Loss of Innocence

Through her retelling of the classic "Little Red Riding Hood" fairy tale, the author explores the ways in which a loss of innocence might inspire freedom and autonomy. In "The Company of Wolves," when the little girl first appears on the page, the narrator describes her as "strong-minded" (145). Though she, and the reader, have been told about the dangers of the midwinter woods, she "is quite sure the wild beasts cannot harm her" (145). Unlike her contemporaries in "this savage country," the young girl has not yet grown hardened or severe (145). Rather, her mother and her grandmother have spoiled her so that she carries herself with marked confidence and fearlessness. Though the forest closes "upon her like a pair of jaws," the girl is not afraid (146). Even when she hears a wolf howling in the distance, she is certain she can protect herself. Because the...