Castle

Kira Castle
Dr. Burke
ENGL 414A
October 14, 2015
LSW: Fairy Tales
Charles Perrault wrote a version of Little Red Riding Hood that
is unlike the version most of us read as children. Red and her
Grandmother both end up dead, which is shocking and unsatisfactory.
However, this unsettling ending is not the only displeasing aspect of
the story. One of these aspects is the character build up and let down
that takes place. His description of Red is a pretty little girl whose
mother adored her, and her grandmother adored her even more. This
makes the reader very keen of Red, and draws you in to her
likeableness. This is merely set up to be torn down in the awful ending
that has been created here. He creates too much of a character, just to
kill her off in the end and leave the reader disconcerted. This is just
one thing that is wrong about Perraults version of the story.
Another aspect of Perraults version that makes it less enjoyable
comes in the underlying themes that he portrays in the story,
especially now looked upon from a modern time period. Red is a young,
pretty girl who is easily fooled by a stranger. She easily gives away
where her grandmother lives and makes it clear that she is alone for
the trip. What Perrault has done here is making Red seem ignorant and

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foolish. It is clear to modern readers that he had a negative perception

on the intelligence of young girls.
Finally, this story just doesnt fit how a Fairy Tale or Folk Tale
should be. It incorporates some elements of Fairy Tales, such as having
a trickster, talking animals, human weaknesses and evil beings.
However, if you look at these, they are all negative and scary aspects.
All of these compiled together create a downright unsettling story.
People look for the triumph of the weak, to see strengths glorified,
happiness, and happy endings rather than the latter. Overall, Perraults
version simply doesnt create a good feeling for the reader. The moral
of the story can still apply if both the grandma and Red were to live;
Perrault simply missed the fact that it is hard to learn from because it
is so troubling.