MASARYK UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Department of English Language and Literature
Little Red Riding Hood Goes Feminist
Bachelor Thesis
Brno 2018
Supervisor
Mgr. Pavla Buchtová
Author
Veronika Jirků
Declaration
I hereby declare that I worked on the following thesis on my own and that I used only
the sources listed in the bibliography.
Prohlášení
Prohlašuji, že jsem závěrečnou bakalářskou práci vypracovala samostatně, s využitím
pouze citovaných literárních zdrojů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s
Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy university a se
zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb. o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským
a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů.
V Brně dne 28. 3. 2018
…………………………
Veronika Jirků
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Mgr. Pavla Buchtová for the useful
comments, remarks and guidance that she provided through the writing process of this
thesis.
Annotation
This thesis analyzes feminist features in the four versions of a tale best known as “Little
Red Riding Hood”. The sample of chosen versions includes a well-known version by
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm “The Little Red Cap” that serves best for the comparison with
the remaining three versions of the tale the choice of which was determined by the time
period in which the second-wave feminism has emerged. The contemporary versions of
the tale include the poem “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy, the short story “The
Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter and the poem “Little Red Riding Hood” by Olga
Broumas. The analyses of the contemporary versions are conducted with special regard
to the issues brought to attention in the second half of the twentieth century by the secondwave feminism.
Key words
Little Red Riding Hood, feminism, second-wave feminism, sexism, sexuality, fairy-tale,
fairy-tales
Anotace
Tato práce se zabývá analýzou feministických prvků ve čtyřech verzích příběhu nejlépe
známého jako „O Červené Karkulce“. Vzorek vybraných verzí zahrnuje známou verzi od
bratří Grimů „O Červené Karkulce“, která slouží nejlépe pro následné porovnání s dalšími
třemi verzemi příběhu, jejichž volba byla provedena na základě toho, že byly napsány
v druhé polovině dvacátého století; období druhé vlny feminismu. Tyto verze zahrnují
básně od Carol Ann Duffy a Olgy Broumas a povídku od Angely Carter. V analýzách
těchto pozdějších verzí příběhu je věnována zvláštní pozornost zejména problematice
zdůrazňované feminismem druhé vlny ve druhé polovině dvacátého století.
Klíčová slova
O Červené Karkulce, feminismus, druhá vlna feminismu, sexismus, sexualita, pohádka,
pohádky
Content
Introduction ............................................................................................................................7
1 On the history and purpose of fairy tales ............................................................................8
2 The second-wave feminism ................................................................................................ 12
2.1 Embracing sexuality ...................................................................................................... 14
2.2 Gaining independence ................................................................................................... 15
2.3 The power of sisterhood ................................................................................................ 16
2.4 Self-esteem ................................................................................................................... 17
3 Analysis of “The Little Red Cap” by Brothers Grimm..................................................... 19
3.1 Main symbols ................................................................................................................ 20
3.2 Sexual symbols ............................................................................................................. 21
3.3 Feminist features ........................................................................................................... 23
4 Analysis of “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy ........................................................... 26
4.1 Embracing sexuality ...................................................................................................... 26
4.2 Independence ................................................................................................................ 27
4.3 Sisterhood ..................................................................................................................... 29
4.4 Self-esteem ................................................................................................................... 30
4.5 Symbolism .................................................................................................................... 32
5 The analysis of “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter ......................................... 34
5.1 Embracing sexuality ...................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Independence ................................................................................................................ 37
5.3 Sisterhood ..................................................................................................................... 39
5.4 Self-esteem ................................................................................................................... 40
5.5 Symbolism .................................................................................................................... 41
6 Analysis of “Little Red Riding Hood” by Olga Broumas .................................................. 44
6.1 Embracing sexuality ...................................................................................................... 44
6.2 Independence ................................................................................................................ 45
6.3 Sisterhood ..................................................................................................................... 46
6.4 Self-esteem ................................................................................................................... 47
6.5 Symbolism .................................................................................................................... 48
7 The versions compared ...................................................................................................... 51
7.1 The refusal to be a victim .............................................................................................. 52
7.2 Rebirth .......................................................................................................................... 53
7.3 The wolf as a love interest ............................................................................................. 55
5
7.4 The absence of savior archetype .................................................................................... 56
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 58
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 60
6
Introduction
Fairy tales are no longer mere stories for children. Thorough centuries, they have become
a source of inspiration for many authors and were remodeled into many forms. Fairy tales
keep growing and as a consequence their genre is immortal. These short narratives are
usually the first ones that a child comes to contact with. For this reason, we should be
cautious about the messages that they convey.
Even though fairy tales survive and many of them can be learned from, they possess many
features that are no longer relevant. Some fairy tales do not set a good example as they
reflect old-fashioned values. Many fairy tales have emerged during the times the
patriarchy was at power. As a consequence, a number of fairy tales reflect sexist
patriarchal values into the modern society.
Many feminist writers in the second half of the twentieth century were able to see how
unjustly fairy tales treat female characters and decided to transform them. This thesis
explores the transformation of one of the most famous tales best-known as the tale of
“Little Red Riding Hood” and attempts to finds common feminist features in three
contemporary versions of the tale. Furthermore, it explains why the well-known version
of the tale is not a feminist one and answers what makes the female protagonists of the
contemporary versions feminist.
It was the fascination with fairy tales combined with interest in feminist literature that
sparkled the idea to combine the two and to write a thesis that would uncover the flawed
side of the well-known tale. It was my priority to find an intriguing topic that would
nourish both my passion for children literature and my interest in feminist literary
criticism.
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1 On the history and purpose of fairy tales
Millions of parents around the world read fairy tales as bed time stories to their children,
knowing little about their origin or the impact they can have on their offspring’s
development and perception of self. Fairy tales are ever present, references to them are to
be found in art, poetry, movies, songs and even commercials. These short narratives are
often subjects of allusions in both old and contemporary pieces of literature. Establishing
the purpose of fairy tales is much simpler than tracing its origins back to the very
beginning. This chapter is a short survey to the purpose and history of fairy tales.
Fairy tales, a genre rooted in oral tradition have a great deal of functions. They were never
told without a purpose. If not told to entertain, they were shared because of the messages
hidden in between the lines or stated clear and loud.
These tales were not always as intricate as we know them. As the narrative form of speech
has started to develop, narratives were used mainly to form tales which were told to
entertain or to accompany some rituals (Zipes, 2006, p. 13).
As they developed, narrative stories have started to gain much deeper meaning and as
Zipes (2012) states, “they have evolved into both an elaborate and simple
narrative” (p. 9). We can assume that when Zipes (2012) uses the words elaborate and
simple to describe fairy tales, he is referring to the contrast between their meaning and
form. While the meaning of fairy tales is encrypted and often concerning both the serious
and the less vital problematic of everyday life, the form remains simple and
straightforward. It is this stark contrast in between the message and the form what makes
fairy tales so universal and popular.
Fairy tales, despite having a problematic definition, have some common features which
help us distinguish them from other literary genres.
In her book Once upon a time, Marina Warner (2014), describes fairy tales subsequently:
First, ‘a fairy tale’ is a short narrative, sometimes less than a single page,
sometimes running to many more, but the term no longer applies, as it once
did, to a novel length work. Secondly, fairy tales are familiar stories, either
verifiably old, because they have been passed down the generations or
because the listener or reader is struck by their family resemblance to
another story; they can appear pieced and patched, like an identikit
photofit. The genre belongs in the general realm of folklore, and many
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fairy tales are called ‘folk tales’, and are attributed to oral tradition, and
considered anonymous and popular in the sense of originating not among
an elite, but among the unlettered, the Volk (the people in German, as in
‘Volkswagen’, the ‘People’s Car’).” (2014, p. xvi)
The definition by Marina Warner (2014) seems to be straightforward and clear. From her
words, we can gather that fairy tales are short stories, nowadays not more than few pages
long, which were brought to life by common people and are still present until today thanks
to their adaptability and the oral tradition. However, there are some problematic areas in
defining the genre. To give an example, Eisfield (2015) states in her book How Fairy
Tales Live Happily Ever After: (Analyzing) The Art of Adapting Fairy Tales that “as subgenre, the fairy tale belongs to the genre of general folktales, which also includes
legends, fables and myths. However, the lines between those sub-genres are often
indistinct and can blur easily, making it impossible to be properly distinguished from
one other” (p. 12). The existence of legends, fables and myths makes it harder to define
fairy tales. As Warner (2014) said, fairy tales can be “pieced and patched” (p. xvi) which
makes it very difficult to distinguish where they originated and what was their primal
form.
Further on, Marina Warner (2014) continues with her definition of fairy tale by
introducing yet another characteristic:
A third defining characteristic of fairy tales follows organically from the implied
oral and popular tradition: the necessary presence of the past makes itself felt
through combinations and recombinations of familiar plots and characters,
devices and images … (p. xvii)
This characteristic states that fairy tales are not fixed, they went through many changes
since they first emerged and kept changing ever since. This ability to adapt makes them
universal and adds to their popularity in great amount. The reason why fairy tales are so
popular hundreds of years after they started to form in the homes of people, is because
they are able to keep up with the proceeding time and to keep growing.
The fourth characteristic that Warner (2014) introduces, deals with imagination, which
is, according to her, the language of fairy tales. Further on, she introduces certain features
typical for fairy tales such as certain character archetypes, motifs which tend to recur in
the genre, and the symbolism (p. xix).
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As we can see there are many features that are helpful in defining the genre. For the
purposes of this thesis, it is their ability to change to the whims of both storytellers and
listeners altogether with the symbolic value contained in fairy tales.
Now that the genre has been roughly defined, the following paragraphs are centered on
another, equally important feature of their being – the time they came to exist. As was
mentioned in the previous paragraphs, fairy tales have abundance of functions and are
valuable for the history of literature but it is unclear when exactly they have emerged.
The matter of the origins and the exact time of the onset of fairy tales is hard to decipher.
Zipes (2012) noted that “it is impossible to trace the historical origins and evolution of
fairy tales to a particular time and place” (p. 2). While acknowledging this information,
one would deduce that we can only guess when and where the era of fairy tales began.
Zipes (2012) also remarks that “we do know that humans began telling tales as soon as
they developed the capacity of speech” (p. 2) which allows us to make our guess a bit
more accurate and educated.
There has been many research conducted on the topic of human language and while the
findings might differ in details, the most important feature remains. Robbins Burling
(2005) estimates in his book The Talking Ape: how language evolved, that “the full
capacity for language was in place 35,000 years ago, more than 20,000 years before the
beginning of agriculture or urban life ” (p. 182). This takes us thousands of years back to
where speech did not resemble a language as we know it today. It is very difficult to
estimate how many centuries have passed until a first narrative which resembled a fairy
tale emerged.
As it is becoming apparent, the oral tradition of fairy tales does not allow us to accurately
trace its origins. Tales have roamed the world long before they were first written down
and preserved but we simply do not have any record of that.
During the history of fairy tales, there came a point where, in addition to their oral form,
they gained a written form as well. According to Zipes (2012), the written form of folk
tales appeared much later than one would expect. “General theories about the origins and
spread of the folk tales leading to the formation of the literary tales were first conceived
only at the beginning of the nineteenth century” (p. 121). To give an example of some of
the most famous collectors of folktales and fairy tales who began to transform oral tales
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into the written form, it is certainly appropriate to mention Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
(Zipes, 2012, p. 121).
