Little Red Riding Hood Archetype

An archetype provides a window into a society’s attitudes and values.

Critically assess how representations of archetypes provide insight into a society’s attitudes and values.

Fairy tales are both entertaining for readers as well as being didactic in nature, providing insight in changes in archetypes which reflect values at the time of publication. As aspects of fairy tales have evolved to appease society’s more contemporary views, values have shifted from obedience to empowerment. This idea is explored in Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) first published in 1697, the Brothers Grimm folktale of Little Red Cap (LRC) which was published in 1853 as well as Roald Dahl’s modern appropriation tale Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

However, prior to the onset of the suffragette movement in the late 19th century women were considered to be more objects who were heavily dependent on men. This is conveyed in both Perrault and the Grimm’s tales, who depict the heroine to suit society’s opinion of females. Perrault refers to LRRH as a “poor child who had no idea”, which suggests that due to her being female she is automatically vulnerable and naïve, requiring a man for protection. Furthermore, LRRH’s act of “having a good time chasing nuts and butterflies” metaphorically implies that she was straying from the pathway expected of a girl and will be punished for this disobedience. A psychoanalytical reading of this text would reveal there were two core reasons for LRRH’s eventual death and vulnerability. These were the lack of connection with her mother, who failed to explain the dangers of the woods as well as the absence of a strong father figure. France during the 17th century was part of the Age of Seduction era, whereby sex was a powerful force, women relied on the protection of a man. Women in this period were not valued for their rationality or wisdom, but were prized by their virginity and