Red's Role Reversal

Typical gender roles are present in many traditional versions of Little Red Riding Hood. Great consistency is noted where the frail and defenseless women (Red Riding Hood and her grandmother) are devoured by a powerful wolf. If they are rescued, it is likely by a brave and good-natured man. Maria Tartar, in Introduction: Little Red Riding Hood, reiterates Susan Brownmiller's point that the folktale "recounts a cultural story that holds the gender bottom line by perpetuating the notion that women are at once victims of male violence even as they must position themselves as beneficiaries of male protection" (8). This theme is made present by Charles Perrault (1697), the Brothers Grimm (1812), and The Story of the Grandmother (1885), which is uncredited. Although Perrault does not allow for Red's rescue, it is uniform to the tone that without a man women are helpless. The same is true for the 1885 version. Although Red escapes independently she cannot save her grandmother.

Interestingly, more current versions of the folktale depict Red with a masculine aura. Roald Dahl does just this in Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. During the girl's familiar assesment of the wolf, Red slyly comments, "what a lovely great big furry coat you have on" (22). This foreshadowing shows Red's confidence as well her ego. She knows she will go on to skin the wolf, and even asks the author to "please note my lovely furry WOLFSKIN COAT" (Dahl 22). The heroine exhibits male behaviors. She planned a rescue and remained cool and confident. In addition, Red's brave attack seemed to resemble a coming of age experience. Instead of Little Red Riding Hood, the author notes they "came across Miss Riding Hood. But what a change! No cloak of red, No silly hood upon her head" (Dahl 22). Miss Riding Hood proceeds to proudly show off her fur coat, a symbol of her victorious battle into adulthood.

A Lesson In Lessons

Role models within society demonstrate cultural values regarding adult influence and encouragement during childhood

Presently, children are seen as developing people in need of protection and guidance. Childhood is a socially constructed stage of life that is largely dependent the role of adults. This relationship is essential in ensuring that kids grow up to become positive members of society. To achieve this goal, a network of resources exist that provide universal structure and direction. Education stimulates development at an acceptable pace, while ensuring that kids progress in stages. Each grade in school caters to the perceived abilities of the child at a given age. Extensive research has been done in order to determine these capabilities. Zohar Shavit notes in The Concept of Childhood and Children's Folktales: Test Case--"Little Red Riding Hood" that, "the twentieth century is characterized by the almost obsessive use of the concept of childhood: issues of psychology, physical and sexual problems of the child do not cease to concern adults" (318). Zohar sites our assumption that the cumulation of these issues can drastically influence adult behavior. This concept aligns with current trends in child rearing. 


The Western education system orchestrates development through age appropriate learning material.  Folktales are an essential medium by which young children learn about danger and responsibility. Zohar credits the Brothers Grimm with compiling and presenting folktales in this light. Two versions of Little Red Riding Hood are used by Zohar to support his thesis; the concept of children and childhood can be studied through analyzing folktale revisions. 

The Brothers Grimm mark the point when our modern concept of childhood begins to emerge. The notion that kids were unlike adults arose in the 1600s, two hundred years prior to the Brothers Grimm.  Children began to be depicted in art as innocent beings. In 1697 Charles Perrault wrote Little Red Riding Hood. Zohar pinpoints Perrault's satirical tone as proof that he was writing for an adult audience as well. Embedding mature content within children's entertainment coincided with the understanding of youth. At the time, "the attitude towards children greatly resembled that assumed for the cherished pet animals" (Zohar 321). Kids were a source of amusement. Their role was not yet distinguishable from adult. Children enhanced the lives of their parents. Eventually society came to agree that it was the elders job to stimulate growing minds. This holds true for the concept of childhood today. 

It is interesting to mark this transition through folkart. The Brothers Grimm designed Little Red Cap specifically to teach children not to "stray from the path and go into the woods, when [their] mother has forbidden it" (16). This clear lesson validates the parental authority and establishes trust with children. Grimm's collections have given adults a valuable resource to educate with. These versions remain lively within modern society, and will continue to impress upon young children.

The Animated Fairytale

It is impossible to imagine a fairytale without considering Disney's influence. Animation has allowed Walt Disney means to link vivid imagery to classic stories. The monumental success of these films has made Disney the perceived standard for fairytales.  In Breaking The Disney Spell Jack Zipes claims this misguided connection has prompted viewers to "long nostalgically for neatly ordered patriarchal realms" (352). The article suggests Walt customized his work to highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of the American dream. In doing so, the male hero further overshadowed the heroine beyond that of the Brother's Grimm version. Zipes notes the prince's immediate presence in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as an example of this change. The prince has ignited the narrative and eventually his kiss becomes the conclusion.

Zipes states that "Disney wants the world cleaned up, and the pastel colors with their sharply drawn ink lines create images of cleanliness, just as each sequence reflects a clearly conceived and preordained destiny for all the characters in the film" (350). By producing a full-length animated film, Disney was able to draw his lines sharply. The art of cinema is like folklore because the plot can be manipulated by the storyteller. The danger however, is that film provides a lasting image that is seen similarly by viewers. Disney was not revolutionary in his male dominated storylines. Many traditional fairytales stem from other Western cultures in Europe. Marcia R. Lieberman identified the passive female hero in "Some Day My Prince Will Come": Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale. Lieberman asserts that the female lead is "waiting to be rescued by a passing prince, that the helpless, imprisoned maiden is the quintessential heroine of the fairy tale" (389). The helpless woman has long been featured in fairytales. Male dominance was not how Disney degraded the art of folklore.

Disney fulfills the traditional role of storyteller. He has added culturally specific values that are expected within retellings. The films reflect Walt's personal views as well. We cannot assume that the traditional tale has not also been manipulated by individual preference. The issues arise from animation. Technology allowed Disney to broadcast his version on an international level. The imaginative world of fairytales has been replaced by an illustrated reality. Had Disney not had the means of production or distribution, his stories would be more open to interpretation. The masculine elements featured in Disney movies are clear. Although the Grimm's Snow-White is filled with feminine passivity, the moral of the story is less conclusive. The traditional fairytale invites personal interpretation. Active engagement began with creating an imaginary world. Film devalues the lessons that can be extracted from these classic stories. The viewer has become nothing more than a spectator. Disney provides a finished product of his own imagination. Imprinting his concept on screen gives life to the stereotypical world of fairytales. Learned gender roles are more easily adapted when they are illustrated within our standard Disney fairytale.