To conclude, fairy tales are an immortal genre. Written or told, they are ever present in
our lives and, despite gaining their written form, fairy tales have never stopped evolving
and expanding. It is an old literary genre which circles around for hundreds of years. Its
tradition has been passed from one generation to another, carrying a legacy no other genre
ever could. Ensuring never ending popularity by their relevance and adaptability, fairy
tales survive.
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2 The second-wave feminism
This chapter provides an explanation of basic terms regarding feminism and defines some
of the ideas of the second-wave feminism which spread thorough the Europe and USA in
the second half of the twentieth century and which are therefore relevant for the purposes
of this thesis.
A definition from the book Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks (2000) states that
“feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression” (p. 1). To
clarify Hooks definition, it is essential to also understand the term of sexism. According
to The Dictionary of Feminist Theory sexism is “a social relationship in which males have
authority over females” (Humm, 1995, p. 258).
The definition of feminism by Hooks is applicable no matter the time period in which we
want to define the term. As Hooks (2000) also says, this definition does not imply that
men are the enemy of women and does not exclude any gender from the possibility of
being the victim of sexism. Hooks herself adds that “practically, it is a definition which
implies that all sexist thinking and action is the problem, whether those who perpetuate it
are female or male, child or adult” (p. 1). What Hooks means is that feminism’s biggest
concern is sexism and the imbalance of power between the sexes and it is important to
realize that it is not only men who can be sexist.
As the core of this thesis deals with the feminist issues featured in the contemporary
versions of the story of LRRH and examines the influence of feminist ideas on the
development of the story, it is necessary to define some of the main feminist ideas of the
second half of the twentieth century as it was in this period that the versions were written.
Feminism of this time period is called second-wave feminism and it appeared after the
Second World War in number of countries (Walters, 2005, p. 97). To provide more
understanding for this term, let us look at the definitions of both first-wave and secondwave feminism. In her book Feminism (2001) Jane Freedman gives a summary of the
two:
In an attempt at some kind of classification, histories of feminism have talked
about the historical appearance of strong feminist movements at different
moments as a series of ‘waves’. Thus ‘first-wave’ feminism is used to refer to the
late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century feminist movements that
were concerned (although not exclusively) with gaining equal rights for women,
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particularly the right of suffrage. ‘Second-wave’ feminism refers to the resurgence
of feminist activity in the late 1960s and 1970s, when protest again centred around
women’s inequality, although this time not only in terms of women’s lack of equal
political rights but in the areas of family, sexuality and work. (p. 4)
Through the means of this short definition, we can see that thorough the centuries, the
priorities of feminism had changed. In the second half of the twentieth century, feminism
grew and expanded into different areas. Apart from the political equality, it also targeted
the family life, the work life and the sexual life of women.
In addition to being different in its reach, feminism was no longer a singular noun.
Thorough the second half of the twentieth century, many feminisms were formed, each
of them responding to different priorities. In the book Separate roads to feminism: Black,
Chicana, and White feminist movements in America’s second wave (2004), the author
argues that “the second wave has to be understood as a group of feminisms, movements
made by activist women that were largely organizationally distinct from one another, and
from the beginning, largely organized along racial/ethnic lines” (Roth, p. 3). This new
feature of feminism assured that even women of color, different sexual orientation or
lower class were included in the fight against sexism and participated in the struggle for
equality.
The second-wave feminism dealt mainly with the areas of family, sexuality and work but
also raised awareness about number of different issues. For the purposes of thesis, the
topics of female sexuality, independence, sisterhood and self-esteem are the most relevant
and for this reason the following subchapters deal with them in detail.
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2.1 Embracing sexuality
Concerning female sexuality, the second-wave feminism was spreading the idea that a
woman is a sexual human being who does not exist solely to pleasure men. In her book
Feminism is for everybody (2000), Hooks claims that “sexist thinking taught to females
from birth on had made it clear that the domain of sexual desire and sexual pleasure was
always and only male, that only a female of little or no virtue would lay claim to sexual
need or sexual hunger” (p. 85). This way of thinking did not allow women to fully express
themselves sexually. If they did, they were considered to be promiscuous and their sexual
behavior stained their good name. This stigmatization of female sexual behavior resulted
in feelings of shame in females when encountering sexual urges. “Divided by sexist
thinking into the roles of madonnas or whores, females had no basis on which to construct
a healthy sexual self” (Hooks, 2000, p. 85). Women themselves feared their sexuality and
therefore were not capable to make a valuable connection with their bodies.
What is more, no matter whether a woman had the role of a “madonna” or a “whore”,
both were problematic, as they were roles based on a woman’s sexual behavior or her
desires. We can hardly call this division natural, or healthy. No matter at which side of
the classification scale a woman was, neither side resulted in healthy self-esteem or selflove which are important qualities every emancipated woman should possess. Qualities
which were also brought to attention by the contemporary feminism (Hooks, 2000, p. 31).
The time period of second-wave feminism was sexually liberating for both women and
men. “While pleasure did not mean the same thing to every woman, it nonetheless became
synonymous, briefly, with liberation” (Gerhard, 2001, p. 2). Being able to perceive
themselves as sexual beings without guilt helped women to gain power over themselves
and their bodies. This sexual liberation brought to life by second-wave feminists reflected
not only in the private lives of women but also in the contemporary literature. In her book
Desiring Revolution (2001), Gerhard asserts that “despite the marginalizing of women’s
writing, women writers wrote about sex throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Feminist fiction
writers of the 1970s engaged with this tradition as well” (p. 126).
Many literary works and well known stories were written or rewritten by second wave
feminist writers in order to strip the works of sexism and to endow them with feminist
ideas. “Writers of feminist fiction borrowed from each literary world motifs of liberation
and satisfaction, of sex and romance, of subjectivity and selfhood. To that combination,
14
they added a new element: feminism.” (Gerhard, 2001, p. 127) As a result, this powerful
mix of features brought many feminist characters to life.
2.2 Gaining independence
Sexual abuse, oppression, and the imbalance of power between the sexes all led to females
being depended on males. Many women sought validation in their male counterparts, they
were financially and emotionally dependent on them and it was considered a norm. The
second-wave feminists fought against the patriarchal structure of the society in order to
gain their independence.
In the book Living with Patriarchy (2011), the concept of patriarchy is defined as “the
relationship of a dominant group, considered superior, to a subordinate group, considered
inferior, in which the dominance is mitigated by mutual obligations and reciprocal rights”
(Lerner quoted by Majstorović and Lassen, p. 1). Drawing conclusion from this definition
of patriarchy, we learn that it does not allow women to function on their own and it
imposes a certain degree of dependence on them.
“For second-wave feminists, the relationships between men and women constituted the
very infrastructure upon which other oppressions relied” (Gerhard, 2001, p. 194).
Females were oppressed by males and there was a tangible difference in the balance of
power between men and women which, due to male domination, could result in violence.
Hooks states that “sexist thinking continues to support male domination and the violence
that is a consequence” (2000, p. 64). To end the oppression and abuse, the second-wave
feminists wanted to raise awareness about the violence in order to eradicate it. The
journey to this eradication was not thought to be easy. Hooks contemplates that “until
they (men) unlearn the sexist thinking that tells them they have a right to rule over women
by any means, male violence against women will continue to be a norm” (2000, p. 65). It
was the second wave feminists who draw the attention to this sensitive and important
topic and set the foundations for the next generations of feminists to tackle this issue and
to change what was considered to be normal.
Closely connected to female independence was lesbian feminism which was one of many
feminisms of the second-wave. “Some lesbians insisted that they were central to women’s
liberation because their very existence threatens male supremacy at its most vulnerable
15
point” (Walters, 2005, p. 107). Though this assertion is radical, it is, to a certain degree,
truthful. A life of a lesbian was rich and content despite the absence of men. Lesbian
feminists were capable of complete independence and therefore their well-being did not
rely on men. They knew their self-worth much better as it was not defined by men in their
life. “We will never know how many millions of women stay in relationships with
dominating sexist males simply because they cannot imagine a life where they can be
happy without men, whether they are satisfied sexually and emotionally with the men in
their life or not” (Hooks, 2000, p. 95). This dependence, whether sexual, emotional or
financial, prevented women from being content on their own, to nurture their self-esteem
and to truly respect themselves.
Lesbian feminism of the second-wave was an engine pushing women independence
forward. In her essays, Estelle Freedman explains:
Lesbian feminism, by affirming the primacy of women’s relationships with each
other and by providing an alternative feminist culture, forced many nonlesbians
to reevaluate their relationships with men, male institutions, and male values. In
the process, feminists have put to rest the myth of female dependence on men and
rediscovered the significance of woman bonding. (2006, p. 34)
This power of female unity and the capability to learn from one another, despite the
differences in sexual preferences, is what helped to redefine woman’s self-esteem and to
realize their self-worth.
2.3 The power of sisterhood
In the second half of the twentieth century, the sexism was so deeply rooted that it
resonated even between women themselves (Hooks, p. 14). It was women realizing the
power of unity that allowed changes to happen. With the realization that other women are
neither the enemy nor the competition but can be a valuable ally, feminism stood a great
chance at fighting sexism and patriarchy. “Feminist sisterhood is rooted in shared
commitment to struggle against patriarchal injustice, no matter the form that injustice
takes. Political solidarity between women always undermines sexism and sets the stage
for the overthrow of patriarchy” (Hooks, p. 15).
There was, unfortunately, a slight problem concerning the concept of sisterhood among
women. A division was created between the women with better social background and
16
the others. Their priorities differed and due to internalized sexism in which the groups
from a different background or of a different color were not capable of working together
towards a common aim, the value of sisterhood slowly deteriorated. For some, however,
sisterhood was still valuable and it survived. Women who were able to see through
internalized sexism, racism and classism were able to bond and to create a sisterhood of
women with similar aims and great determination (Hooks, pp. 16-17).
Bell Hooks advocates the concept of sisterhood and its immortality as one of the vital
components of feminism in her book Feminism is for everybody:
Radical groups of women continue our commitment to building sisterhood, to
making feminist political solidarity between women an ongoing reality. We
continue the work of bonding across race and class. We continue to put in place
the anti-sexist thinking and practice which affirms the reality that females can
achieve self-actualization and success without dominating one another. And we
have the good fortune to know every day of our lives that sisterhood is concretely
possible, that sisterhood is still powerful. (2000, pp. 17-18)
To conclude, the power of sisterhood was vital as it helped to eradicate internalized
sexism among women and to create relationships which are not based on dominance
rooted in the differences of class or race. The presence of this powerful component of
feminism will be searched for in all the contemporary pieces of literature this thesis
analyzes and dealt with in detail.
2.4 Self-esteem
Self-esteem, without which it is impossible to develop healthy self-perception, is an
essential part of feminist ideologies (Hooks, 2000, p. 31). It is very closely connected to
the female independence. When a woman loves herself, she is able to favor her needs
over the needs of her male or female counterpart and is therefore in no way dependent on
them.
