Fairy Tales Paper: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood

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Recommended: Fairy tales and folk tales

As we look back on the history of fairy tales, we find that they are stories passed down to generations through the oral tradition that generally include a moral or pervading theme that is meant to aid the listener. One characteristic of oral stories are the variations that often occurred with each retelling as a result of errors in translation and interpretations, as well as changes driven by the storyteller’s desire to share a particular point of view with the listener. A modern twist on these variations is evident in children’s literature today. “The Sisters Grimm”, a popular series written by best-selling author Michael Buckley, offers a whole new dimension of changes to classic fairy tales as he reinvents the stories by adding depth, meaning, and humanity to many of the popular characters. Over the course of this paper, I will examine those changes and how they compare to the original Brothers Grimm version.

Little Red Riding Hood is a familiar story in which a little girl is sent by her grandmother to take food to her ailing grandmother who lives in the forest. Before heading off on her journey, she is given clear instructions from her mother: “(…) when you’re out in the woods, walk properly and don’t stray from the path.” (Norton 14) One important distinction between the Brothers Grimm and Buckley versions is this depiction of the lead character: Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). Different versions of this classic tale portray her as a cunning and mature little girl capable of turning the tables on the wolf (Norton 11) or as a woefully ignorant and immature little girl whose victimization is her just reward (Norton 5). These accounts give us dull, one dimensional character that merely exists as a means to an end for the story...

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... throughout. Buckley uses characters from other popular fairy tales such as: the Mad Hatter, Briar Rose, Robin Hood and Little John, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears to interweave the stories and validate the experiences of LRRH and the Big Bad Wolf. In spite of prior knowledge of this famous tale, you are driven to empathize with the main characters. This, in my mind is the main difference between the two tales: humanity and compassion.

Works Cited

Buckley, Michael. The Sisters Grimm: Tales From The Hood. New York, NY: Amulet Books, 2008.

Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Little Red Cap.” Trans. Maria Tatar. The Classic Fairy Tales: Texts, Criticisms. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York, NY and London, UK: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999. 13-16

Tatar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales: Texts, Criticisms. New York, NY and London, UK: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999.

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