Perrault also represents the proper gender roles within his patriarchal society. The young girl role is clearly stated in the begging of the fairytale, that she should behave like a lady with etiquette, grace, beauty and elegance. Its also showmen that when ladies disobeyed there are consequences. The mother's role is to show young ladies how to act; if the young lady's disobeyed there will be consequence.
The men's role in society is shown to be the evil dominating force. The wolf represents men and is uncontrolled and can manipulate young girls. This shows us that Perraults is illustrating that in his society men were dominant therefore mothers should teach there girls not to talk to strange men and how to get threw the forest of life with out looking for trouble. This illustrates to the reader that his society was very patriarchal and it was the onus was on woman to behave properly.
It also illustrates that society had became more dangerous. In the earlier versions of Little Red Riding Hood the danger was from a magical werewolf, which is an unknown danger of which in there were many in those days. In Perils version the danger comes from a wolf, which shows us that the dangers of life are more understood in his society.
Perils version of Little Red riding hood can be read with enough depth to be able to understand his society there values and the gender roles within it. It is not simply a child's fairytale, but is also a story which captures the values, beliefs and problems of the society in which it was written.
Bibliography
www.wikipedia.com/
This is the complete article, containing 820 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