By using the term self-esteem, the author of this thesis means to refer to self-respect, selflove and all actions taken by a woman to preserve her mental and physical well-being.
Even though this element of the second-wave feminism might not be of the most
prominent ones, it is the element which drove feminism forward and is strongly connected
to the previously mentioned aspects of it. Females who began to respect themselves and
17
who have realized that they deserve to be treated differently and equally, were the engines
driving forward all the feminisms that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century.
Simply put, self-esteem in females is one of the cornerstones of feminism. For this
reason, the author of this thesis has decided to search for signs of self-esteem in all
contemporary versions of the story in order to analyze its impacts on the stories’
development.
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3 Analysis of “The Little Red Cap” by Brothers Grimm
The story of a little girl wearing a red hood who encounters a wolf on her way to her
grandmother is best known under the name “Little Red Riding Hood”. For this reason the
abbreviation LRRH is used to refer to the general representative of one of the best-known
versions – “The Little Red Cap” by Brothers Grimm and also to its protagonist. Additional
reason for the usage of this abbreviation is to avoid confusion with the poems “Little RedCap” by Carol Ann Duffy and “Little Red Riding Hood” by Olga Broumas which are
analyzed later in this thesis.
The tale of LRRH exists in many versions and forms. Even though there is abundance of
the narratives, this chapter deals with the most famous version. The reason for this
analysis is to ensure the capability to compare the narrative which is well known with the
narratives which were written later and are therefore not as widely spread.
The LRRH by brothers Grimm is one of the most notorious version of the story. “In 1812,
the Grimm Brothers delivered the second classic version of “Little Red Riding Hood”,
based on Perrault's narrative, which had already become widely known through printed
editions and oral transmissions by people from different social classes” (Zipes, 19831984, p. 80). This analysis focuses on the LRRH titled “The Little Red Cap” from the
very first edition of the Grimm’s tales retrieved from the book The Original Folk and
Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition (2015). The following
subchapters deal with its essential symbols, metaphors and also explore the gender
conflict in the story.
It is important to mention that as the analysis of this version was not written with regard
to other folklore versions of the story. Many inaccuracies might arise when taking other
folklore version or even later versions by the Grimm into consideration. For this reason,
this analysis will deal solely with the very first version by Brothers Grimm, the most
wide-spread version of the story. This analysis will not take into account other, later
versions of the story.
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3.1 Main symbols
The story by Brothers Grimm is full of symbols which, when deciphered, convey a
message that some find applicable even today. This chapter and the following one deal
with the most prominent symbols of the story and joins them together to decipher the
meaning of the whole story.
The red cap is one of the most defining features of the heroine of the story. Its symbolic
value adds to the definition of the protagonist’s character. At the beginning of the story,
we learn that LRRH got her name after her grandmother gifted her with a small, red velvet
cap. The little girl always wanted to wear it and so the people started to call her
accordingly.
The color red might symbolize maturity of the character or in this case, to be more precise,
her entrance to maturity – the first periodical cycle. Common association with color red
is passion. This noun connotes sexual behavior which confirms the fact that the
protagonist is on the verge of sexual maturity.
Another great symbol we can find in the story is a path. To be more precise it is the path
which LRRH is told not to stray away from. The little girl is on the verge to her passage
into a woman. When she meets the wolf she is easily tempted, or even manipulated into
the possibility to stray away and gets easily distracted from her goal. This all happens in
the forest which is unknown to the protagonist and therefore might symbolize the adult
life.
The desire to explore is stronger than the willingness to obey the rules which signifies the
protagonist’s curiosity for new and unknown things. The part of the story where LRRH
chooses to stray away from the path symbolizes her early passage from childhood to
adulthood.
On the path, LRRH meets the wolf who might symbolize many things but in this version,
he mostly plays the part of a wicked predator. The Grimm’s version of the story says:
“However, Little Red Cap didn’t know what a wicked sort of animal he was and was not
afraid of him” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes, 2015, p. 85). As we can see, there is a certain
undertone which makes it easy to imagine that the wolf is a metaphor for a wicked man
who is trying to seduce the maturing girl with his cunningness. In her book The Hard
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Facts of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales (1987), Maria Tatar’s words support this interpretation
as she states that “there again, strength confronts weakness and any predatory power can
be substituted for the wolf, with any innocent standing for the heroine” (p. 51). In other
words, this part of the story is an allusion to real life situations, in which young females
are being manipulated by older, more experienced men.
In the story by Brothers Grimm, there is a character which does not appear in the
contemporary stories this thesis further deals with – the huntsman. Nevertheless, a part of
this analysis takes interest in him as his character carries important symbolic value in this
version of the story and is vital for the later analyses of other versions.
The huntsman is a father figure. His protective qualities and the fact that he saved both
LRRH and her grandmother show that he is the opposite of the wolf and gives an example
of a man who is virtuous and kind. However, there is a downside to the presence of the
character.
The huntsman is important to the female characters of the story and the way they and
their capability to take care of themselves is depicted. Unfortunately, the presence of the
huntsman does not have a positive impact on the characters of women. The huntsman
builds a wall in between the female characters and their self-reliance and puts them into
the roles of damsels in distress. Without the character of the huntsman, the female
characters would be doomed. The presence of a male savior in this story is especially
important for the feminist issues featured in the contemporary stories this thesis deals
with.
3.2 Sexual symbols
The sexual symbolism is to be found in several parts of the story. There is evidence
implying sexual desires, behavior and abuse. This subchapter deals with the sexual
implications and analyzes the story’s most prominent sexual symbols.
Although there are no direct mentions of sexuality in the story, from the context it is
apparent that it is present. On the topic of sexuality in this version, Bettelheim says that
“no sexuality is directly or indirectly mentioned; it may be subtly implied” (2010, p. 241).
The greatest sexual symbol of the story is the color red which is the color of the cap. Red
is a color of menstrual blood, of passion, and it is also associated with seduction. The
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protagonist wearing a red cap might be considered a parallel to a woman wearing red
lipstick. In sexist society, such behavior would be considered lascivious and the given
woman would be held responsible in case of male sexual violence. In other words, by the
rules of patriarchy, she would be “asking for it”. In the same way, LRRH is, according to
the implications of brothers Grimm, at blame for what had happened to her (Zipes, 2012,
p. 141-142). By little hints, the Grimm version implies that the protagonist is held
responsible for the sexual abuse she was subjected to for her alluring appearance.
Another symbol which might be considered to be sexual is the bottle. When the character
of mother gives the bottle of wine and the cake to LRRH to carry it to her grandmother,
she says: “Go directly there and don’t stray away from the path, otherwise you’ll fall and
break the glass, and your grandmother will get nothing” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes,
2015, p. 85). This line seems to carry no further message than the worry of the mother for
her daughter but when put into the context of the story, there is a certain symbolic value
the bottle of wine might carry. The bottle might represent the LRRH’s virginity. To make
this conclusion, we must connect “breaking the bottle” with “straying away from the
path” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes, 2015, p. 85) which means going to the deep forest that
represents the unknown – adult life. On this path, LRRH might come across someone
dangerous and wicked. When the protagonist’s mother advises her not to stray away, it is
not the wine she is worried about, it is her daughter’s chastity and the fragility of it. . This
analysis is supported by the interpretation of Erich Fromm who, when analyzing the
Grimm’s version, also came to the conclusion that the bottle is a symbol of the LRRH’s
virginity (Tatar, 1987, p. 43). Furthermore, the word “fall” might signal a decline in
morals which might occur as soon as the girl strays away from the path.
There is, however, a slight problem with interpreting the bottle as the protagonist’s
virginity. At the end of the story, the grandmother gets better after eating the cake and
drinking the wine. For this reason, we should assume that the wine itself is not supposed
to represent the LRRH’s chastity but the bottle containing it is. The wine might symbolize
some sort of feminine power or energy, or simply womanhood. To prove this, there is no
further evidence in the story which leaves the interpretation of the symbolism of wine
uncertain.
Another occurrence of sexual subtext can be found further in the story. When LRRH
meets the wolf, he asks: “What are you carrying under your apron?” (Grimm, Dezsö,
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Zipes, 2015, p. 85). According to the definition in The new penguin English dictionary
(2000), an apron is “a garment tied round the waist and used to protect clothing” (p. 65).
Apron traditionally covers the whole torso and also a part of lower limbs in order to
protect the wearer from getting their clothes dirty. When we consider that it covers bosom
and genitalia, it is not farfetched to assume that sexual implication is present in this
question.
“The Little Red Cap” is possibly a story about sexual abuse. There is evidence which
allows us to interpret the wolf’s character as a character of a man with intentions to rape
LRRH. Towards the end of the story, after the wolf is dead and the protagonist learns her
lesson, she encounters another wolf in the forest but this time, she refuses to speak to him.
Later, she tells her grandmother about her encounter with the wolf and she says that “he
would have eaten her if they hadn’t been on the open road” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes, 2015,
p. 88). To translate this utterance into an explicit language, the man that the protagonist
encountered would not hesitate to attack her sexually if there were no witnesses.
To conclude, “The Little Red Cap” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm is an allegory to the
reality of rape. It is a story that warns adolescent girls to obey their mothers and to protect
their chastity by not talking to strange men. Even though its symbolism might not convey
the message of the story loud and clear, the sexual implications and the implications of
rape are, with no doubt, present in the story.
3.3 Feminist features
As the further analyses of the more contemporary versions of the LRRH focus not only
on the symbolism occurring in the story but also on its feminist issues, it is important to
deal with those even in this version of the story to make sure the comparison of the
narratives is as accurate as possible.
In the version by the Brothers Grimm there is abundance of symbolism connected to the
character of LRRH yet there is very little depth to the character. All we inexplicitly learn
about the female protagonist is that she is on the verge of adolescence and that she is
disobedient and easy to manipulate. LRRH as the Brothers Grimm wrote her, is a female
protagonist defined strictly by other, mostly male, characters.
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During the story, LRRH takes many roles and none of them seems to respond to her actual
character. The protagonist is easy to manipulate and seems to not have her own mind.
When the protagonist is introduced, she is being instructed by her mother. This, of course,
is a common occurrence among parents and their children. It is what comes next that
implies how easy it is to manipulate the protagonist into doing something she was told
not to. When LRRH meets the wolf, he encourages her to look around and to see the
beauty of the surroundings. Without giving it a second thought, she lets the wolf to tempt
her into straying away from the path, suspecting nothing at all. This shows how easily the
protagonist can be controlled.
Further in the story, when the wolf devours the grandmother and lies in her bed in her
clothes, LRRH finally arrives and in the way she is describing the situation, it is apparent
that something is not the way it should be. “Oh my God, how frightened I feel today, and
usually I like to be at grandmothers” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes, 2015, p. 86). This thought
indicates that the protagonist evaluated the situation as potentially dangerous but she
decided to stay. She also describes her grandmother as having a strange appearance but
instead of abandoning the situation she finds herself in, she starts asking question which
assure her more and more that her grandmother is, in fact, someone else. In this passage
of the story, the one where the protagonist asks the wolf questions, wondering about the
differences between him and her grandmother, we can see that LRRH is sure something
is not quite right but she does not run away. It is questionable why the protagonist behaves
this way.
