Little Red Riding Hood: Comparsion of Perrault’s and Grimm’s Story

An Irish poet, W.B. Yeats once said that “Storytellers make us remember what mankind would have been like had not fear and the failing will, and the laws of nature tripped up its heel”. Over the time, people’s interest in folk and fairytales are getting away because of the latest technology our modern society has. Folk and fairytales made their childhood so different and unique. The memories they shared with their family will always be memorable. The story of Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most popular folk tales. This folktale has three different versions like from Delarue, Perrault and Grimm brothers. Every version has its own twist created. It is a classic tale which tells readers to fight with bad and cruel things. It also tells about gender classes and roles, equality and a certain attitude which defines them a good or bad person. The two stories which will be compared is Perrault’s story and Grimm brothers’ story. Both have different climax at the end and both teach us a moral lesson. 

The Perrault was writing this story late 1600’s. During that specific period, gender roles and gender has a great impact in every individual. Most of the men were farmer, fisherman, baker, and black smith while the women were housewives, nun, and servants. “What we see in Perrault’s version is the adaptation of a crude folktale to the more sophisticated tastes of high society. His version was not meant for children to read, usually it was for rich people. It has sexual and dirty contents. His version has a bad ending. The little girl was eaten by the wolf because he was hungry. Little Red Riding Hood took her clothes and went lie down in the bed. She was surprised to see how odd her grandmother looked. The little girl was aware that something is wrong but then she continues to stay with wolf. She was seducing the wolf maybe she might be saved. Lastly, the Grimm brother’s version which was made hundred years back in Germany. During 1800’s, the gender roles and classes was still different. The role of the women were children, house or kitchen and church. And during this period, the women started to study at schools while men has the biggest role. They are the one who is earning and have right to study. The red garment remains, as does the wolf; like Perrault, the Grimms choose to gloss over the cannibalistic snack that the girl unwittingly makes of her grandmother, and “ happy” ending has been restored because a hunter comes to save both girl and grandmother. So, the twist here is the hunter. The sign of goodness who comes and saves the girl and grandmother from wolf and at the wolf died. “Look, little red Cap, here is the piece of cake and bottle of wine, take them to your grandmother”. The role of the girl is to deliver the food to her grandmother. She must be obedient to her mother.

Ever since, equality in our society has been the greatest issue. Many countries in our world is suffering inequality most especially women. In the story of Little Red Riding Hood and Little Red Cap, the little girl was not treated correctly by the wolf. “Well, I shall go and visit her, too. I will take this you shall take that road and let’s see who can get there fast, said the wolf”. The wolf chooses the shortest way to reach the house of grandmother. The way is not equal to run off. During the time of Perrault, only men rules the whole country and they are the only one who have the right to study while women are not allowed to involve in politics and dowry is a must for women to get marry. For the time of Grimm brothers in Germany in early 1800’s, the average female could not do anything without the permission of man. She was considered inferior to a man and men thinks that women are far better if they are mother and wife only. “So instead of firing, he took a pair of scissors and started cutting the sleeping wolf’s belly open. Both came out safe and alive”. The hunter treated the girl and grandmother equally. He saves them from the wolf because women also have the right to live fairly.

Lastly, the certain attitudes of the person whether he or she is abad or good person. France, for example, had indistinguishable sorts of issues from whatever is left of Europe: political, social and monetary strain exacerbated by religious division. Indeed, even equipped rulers and authorities had trouble administering France right now. “At that, the wicked wolf threw himself upon Little Red Riding Hood and gobbled her up too”. The wolf symbolizes evilness, he is very greedy and want to trap people with his sweet talks. He ate the grandmother and her grand daughter at last. The period of Grimm in Germany in early 1800’s had too much changes most especially in social change. A major social change was between 1800-1850 Depending on locale, was the finish of the conventional house framework, in which the owner's family lived respectively in one huge working with the servants and. They rearranged into discrete living game plans. The owner's wife no longer taking charge of all the household chores. A hunter was just passing, and he thought: “how old woman is snoring! I’s better go and see what is wrong.”. He entered the house and went to the room and saw the wolfing laying down. He killed the evilness in the house and the saved the two peoples. The hunter is sign of good and brave man.