One explanation for the protagonist’s behavior is that the character is not smart enough
to realize that her life is at stake. Another explanation is that her need to be polite is
stronger than her instinct to survive. The protagonist rather stays with the stranger in her
grandmother’s bed so as not to offend him by running away and saving her own life.
Either way, the situation ends badly for her as she gets “gobbled up” (Grimm, Dezsö,
Zipes, 2015, p. 87) by the wolf.
The story could have ended very differently if the protagonist listened to her instincts and
fled or called for help. She, however, became a victim, someone who needs to be saved.
Thorough the whole story, LRRH is painted as a character who is incapable of her own
decisions and thinking. She is either given orders or manipulated into doing things she
would not think of on her own. This unfortunately makes her a rather two dimensional
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character and not a very good role model for young girls. The character of LRRH Brothers
Grimm is a negative role model as her behavior is not to be copied but avoided.
The fact that LRRH by Brothers Grimm victimization might have been avoided if she
fled does not make her responsible for what had happened to her. It is not the girl who
should have done something differently, but the wolf who should not have abuse her in
the first place. It is important to clarify that the reaction of LRRH to the situation is
analyzed solely to depict the character, not to blame the victim.
The well-known story is accompanied by an addition that is not as famous. It is about an
incident in which the protagonist encounters another wolf and this time she is “on her
guard” (Grimm, Dezsö, Zipes, 2015, p. 88). She tells her grandmother of the wolf and
together they outsmart him. They pour water from boiled sausages into a well, the wolf
cannon resist the smell and jumps in. This part of the story shows a certain degree of
female independence and also a sense of sisterhood as the two female characters save
themselves from the wolf. On the other hand it also teaches women that they are at blame
if a man harms them. It conveys the message that if the protagonist was “on her guard”
the first time, she might not get eaten by the wolf. When we consider the fact that it is a
story of rape, the ending says that the victim is at blame for not being cautious enough.
To conclude, the version by the Brothers Grimm does not allow to function the main
female character as self-reliant, independent and being able to take care of herself until
the very end and even then it treats her as reformed despite the fact that she essentially
did nothing wrong. Additionally, it blames the victim rather than the abuser. This version
of the story is not a feminist one. Due to this fact, however, it is the perfect example to
which later versions inspired by the story of LRRH can be compared.
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4 Analysis of “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, born in 1955 in Glasgow, is a female poet who is “one of the most
important poets in contemporary British poetry” (Ismal Bala, 2012). “Little Red-Cap” by
Carol Ann Duffy is a piece of poetry published in 1999 as a part of her poetry collection
The World’s Wife. The poem is inspired by the story of LRRH. Its narrator is a young
woman going through her passage from childhood to adulthood. The poem is opposing
the traditional version of the story as we know it, especially when considering the male
and female roles in it. The original story “The Little Red Cap” by Brothers Grimm is a
story of male power over women and its symbolism implies sexual violence towards its
protagonist. The poem by Carol Ann Duffy completely alters the tone of the original story
and touches many feminist subjects while doing so. The following subchapters analyze
the poem while taking second-wave feminism issues into consideration.
4.1 Embracing sexuality
“Little Red-Cap” by Duffy is a story of transition. It is a story about the journey from
childhood to adulthood, or to use Duffy’s (1999) words, from “playing fields” to “the
edge of the woods”.
In the version by Brothers Grimm, LRRH is metaphorically abused by the wolf and he is
the one to control her. In this version, we get a radical change in the protagonist’s
behavior. The author implies more than once that the protagonist knows her own mind
and while she is gaining her sexual maturity, she is open to her desires and has no fear to
fulfil them. The protagonist is willing to engage sexually with the wolf, and seems to take
no shame in letting him seduce her. In the poem she states “I made quite sure he spotted
me” (Duffy, 1999) which puts the protagonist into a very different position from the one
LRRH by Grimm was in. In Duffy’s version, it is not only the wolf, but also the
protagonist who is on her hunt. The fact that the protagonist is well aware of her actions
and willingly encourages the wolf to buy her a drink by making sure he notices her makes
her a very different character from the one brothers Grimm created.
When the wolf buys the protagonist a drink, she explains why she choose to enter “the
woods” – the world of adulthood. Her short explanation is “poetry”. The meaning of this
could be numerous. In the next line, she states “The wolf, I knew, would lead me deep
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into the woods,/ away from home, to a dark tangled thorny place/ lit by the eyes of
owls…” (Duffy, 1999) which might indicate that the protagonist believes that this
experience will enrich her not only physically but also mentally. She expects being able
to get away from her comfort zone – her home, and to find something profound when she
allows the wolf to lead her. The protagonist is aware of what is going to follow and is
comfortable with the idea of it. Even though she lets the wolf to take the lead, she feels
in control over her actions.
Further in the poem, there is additional explanation of the significance of the term
“poetry”. The line that says that “breath of the wolf in her ear, was the love poem” (Duffy,
1999) unravels that the protagonist is not searching for solely sexual relationship. It
indicates that what might seem as a search to satisfy a sexual desire is becoming a desire
for something much stronger and affectionate. In other words, the protagonist starts to
have feelings for the man she decided to lose her virginity with. The “poetry”, as the
protagonist chooses to refer to it, is what she is looking for – some sort of spiritual and
intellectual enrichment or connection.
There is a significant line in the fourth stanza. The line rhetorically asks “what little girl
doesn’t dearly love a wolf?” (Duffy, 1999). This line is vital as it clearly expresses the
protagonist’s feelings towards the wolf. From this line, it is safe to assume that what has
started as physical relationship is becoming something more, at least from the
protagonist’s point of view.
As for the topic of embracing sexuality, this poem has tremendous amount of empowering
metaphors and situations. It puts the female into the position of power over herself, her
sexuality and her male companion. This is a novelty not often associated with the story
of “The Little Red Cap” by Brothers Grimm which was originally a story of a protagonist
who does not have her own mind.
4.2 Independence
As we established in the previous subchapter, there is no doubt that the protagonist of
Carol Ann Duffy’s “Little Red-Cap” is a feminist character. The protagonist of “The
Little Red Cap” by Grimm is not depicted as an independent character at all. In the case
of LRRH by Grimm, it is the character of the wolf who controls the fate of the protagonist,
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and later in the story, the protagonist’s life depends on the character of huntsman. The
poem by Carol Ann Duffy, however, has a different development than the original version
and as we proceed in reading, we uncover the complexity of the character.
The first indicator of the protagonist’s self-reliance and independence is strongly
connected with the matter the previous sub-chapter deals with. The protagonist is
independent on her journey to “the woods” – the adulthood. She has her own mind and
decides to follow the wolf. During this passage, we get insight into what the protagonist
is thinking and she even provides an explanation for her actions. This signifies that she
independently chooses to follow the wolf into the woods which are a metaphor for adult
life, while in the original version by the Grimm, the protagonist is manipulated and lured
into straying away from the path.
Another indicator of her independence is to be found in the fourth stanza in which the
protagonist says “then I slid from between his heavy matted paws/ and went in search of
a living bird – white dove – “(Duffy, 1999). This action illustrates that the protagonist is
still content to spend some time alone, even after discovering the companion of a man
she clearly enjoyed. It also suggests that even after engaging with a man sexually, she is
not intending to obey him. The word “slid” has a hint of secrecy, it informs us that this is
not what the wolf would like to happen but the protagonist chooses to do so despite the
fact that he might disapprove. This description of the action also gives away more about
the character of the wolf. It can be gathered that the wolf, even though he is not depicted
as the traditional predator of the original version, has inclinations towards controlling and
possessiveness.
As we learn in the sixth stanza, the story is being told in retrospective. The protagonist
states: “But then I was young – and it took ten years/ in the woods…” (Duffy, 1999)
which means that what had happened did not end after the one night spent together but it
lasted ten long years. It is obvious, towards the end of the poem, that the protagonist is
no longer satisfied with her relationship with the wolf and that the dissatisfaction has
lasted for a longer period of time. This provokes questions concerning the reasons the
protagonist decided to stay with the wolf regardless her dissatisfaction. One reasonable
explanation is the search for something more enriching, hoping there is a connection yet
to be discovered. It must also be taken in consideration that the protagonist is fascinated
by the “poetry” of the man she lives with. When we go back to the beginning of the poem,
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we learn that “he stood clearing, reading his verse out loud” (Duffy, 1999). This depiction
suggests that even though he was unwilling to enrich the protagonists’ life consciously,
he was still a sophisticated and educated man and perhaps the protagonist had stayed in
hopes to convince him to satisfy her hunger for enrichment. After the ten years, the
protagonist loses her patience and realizes that the relationship is a dead end and there is
no reason to keep it alive.
From the tone of the sixth stanza it seems that the protagonist feels trapped in the circle
of stereotype. “A greying wolf/ howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out,/
season after season, same rhyme, same reason…”(Duffy, 1999). She slowly starts to
realize that the reason she stayed no longer fascinates her. She sees through the wolf and
knows him too well to realize that he has nothing more to offer.
In this version of the story, the protagonist does not need help of a male to free herself
from the wolf. She takes action and decides it is time to break the circle she currently
lives in. She frees herself by taking an axe and killing the wolf by cutting him “scrotum
to throat” (Duffy, 1999). This order of body parts parallels the target of interest the
protagonist took in the wolf in the first place – the relationship started in order to satisfy
a sexual desire and curiosity and ended for the insufficiency of the wolf’s poetry. This
action is most likely a metaphor for either divorcing or breaking up with the man the
protagonist spent ten long years with. The absence of any help during taking this action
indicates the strength of the protagonist and her ability to be self-reliant and to be capable
to save herself from a destiny which would not make her happy. It is the greatest metaphor
of the protagonist’s independence in the entire poem.
4.3 Sisterhood
Even though there is only one line which uncovers the concept of sisterhood, it is certainly
worth mentioning. When the protagonist kills the wolf, she mentions her grandmother’s
bones. “As he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat, and saw/ The glistening, virgin white of
my grandmother’s bones…” (Duffy, 1999). This way of describing the wolf’s bones
signifies a reference to the previous generations of women that the protagonist thinks of
when she is killing the wolf. It expresses female solidarity and also empathy. The
protagonist realizes that she is not the only woman who wasted a great portion of her life
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with a man who was not worth it. The act of killing him might be interpreted as the act of
killing the patriarchy inflected upon both the protagonist and her sisters.
In the moment when the protagonist no longer feels connected to the wolf and ends his
life – their relationship, she feels strong connection to the women of similar destiny and
perhaps thinks that the act of killing the wolf was not only for herself but for all women.
She feels motivated enough to kill the wolf because she realizes how many women before
her had suffered in an unsatisfying relationship.
4.4 Self-esteem
From the very beginning, the protagonist is described as a woman who knows herself, her
own desires and needs. She is aware of the changes her body is going through as she is
maturing and decides to explore the adulthood lying ahead of her by experiencing her
first sexual encounter with the wolf – an educated man who is older than her and who she
knows will lead her “deep into the woods” (Duffy, 1999). This alone suggests that the
protagonist is eager to get what she desires and is not afraid to take the necessary steps in
order to achieve her goal. This lack of fear of her own sexuality is apparent especially
from the second and the third stanza, which indicate that the protagonist respects herself
and her own needs. In other words, she is at peace with herself, her body and her sexuality.
As the poem proceeds, we gain more clues suggesting the protagonist’s self-prioritization.
After the sexual encounter, the female protagonist does not follow the typical progression
the well-known version takes. When we consider LRRH by Grimm, we could assume the
protagonist let the wolf manipulate her. In this poem, the protagonist decides to “slid from
between his heavy matted paws” (Duffy, 1999). The symbolism hidden in this line
supports the claim that the protagonist is not willing to succumb to the man and decides
to keep her integrity. Simply put, she does not allow the man to become the center of her
universe.
Towards the end, it might seem that the protagonist’s life has been controlled by the man
she spent ten years with. This is arguable as we already know that the protagonist’s main
interest was in an enriching experience – the “poetry” that the previous chapter has
already discussed in detail. Therefore we can assume that the reason the protagonist
decided to alter her life and to stay, was in the hope of finding what she was seeking.
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Even though it takes the protagonist a great amount of time to realize that she needs to
seek elsewhere, she eventually does come to the point of realization. After the protagonist
discovers that the relationship with the wolf no longer makes her content, she takes action
to free herself from his influence.
In addition to the previous evidence, there is the last, most important one. It is the very
last line of the last stanza. “Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”
(Duffy, 1999). This part when the protagonist comes out of the forest is a metaphor for
leaving an unsatisfying and unfulfilling relationship. We have established at the
beginning of this chapter that the forest stands for adult life. Abandoning it might
symbolize another passage. It indicates that taking a step back is often better for one’s
development.
The protagonist comes out of the forest with her flowers. This interesting detail might be
a symbol for many things. A flower is a common metaphor for virginity. The fact that the
protagonist comes out of the forest bearing flowers suggests that she did not lose anything
by engaging in sexual activities. It poetically explains that a woman’s value does not
depend on her chastity. By losing her virginity, the protagonist did not actually “lose”
anything. She comes out of the forest as complete as she entered it.
Another connotation flowers bring is peace. The image of a woman walking out of the
woods, holding flowers evokes peaceful emotions. The protagonist is therefore at peace
with herself and with what she did. What is more, she is singing which strengthens the
idea of inner peace and content even more.
The last two words of the poem create a powerful ending. Even though “all alone” might
sound negative when taken out of the context of the poem, the connotation of the words
is merely positive here. The protagonist eventually finds what she has been looking for
by exploring her sexuality and discovering the sense of self-worth which cannot be
substituted by anything else. She is content with her individuality and not afraid of
solitude. Thorough the journey to the adulthood, she discovers that all she needs is to put
herself first in order to be happy and that she needs no one else to do so.
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4.5 Symbolism
Now, that the feminist features of the story are defined, let us concentrate on the
symbolism in the story. The symbols and metaphors this chapter discusses might not
necessarily straightforwardly bear a feminist message but are vital to the story and its
development and therefore important to analyze.
It is not surprising that the color red carries great symbolic value. Unlike in the version
by brothers Grimm, in this one the protagonist is not wearing a red cap. Nonetheless, the
color appears in different contexts and on different items of clothing.
We first encounter the color red when the protagonist is describing the wolf. “Red wine
staining his bearded jaw” (Duffy, 1999). Here, the importance of red color is as profound
as the importance of wine. The whole description is informing us of the wolf’s maturity.
The color red is the color of passion, sex and maturity. The fact, that the wolf is drinking
wine supports the assumption that the wolf is a mature man, possibly much older than the
protagonist, hence the “bearded jaw”.
The red color makes its next appearance in the description of sexual act. “My stockings
ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer …” (Duffy 1999). This line reveals that
the protagonist was wearing a red blazer. Here, the symbolism is no different from the
one in the version by the Grimm. It symbolizes the protagonist’s transition to adulthood
as it is the color of menstrual blood and, in addition to that, it is the color of seduction.
One of the most interesting symbols is to be found in the fourth stanza. Standing in stark
contrast to the wolf, there is a white dove. The dove might symbolize many things but
when speaking in the context of this particular piece of poetry, it is safe to assume it
symbolizes the protagonist herself. Or, at least, a part of her. It is the dove that allows us
to make a connection which leads us to the conclusion that when the protagonist is looking
for it, she is in fact searching for herself.
In addition to that, the dove might also symbolize pure affectionate feelings the
protagonist has for the wolf. The dove appears shortly and is immediately devoured by
the wolf. This might mean that the wolf has no interest in the protagonist’s love and is
only interested in her physically, not wanting to know the protagonist’s true self. He
devouring the dove is also restricting her from finding herself as she intended to.
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When the protagonist kills the wolf, she sees “the glistening, virgin white of her
grandmother’s bones” (Duffy, 1999). As it was already mentioned in the chapter about
sisterhood, it refers to the previous generations of women and shows her empathy for
them. It refers to a female connection and solidarity. We first encountered the white color
when the protagonist “went in search of a living bird – white dove” (Duffy, 1999). The
wolf eats the dove, destroying what she wanted to find. Seeing the white of her
grandmother’s bones might mean retrieving something the protagonist lost because of the
wolf. In other words, she lost herself during her long life with the wolf and now she had
finally found herself again.
After the wolf is dead, his belly is filled with stones and stitched up. As most things in
the poem, even the stones hold a symbolic meaning. The stones might represent the
realization of the protagonist that the wolf was nothing more than a burden to her. The
stones illustrate a heaviness quite explicitly, so there is no need to elaborate further.
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5 The analysis of “The Company of Wolves” by Angela
Carter
Included in Angela Carter’s work is both fiction and non-fiction. Born in London, she
was influenced by her hometown which most prominently reflects in Nights at the Circus
which is one of her nine novels. Apart from being an author of novels, Carter also wrote
several collections of short stories, children’s stories and poetry. She was also active as a
journalist and worked for radio and television (Stoddart, 2007, pp. 3-4).
In her works, Angela Carter is dealing with portrayal of women and explores their
influence on the narrative. She is fascinated with “the sexual politics of looking at images
of women and in the role that women themselves might have in directing and shaping the
pictures that circulate of them” (Stoddart, 2007, p. 4). This fascination in women and their
image in literature is what makes the Carter’s short story “The Company of Wolves”
interesting for the purposes of this thesis.
The following subchapters focus on the four defining features of the second-wave
feminism concerning female sexuality, independence, sisterhood and self-esteem as was
already done with the previous pieces of literature. Further on it focuses on any additional
symbolism featured in the story.
5.1 Embracing sexuality
From the story we can gather that, as it is in the case of LRRH by Grimm, the protagonist
in “The Company of Wolves” is also on the verge of adulthood. Although she is gifted
with a scarlet shawl, there is no reference to the character that would suggest people are
calling her accordingly. The protagonist remains nameless and the red shawl serves only
as a symbolic item representing the protagonist’s sexual maturity.
The fact that the protagonist is going through her sexual awakening is explicitly stated in
the story and not much is left to imagination in this area. The evidence in the text mentions
that “her breasts have just begun to swell” and that she “has just started her woman’s
bleeding, the clock inside her that will strike henceforward once a month” (Carter, 1979,
p. 76). Quite straightforwardly, we are told that the protagonist is going through many
changes.
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Further on, we learn that the protagonist “stands and moves within the invisible pentacle
of her own virginity” (Carter, 1979, p. 76). The protagonist’s virginity is perceived by her
as a kind of restraint, as a boundary that she is ready to cross. Following line says that
“she has her knife and she is afraid of nothing” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). Those words,
especially coming immediately after we learn that she is a virgin, might mean that being
“afraid of nothing” is not being afraid of her recent sexual awakening.
In this story, wolves are werewolves who are able to turn into men when they put on an
item of clothing. “Before he can become a wolf, the lycanthrope strips stark naked. I you
spy a naked man among the pines, you must run as if the Devil were after you” (Carter,
1979, p. 76). This ability makes it hard to notice a wolf when in their human form. For
this reason when the protagonist meets the wolf who is dressed as a hunter, she is clueless
about his true nature. At first, she reaches her knife but then she realizes that she is foolish
to think he would harm her as he is dressed as a hunter. She is enchanted and, perhaps
unwittingly, coquettes with him. She thinks he is “very handsome” (Carter, 1979, p. 77)
and his charm makes her trust him. Their relationship starts of as friendly and playful, as
she bets a kiss that the wolf will not be able to get to her grandmother’s house before her.
When they are establishing the reward she would give him if he managed to arrive before
she does, she asks what would he like and he responds that he wants a kiss. The
protagonist reacts by lowering her eyes and blushing which reveals the character’s
innocence and lack of previous similar experience.
They part and the protagonist is making sure she is taking her time on her way as she
wants the wolf to win the bet. The wolf manages to get to the grandmother’s house first,
kills and eats her, and waits for the protagonist. The grandmother is a character who
represents the old fashioned values of the society. “She has her Bible for company, she is
a pious old woman” (Carter, 1979, p. 78). The fact that the author reveals that the
character of grandmother is religious is helpful for further analysis of the relationship
between her and her granddaughter.
When the protagonist arrives, she soon discovers that her grandmother is dead but her
behavior does not show any grief. In fact, she quickly realizes what awaits. “She shivered,
in spite of the scarlet shawl she pulled more closely round herself as if it could protect
her although it was as red as the blood she must spill” (Carter, 1979, p. 79). This line
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foreshadows the protagonist’s intentions to seduce the wolf and to lose her virginity to
him which might consequence in bleeding.
The protagonist reacts very quickly to the situation and takes immediate interest in the
wolf. She hears howling, asks the wolf who has come to them to sing and opens the
window to expresses her pity for the wolves and the fact that the “poor things” have to be
cold. After this, she closes the window and starts to take of her clothes. She takes off “her
scarlet shawl, the colour of poppies, the colour of sacrifices, the colour of her menses,
and, since her fear does her no good, she ceases to be afraid” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). The
shawl in this scene represents the protagonist’s virginity which she decides to sacrifice to
the wolf. This moment is a moment when the protagonist fully reaches her sexual maturity
and is confident to face her sexual awakening without fear.
The protagonist kisses the wolf as she promised and the conversation parallel to the
LRRH by Grimm begins. When she wonders what big teeth the wolf has, he says that it
is “all the better to eat her with” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). To this, the protagonist laughs
because “she knows she is nobody’s meat” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). This particular part of
the story is very empowering as it reveals that the protagonist is not at the wolf’s mercy.
She is confident in her actions and is in control which causes a shift in roles and
differentiates her from the wolf’s victims. She undresses the wolf and burns his clothes
and he “lays his fearful head on her lap” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). The description of the wolf
as being fearful sends a very strong message about its true nature and reveals that the wolf
was tamed by the girl.
When there is a mention of “the old bones under the bed setting up a terrible clattering”
(Carter, 1979, p. 80) it is as if the deceased grandmother expressed her disagreement with
what is happening between the girl and the wolf. As was already said, the grandmother
represents the old-fashioned values. In addition to that, she is likely to be a non-feminist
character. We learn that the protagonist “did not pay them (the bones) any heed” (Carter,
1979, p. 80). The reason for this might be that the protagonist realizes that the old values
must die so that the new ones could arise. She realizes that previous generations of women
must die so that a new generation can be born. This new generation is represented by the
protagonist who is a feminist character, able to except herself as a being capable of sexual
desires who is not afraid to fulfill them.
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5.2 Independence
The protagonist is a young girl who lives with her mother and father. She is a “strongminded child” (Carter, 1979, p. 76) who is loved by her family and due to this she seems
to have developed a healthy self-esteem. She is also a brave character as she takes with
her a carving knife before setting off on her journey to the grandmother’s. Even though
she is taking an instrument which is to protect her, “she is quite sure he wild beasts cannot
harm her” (Carter, 1979, p. 76). There are more ways to interpret this line, but one of
them, the most probable one, is that it is foreshadowing of the way the protagonist is able
to deal with difficulties. Supporting this is the part of the story, where she says she is
“nobody’s meat”. The protagonist simply refuses to be the victim.
From the way she speaks of him, we can see that her father is a bit controlling and
protective man. When she is preparing to go to her grandmother’s all alone, she says that
“her father might forbid her, if he were home, but he is away in the forest, gathering
wood.” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). The protagonist obviously has her own mind.
When the protagonist meets the wolf disguised as a huntsman in the woods, “her practiced
springs to the handle of her knife” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). The quick reaction and lack of
hesitation show that the protagonist is confident in protecting herself and is not afraid to
take action in order to save her own life.
When the protagonist starts talking to the wolf, he shows her his compass and brags about
never losing his way in the woods as it always shows him the right way. After this, the
protagonist shows her disbelief and contemplates that “she should never leave her path
on the way through the wood or else she would be lost instantly” (Carter, 1979, p. 77).
This line shows that the protagonist has some principles she follows and she would not
risk getting lost on her way through the forest. This sense of responsibility expressed by
the character is a sign of self-preservation. The protagonist does not try to impress the
wolf by straying away from the path, she stays true to her principles and continues on her
journey through the woods as usual. This shows that she is not easy to influence or
manipulate and that she has her own mind.
The greatest evidence of the protagonist’s independence is visible when she discovers
that her grandmother is dead and the wolf is after her. At this point, she has two options.
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She can either accept the role of a victim or she can turn the tables and to use the situation
to her advantage. If she choose to become a victim, she would accept all the old fashioned
principles of the previous generations represented by her grandmother. This would mean
that she would surrender to the wolf and be at his mercy. This would result in the wolf
killing her. The protagonist, however, chooses to reverse the roles and refuses to become
a victim. She tosses away all she was taught by the previous generations and takes control.
This is the reason why she is not paying any attention to the clattering bones of her
grandmother. She simply sees what happens when a woman allows a man to make her a
victim and she decides to fight this.
By stripping herself of the influence of previous generations of women, women who were
not feminists, who were subdued by men and ashamed for having sexual urges, she is
reborn into a female who knows her own mind and instead of being subdued, she is
subduing. As the metaphorical rebirth takes place, she takes her clothes off and begins
her new life naked, same as newborns do.
In addition to all that is listed above, the protagonist approaches the wolf with certain
tenderness. In fact, in the very end we learn that the wolf himself is a tender creature.
“Sweet and sound she sleeps in granny’s bed, between the paws of the tender wolf”
(Carter, 1979, p. 81). The way the story by Carter ends reveals a lot about what she was
trying to communicate the whole time. It is a common misconception that feminists are
women who do not need and perhaps even hate men. Carter managed to illustrate the
opposite and to crush this myth about feminism. The protagonist clearly sees herself as
being equal to the wolf. “She will lay his fearful head on her lap and she will pick out the
lice from his pelt and perhaps she will put die lice into her mouth and eat them, as he will
bid her, as she would do in a savage marriage ceremony” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). As we can
see there are no signs that would suggest that the protagonist sees the wolf as inferior, she
simply sees him as he is and accepts him that way. This shows that the protagonist does
not need to make a person inferior in order to feel empowered which adds to the integrity
of her character.
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5.3 Sisterhood
Although there are no direct mentions of sisterhood, there are some details of the story
which are closely connected to the idea of it and are worth mentioning and analyzing. In
the story, there are representatives of three generations of women – the grandmother, the
mother and the daughter.
The mother appears only at the very beginning of the story. We learn that she is the one
who prepared the basket the protagonist is supposed to bring to the grandmother. When
the protagonist is leaving, she mentions that her father would try to stop her if he saw her
but “her mother can’t deny her” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). This phrase signals that there is
certain resemblance between the mother and daughter and their behavior. These two
female characters represent the new generation of women, a generation who is selfsufficient, confident and independent.
The grandmother, on the other hand, seems to be the representative of the old generation.
She is a religious woman. When the wolf arrives to the grandmother’s house, we learn
that “she has her Bible for company, she is a pious old woman” (Carter, 1979, p. 78). We
know that the grandmother is very sick and hardly manages to do basic chores or to even
get up. Despite this she lives alone, quite far away from her family. “A boy came out from
the village to build up her hearth for the night an hour ago and the kitchen crackles with
busy firelight” (Carter, 1979, p. 78). Instead of staying with her daughter and
granddaughter, the grandmother rather stays in a house where she needs help of people
from the village. Not only that, it was a boy who came in to set the fire in the fireplace.
This small detail supports the idea that the character of grandmother is a non-feminist
character who is dependent on male characters in the story. This character breaks the
concept of female unity in the story. While the protagonist and her mother seem to be the
symbols for the new feminist generation, the dying grandmother is the symbol of the
dying patriarchal system.
Later in the story, the grandmother gets eaten by the wolf. Symbolically, the old
generation dies and makes more space for the new younger one. In this symmetry, there
is an element of rebirth. It seems that as soon as the grandmother is dead, the protagonist
reaches her adolescence and we witness a slight shift in her behavior. At first she is caring
and she wants to deliver the basket full of goods to her grandmother bus as soon as she
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discovers that the grandmother is dead, it is as if the last thing that was preventing her to
become the woman she wants to be was suddenly gone.
As was already mentioned, the grandmother gave a scarlet shawl to the protagonist. Right
after the protagonist discovers that the grandmother is dead, she takes it of as if she was
stripping herself from the influence of her grandmother and her old-fashioned values. The
protagonist knows very well that her grandmother would disapprove as her “bones under
the bed set up a terrible clattering” (Carter, 1979, p. 80) while the protagonist starts
stripping the wolf.
When the protagonist wonders about the wolf’s big teeth and he says he has them “all the
better to eat her with” (Carter, 1979, p. 80), she laughs and thinks to herself that “she
knows she is nobody’s meat” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). Here we can see that the protagonist
could have easily ended up the same way as her grandmother, but she simply refused.
When we put aside the fact, that the grandmother was sick and unable to protect herself,
we can see how cunningly the author used the two characters as symbols for women who
are being oppressed by patriarchal system of society and for women who refuse it and
decide to fight.
The gist is that when women unite and are able to influence and support each other as the
protagonist with her mother did, they have a chance at a happy life. Their relationship can
interpreted as a parallel to the sisterhoods formed in the second half of the twentieth
century. The protagonist and her mother are representing women who are living in unity
and the grandmother is representing a woman who is living in dependence.
5.4 Self-esteem
There is many evidence that have already been discussed in the previous subchapters
proving that the protagonist is a feminist character. The element of self-love, the final
feminist feature this thesis explores, is present as well.
The character was “too much loved ever to feel scared” (Carter, 1979, p. 76). These words
refer to her family, mainly to her mother and grandmother, who were “indulging” her and
therefore nourishing her healthy self-esteem. There is a visible support among the females
in the family which has a positive impact on the protagonist’s personality and self40
perception. This loving care and support resulted in the protagonist growing into a female
who is aware of her worth and who has a sense of self-preservation.
Thorough the story, we can see that the protagonist is strong-minded in a good sense of
word. To give an example, she is determined to stick to the road as she knows she would
get lost if she did otherwise. She does not try to impress the wolf by changing her habits
and risking that she would never find the path if she strayed. The wolf represents a
temptation. Even though it is not specifically offered to the protagonist that she could go
with him off the road, it is subtly implied in the way he is describing how fast he is able
to get to her grandmother’s house. “He said, if he plunged off the path into the forest that
surrounded them, he could guarantee to arrive at her grandmother’s house a good quarter
of an hour before she did … while she trudged the long way …” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). It
is apparent that the wolf is putting the two options into a stark contrast, his way being
faster and better and her way being the opposite. Despite his efforts to subtly manipulate
her, the protagonist sticks to the road she knows and therefore refuses to do something
she is not ready for. In other words, she is respecting her own needs.
Towards the end of the story, the protagonist takes the first step at initiating the sexual
relationship between her and the wolf. She takes off her clothes and then “stands up on
tiptoe and unbuttons the collar of his shirt” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). The fact that the first
step was taken by the protagonist proves her readiness and that she has her own mind on
how the situation should develop. Supporting this is the line where she thinks to herself
that “she knows she is nobody’s meat” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). This line is without a doubt
the most empowering line in the entire story and apart from other feminist messages, it
also carries the message of a healthy self-esteem. It basically means that a man does not
define her. Furthermore, the fact that she does not say “meat” but supplies it with
“nobody’s” proves that the she is aware of her value and knows that she belongs solely
to herself and not to anyone else.
5.5 Symbolism
Despite the abundance of symbols “The Company of Wolves” offers, this chapter will
analyze only the ones which are the most important for the purposes of this thesis.
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The most prominent symbol of the story is the red shawl that the protagonist is gifted
with. The symbolism of it is very clear as it is clearly stated. It is towards the end of the
story that we learn it is “the colour of poppies, the colour of sacrifices, the colour of her
menses.” It is apparent, that the redness of the shawl, or even the shawl itself, represents
the protagonist’s sexual maturity. Furthermore, the shawl was gifted by the grandmother.
It might function as a symbol of influence that the grandmother has on the protagonist.
This interpretation is supported by the fact that as soon as the grandmother dies, the
protagonist takes the shawl off, as if she was stripping herself of the influence her
grandmother has on her.
The grandmother is also a symbol that plays an important part in the story. The character
of grandmother is a representative of the previous generations of women who lived under
the rule of patriarchy. She has to die so that the new generation of women, represented
by the protagonist, could arise.
The wolf, as in other versions of the tale, is again a representative of a male predator.
Thorough the story, the wolves are treated like dangerous beasts with the intention to kill.
They are feared and avoided and nobody wants to ever come to contact with them. “The
wolf is carnivore incarnate and he's as cunning as he is ferocious; once he's had a taste of
flesh then nothing else will do” (Carter, 1979, p. 74). In this case the wolf is, quite literary,
a predator. The killing is not a metaphor for sexual violence, it is simply killing. We also
learn that “the wolf is worst for he cannot listen to reason” (Carter, 1979, p. 74). This
information is gained at the beginning of story and if it were true, it would mean that the
wolf attacks without thinking and has no empathy, nor the capacity to think his actions
through. But later we learn that this is not true.
The wolf that the protagonist meets in the forest seems to be different from the wolves
that the omniscient storyteller speaks of. He speaks to her nicely, is polite and seems to
like her. When they meet he makes “a comic yet flattering little bow” and he “offers to
bring her basket” (Carter, 1979, p. 77). The wolf cannot possibly know, that the
protagonist has a carving knife in her basket. He seems to offer help with no vile intention.
The only vile action that we witness him doing is when he kills and eats the grandmother.
After that, when the protagonist arrives, she senses a potential danger and decides to
emphasize with the wolf rather than to continue the circle of fear. The protagonist is
scared but since “her fear does her no good, she ceases to be afraid” (Carter, 1979, p. 80).
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She strips her clothes and then she also strips his. This action signifies that she considers
him to be equal to her. She no longer perceives him as a creature to be afraid of and she
realizes that she, too, can hold the power. The protagonist takes initiation and her
transformation from childhood to adulthood is completed. The story ends with the
protagonist sleeping in her grandmother’s bed “between the paws of the tender wolf”
(Carter, 1979, p. 81). The two contrasting words “tender” and “wolf” joined together
signify that there is both a human and a beastly side in everyone. When the protagonist
ignored that her grandmother is deceased, she performed an act of beastliness as well.
The wolf is, in a way, symbolizing the potential for good and bad that lies in everyone.
Supporting this interpretation is the fact that when they first meet, the wolf is dressed like
a huntsman. This contrast suggests that the character is both a wolf and a savior which
represents the good and bad in a human.
Another symbol which reappears on multiple occasions in the story is the color white.
The color connotes peace and innocence. In the story, it mainly represents innocence. We
first encounter the color when the protagonist is introduced, we learn that “her cheeks are
an emblematic scarlet and white” (Carter, 1979, p. 76). From this depiction, it is apparent
that the scarlet also carries symbolic importance. The two colors stand in contrast. As was
already analyzed above, the red shawl symbolizes the protagonist’s first period and
therefore her sexual readiness. In stark contrast, white symbolizes innocence which is still
present in the character of the protagonist.
Before the protagonist and the wolf first encounter sexually, after she takes off all her
clothes “naked she combs out her hair with her fingers; her hair looks white as the snow
outside. Then goes directly to the man with red eyes …” (Carter, 1979, p. 80) Again, the
two colors are in contrast. In this passage, the innocence of the protagonist meets the
sexual desire she has for the wolf. The fact, that her hair “looks white” might be implying
that even though the protagonist seems innocent, she is not.
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6 Analysis of “Little Red Riding Hood” by Olga Broumas
Olga Broumas is a Greek poet who immigrated into the United States in 1967. Her poetry
is considered to be “Sapphic” because of the occurrence of lesbian topics in her work.
Her work includes several poetry collections (Soie Sauvage, Pastoral Jazz, Perpetua,
Rave: Poems). Her poem “Little Red Riding Hood”, published in 1977, transforms the
widespread story of LRRH into a story of a feminist with inner struggles while touching
the subject of sexuality, a strong mother-daughter relationship and grief. The following
subchapters are devoted to a detailed analysis of the poem “Little Red Riding Hood” with
particular regard to feminist issues.
6.1 Embracing sexuality
The poem by Olga Broumas is dealing with the protagonist’s sexuality in a mournful way.
From the poem, we sense regret and remorse over the path the protagonist chose. The
journey to embrace her sexuality is uneasy and comes with negative contradicting
feelings. The following paragraphs deal with those feelings in detail.
The protagonist has a complicated relationship with herself and her sexuality. We learn
that when she was young, her mother warned her to avoid men and to mind her own
business. “Stick to the road and the flowers, there’s/ wolves in those bushes, mind/ where
you got to go, mind/ you get there” (Broumas, 1977). We can notice the connection to the
tale of LRRH as the imagery of the poem is very similar to the tale – the road, the tempting
flowers, the wolf and, most importantly, the warning in her mother’s voice. In this version
of the story, the protagonist obeys her mother and she truly is wary of men. What is more,
the mother’s warning has much deeper impact on the protagonist as she refuses to engage
with men completely.
We learn that the protagonist leads a lesbian life and she only engages in sexual acts with
women. “I/ minded. I kept/ to the road, kept/ the hood secret, kept what it sheathed more/
secret still, I opened it only at night, and with other women/ who might be walking the
same road to their own/ grandma’s house …” (Broumas, 1977). It is not certain whether
the protagonist chose to lead a lesbian life because of her mother’s warning or because
she truly was capable to love women and was not interested in men. Due to the fact that
the author of the poem, Olga Broumas, is a lesbian and it is probable that the poem is
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autobiographical this analysis is inclined to interpret the character’s motives as based on
true feelings regarding love and sexual attraction towards women.
Due to her interest in women, the protagonist is childless. She misses her chance to have
a child, a daughter, and now she regrets that she has decided to obey her mother and to
be wary of men who “feed on her flower-gathering sisters” (Broumas, 1977).
An inner struggle is apparent from the poem as the protagonist is unable to have a child
as her mother once did. The incapability to follow her mother’s path is painful and
therefore transforms the protagonist’s sexual orientation into an obstacle.
6.2 Independence
As was already established in the chapter on second-wave feminism, female
independence from men was one of its defining features. Women started to realize that
their happiness did not depend on their male or female counterpart and began to search
happiness within themselves.
Due to the fact that the protagonist’s happiness does not depend on her male or female
love interest, she is, in feminist terms, independent. There is, however, a different kind of
dependence inflicted on her.
The poem deals with a dependent mother-daughter relationship. Even though the poem
does not explicitly suggest that the protagonist is fostering an unhealthy dependence on
her mother, she does seek self-validation in motherhood. The protagonist envies her
mother that she had a daughter and regrets obeying her. The relationship towards her
mother is a loving one, but full of remorse. “I have no daughter/ to trace that road, back
to your lap my laden/ basket of love” (Broumas, 1977). The protagonist feels that her life
is incomplete, that by not having children, she failed in completing the circle. The fact
that the protagonist is unable to deliver her “laden basket of love” – a child – just as her
mother delivered the protagonist to her grandmother, causes her pain. Although it is
natural for a woman to want children of her own, in this poem, it is important to consider
that the protagonist might simply want to follow the pattern of the previous generations
of women and therefore is dependent on them.
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In the poem, there is no evidence of the protagonist’s own mind. She simply obeys her
mother and does not doubt her advice. This proves that she is attempting, through any
means possible, to please her mother and to meet her expectations. This might be
connected to the protagonist’s sexual orientation. Her interest in women results in
projection of those feelings into the most important female figure of her life – her mother,
ending in an approval seeking relationship.
The protagonist dependence is as conflictual as her sexuality. It is, again, centered on a
child that she does not have. Her value and the evaluation of it depends on two things –
on the desire of her mother’s approval and a child that does not exist. The character is
defined by what she is lacking rather than what she possesses. Through this means, the
author had created a profoundly sad but relatable character, a character conflicted with
her desire to be the mother she had, and the incapability to become one.
6.3 Sisterhood
The sisterhood in this poem is very prominent. Firstly, we should take into account the
relationship the protagonist has with her mother. Even though the relationship is stained
with some unfulfilled expectations, it is a strong and loving one. The protagonist
addresses her mother as the “landscape of her heart” (Broumas, 1977) and speaks of her
with upmost respect and tenderness. As consequence, the female bond is palpable in the
tone of the poem. To give more examples, it is relevant to include the comparison of her
mother’s “pelvic scaffold” to a “wishbone” (Broumas, 1977). This depiction of a part of
her mother’s body is very positive in meaning as a wishbone is broken to grant a wish.
The protagonist also describes her mother as the “architect of her body” (Broumas, 1977)
which signifies the respect she has towards her mother for she brought her to live.
The poem is, apart from other issues, about the importance of female connection and also
about the connection with the protagonist’s womanhood. Being a woman means having
the ability to give birth to a child. Even though the protagonist is incapable of that, she
does not hold a grudge against the women who are. On the contrary, she refers to them as
“sisters”. “Across this improbable forest/ peopled with wolves and our lost, flowergathering/ sisters they feed on” (Broumas, 1977). This line shows a great deal of female
solidarity and understanding. Even though the protagonist did not stray away from the
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metaphorical path and avoided wolves, she does not judge the women who did and the
fact that she is calling them her “sisters” shows that she considers them equal to her. Even
though one might expect it, there is no envy in the protagonist’s words.
The last evidence of the concept of sisterhood can be found in the way the protagonist
speaks of her female lovers:
…I kept
the road, kept
the hood secret, kept what it sheathed more
secret still I opened
it only at night, and with other women
who might be walking the same road to their own
grandma’s house
each with the basket of gifts
her small hood
safe in the same part. … (Broumas, 1977)
Again, there is a hint of solidarity when the protagonist says that the women she shares
her intimate moments with are the ones who also “might be walking the same road”
(Broumas, 1977). What she is trying to say is that the pain she is facing is not only pain
of her own but a pain of all women who are not able to mother a child. It is a unifying
moment in the poem when the protagonist shares the fact that even though she feels lonely
because of the lack of child, she is never truly alone in her pain.
6.4 Self-esteem
The theme of self-esteem in this poem is the most complicated one. The whole poem is
an attempt at coming to peace with the protagonist’s childless life. The protagonist’s
relationship is mostly defined by her mother which builds a wall between the protagonist
and her perception of self. For this reason it is very hard to decipher the protagonist’s
reflective feelings. There are, however, some parts of the poem which allow us to glimpse
at the protagonist complicated psyche.
On one occasion, when her mother gives birth to her, she compares herself to an arrow.
“I slipped out like an arrow” (Broumas, 1977). This comparison, though it seems
marginal, is vital to the protagonist’s perception of self. An arrow is a weapon which can
go very fast in any given direction. The fact that the character compares herself to a
weapon carries an extremely empowering message. On the other hand, it also is a
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foreshadowing of the protagonist’s relationship to her mother. An arrow must be
accompanied by a bow to work properly. This metaphor in which the protagonist is an
arrow, makes her mother the bow which determines the protagonist’s direction. From this
metaphor it is apparent that the protagonist’s motives are driven by her mother therefore
any feelings of self-love and self-esteem she possesses are derived and dependent on the
way her mother perceives her.
The relationship of the protagonist to her mother is a relationship worth exploring in more
depth as the character of mother is the one which forged the character of the protagonist.
“I grow old, old/ without you mother, landscape/ of my heart…” (Broumas, 1977). The
protagonist compares her mother to a landscape of her heart which expresses great love
and respect towards her. The protagonist realizes the bond between them and wishes she
could have a similar relationship with her own daughter. Even the fact that the protagonist
sees herself as an arrow which needs to be accompanied by a bow expresses how much
she values her mother’s guidance. Even though the protagonist is, to a degree, dependent
on her mother, their relationship is a loving one, despite being stained with regret.
As was already mentioned, the protagonist’s evaluation of self, apart on her mother,
depends on what she lacks. She is unhappy because she is not a mother. It is apparent that
the protagonist suffers due to her childless life. She is trying to come to terms with it by
addressing her mother and trying to explain what happened and why. This form of
justification is to help her to find peace with her situation and to go on with her life despite
not having children.
The protagonist, even though it may not seem that way, is a fighter. She is trying her best
to live the life she does not find complete without a child, to live the life of loneliness.
Despite the remorse and sadness she is feeling, the protagonist tries to confront her inner
issues and to go on. This behavior illustrates the character’s respect to herself and allows
us to interpret her as a character who has self-esteem.
6.5 Symbolism
The first symbol worth mentioning is a child. It carries a great emotional value on a wide
spectrum – grief, regret, pain, but also hope and self-realization. In the context of the
poem, the child is representing a dream. The protagonist wishes to have a child and it is
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something she cannot achieve. For this reason, the child in this poem is a contradicting
symbol, standing for both hope and a bitter reminder of the protagonist’s childless life.
Apart from defining the protagonist, the symbol of a child is also connected to the circle
of life which the protagonist failed to complete. By having a child, she would continue
what generations of women before her had started.
The red hood is another important symbol. The protagonist comes to the world “dressed
in her red hood” (Broumas, 1977). The meaning of this is straightforward, the red color
in the description is the color of blood the newborn was covered in and additionally it is
an allusion to the tale of LRRH.
The hood also appears later in the poem. “I kept/ to the road, kept/ the hood secret, kept
what it sheathed more/ secret still” (Broumas, 1977). The hood in this sense is a play of
words on womanhood. The protagonist protected her womanhood from men as her
mother advised her.
Howling is also one of the important symbols featured in the poem. The protagonist
recalls that on the day she was born she came “dressed in her red hood, howling …”
(Broumas, 1977). The sound associated with wolves, is surprisingly bestowed to the
newborn protagonist. When she is growing up, her mother warns her about the danger
wolves might bring, which makes us automatically associate the wolves with danger.
When the protagonist comes to this world howling, it might be a foreshadowing of the
fact that she is going to be dangerous to herself. In the poem, it is mostly the protagonist
who is the source of her own misery, not wolves. By adding this small detail to the poem,
Broumas has combined the character of the wolf and the LRRH into one, making her
responsible for her own misfortune.
The character of a doctor is the only male character the protagonist comes to contact with.
He is the only male representative of the metaphorical wolves that the protagonist
encounters face to face and he symbolizes fear and isolation. Despite the fact that the
doctor helped to bring the protagonist to the world, he is depicted as a negative character.
The description “the white clad doctor and his fancy claims: microscope/ stethoscope/
scalpel…” (Broumas, 1977) has a hint of condescendence in it. Especially the way the
protagonist describes his instruments gives away her negative feeling towards the
character. The word “fancy” is used with a hint of mocking in it. It suggests that the doctor
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might think much of himself but the protagonist certainly thinks little of him. Overall,
the depiction of the doctor is very sterile and distant and reveals that the protagonist is
very radical in her perception of men and refuses to make any exceptions. She is afraid
of them and refuses to include them in her life.
Another symbol, a basket, recurs in the poem several times. The first mention of the
basket is to be found when the protagonist is being born from her mother’s “hollowed
basket” (Broumas, 1977). This line allows us to interpret the basket as woman’s womb.
Later in the poem, when the protagonist expresses her regret of not being a mother, she
says “I have no daughter/ to trace that road, back to your lap with my laden/ basket of
love” (Broumas, 1977). In this context, the symbolism of the basket goes back to the
circle of life and its incompletion. The protagonist is sorry that she has no daughter who
would continue the circle the generations before her had begun. The meaning of this
symbol is not only the woman’s womb but also womanhood and the ability to have
children which comes hand in hand with it.
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7 The versions compared
Despite the fact that the three contemporary versions are very different in their concepts,
they contain some recurring features. Those features might not occur with such
prominence as the already analyzed features of embracing sexuality, independence,
sisterhood and self-esteem, yet they are interesting for they allow us to see the reflection
of second-wave feminism in the works. This chapter deals with the remaining shared
characteristics of the stories and also compares them to “The Little Red Cap” by the
Brothers Grimm.
Before particular common features will be dealt with, let us first look at the overall
comparison of the four versions. As it is apparent from the individual chapters dealing
with the contemporary versions of the tale, all of them include features that allow them
to be labelled “feminist”. All of the contemporary versions lay in stark contrast to the
well-known version by the Grimm which, despite including a small amount of features
that might be interpreted as feminist, is a non-feminist tale.
The difference, of course, lies in the presence of the feminist features and also in the way
the protagonists of the individual versions are depicted. In the contemporary versions, the
protagonists are depicted in depth and we learn about their background, inner struggles
and desires. The three feminist versions show motives for the protagonist’s behavior and
therefore make them intriguing relatable characters while the version by Grimm depicts
the protagonist as a two dimensional character about which we know only that she is
easily manipulated and her disobedience ends misfortunately.
The problem with the Grimm version is that it does not allow the female characters to
express themselves in any way. Thorough the story, they are dependent on other male
characters and even when they move forward it is due to the influence of a male character.
The example of this is the additional short episode in which the protagonist and her
grandmother outsmart the wolf. The reason they manage to do so is because they are now
more cautious around wolves as they have nearly died during their last encounter with
one. In the contemporary versions, the protagonists are not defined by the male characters
as they exist independently.
In the contemporary versions, not only we can see the reflection of feminism as such but
also the reflection of different feminisms that emerged during the second-wave. In the
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poem by Broumas, a lesbian feminism is portrayed which makes the piece very different
from the two other contemporary versions. It allows us to see that the division of feminism
into several different kinds made it easier for women who wished to be included in the
fight for equality but were not able to identify themselves with the limited view feminism
offered before its different kinds emerged.
Taking into consideration the features that were initially searched for, all were present in
the contemporary versions. The embracement of female sexuality was portrayed
prominently in all of the three analyzed literary pieces. Similarly, the element of
sisterhood was also clearly illustrated in all of the versions. The issue of self-esteem and
independence was prominent especially in the “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy and
in “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter. In the poem “Little Red Riding Hood”
by Olga Broumas, these issues were addressed and dealt with but the protagonist’s
struggle had an obvious impact on the character’s relationship to her mother and also to
herself. In consequence, the message of the poem was not as empowering as the rest of
the analyzed contemporary pieces but it was, nonetheless, a powerful insight into the life
and the inner struggles of a feminist woman. The contribution of the poem by Broumas
is as valuable as the remaining two pieces of literature, or perhaps even more, as it
portrays a feminist woman from a completely different perspective.
Now that the general comparisons of the four versions were dealt with, let us compare
some of the versions in terms of common features that were found during their thorough
analyses. The following subchapters provide an insight into a selection of recurring
features that were usually present in two of the analyzed versions or more.
7.1 The refusal to be a victim
One of the recurring features found in two of the three versions was the unwillingness of
the female protagonists to be the victim. In the version by Grimm, LRRH is a victimized
character. She is easily manipulated and does not have her own mind. Although the
implications are not explicit, some evidence suggests “The Little Red Cap” by Grimm is
a story of rape. This victimization of the female character is dealt with in a completely
different manner in two of the contemporary versions – “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann
Duffy and “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter.
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Carol Ann Duffy had created a protagonist who is confident in her budding sexuality and
when she meets a man she is attracted to, she lets him seduce her. At first, she has many
good reasons to stay with the man but after several years, she discovers that her life is a
stereotype. In this poem, the protagonist is not a victim as such. There are no signs of
abuse from the man she lives with, not physical, neither emotional. She simply does not
feel fulfilled by the life that she lives and she decides to kill the wolf in order to set herself
free from him. The death of the wolf is metaphorical and probably represents a break-up
or a divorce. What is important is that the protagonist decides that she no longer wants to
be the victim of an unsatisfying relationship and takes the situation into her own hands.
The protagonist from “The Company of Wolves” is a “strong-minded child” (Carter,
1979, p. 76). When the wolf suggest that he could eat her, she laughs and explicitly thinks
to herself that she “knows she is nobody’s meat” (Carter, 1979, p. 80). The protagonist is
aware of the fact that she could easily become the victim but she refuses. Instead, she
shows the wolf that they are equal which saves her life.
7.2 Rebirth
The symbolism connected to rebirth or birth is a feature which recurs in three of the
versions that were analyzed. This symbol is treated differently in all of them and this
chapter elaborates on its meaning in detail.
In the story by Grimm, the LRRH and the grandmother are eaten by the wolf. When the
huntsman tries to save them, he “cuts open the wolf’s belly” (Zipes, 1983-1984, p. 87).
Consequently, LRRH and the grandmother jump out of the wolf’s belly which symbolizes
rebirth. As soon as the protagonist and the grandmother are “reborn” they are reformed.
They have learned their lesson and are now more cautious when encountering a wolf. As
is apparent, the element of rebirth is used as an element of reformation of the two female
characters.
In the story by Angela Carter, the rebirth of the protagonist is more metaphorical than in
the story by the Grimm. When the protagonist finds that the wolf has killed her
grandmother and that she is in danger of death as well, she does not hesitate. Instead of
becoming the victim she acts quickly and decides to express her sexual interest in the
wolf. During this process, she strips herself naked and throws her clothes into the fire to
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begin her new mature life in the same way she came to the world – naked. The rebirth of
the protagonist is simultaneously her transformation into an adult which is not true in the
case of the protagonist in the story by Grimm where the protagonist is still a child after
her rebirth.
Furthermore, in the story by Carter, the rebirth of the protagonist also symbolizes the birth
of a new generation of women. After the protagonist’s grandmother representing the old
generation of women dies, the new generation is ready to take over and to make changes.
This aspect of rebirth might refer to the birth of the second-wave feminists in the second
half of the twentieth century as it made many changes regarding female rights, sexuality
and self-perception.
The poem by Olga Broumas is not using rebirth or birth as a symbol but there is an image
of birth that recurs. The poem begins with the protagonist feeling sorry that she did not
give birth to any child as her mother once did to her. Following is a passage in which the
protagonist describes that she came to the world “dressed in her red hood, howling …”
(1977). The symbol of rebirth does not occur although we might interpret the
protagonist’s wish to have a daughter as her wish to be reborn. Mothers often reflect in
the behavior of their daughters and as her mother had a great influence on the protagonist,
the protagonist perhaps wishes to have the same influence on her own daughter. This
could be connected to the idea of rebirth but is rather a way of self-realization.
It is also relevant to mention that giving birth is reserved only to women. It is an act of
giving life which, in a way, is very empowering. The desire of the protagonist in the poem
by Broumas to give birth to a child signals her desire for the control over her body to
function as it should by the laws of nature.
As we can see, rebirth or birth are reassuringly incorporated into several versions of the
tale. The contemporary authors, however, tend to treat this element of the story as an
empowering moment such us giving birth to a child or being transformed into a strongminded woman. In the version by Grimm the rebirth of the protagonist serves as a second
chance for her to learn her lesson even though she essentially was not at fault for what
had happened to her.
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7.3 The wolf as a love interest
In two of the three contemporary versions, the wolf represents a love interest to the
protagonist. This approach to the character of the wolf is very different from the version
by Grimm as in that particular version the wolf is a violent predator.
The protagonist from “Little Red-Cap” by Duffy spends ten years with the man she loves
for she thinks he would somehow enrich her existence. This thinking suggests that the
protagonist hopes the wolf would improve her life. This does not happen and she can no
longer bear the stereotypical life she has with him. For this reason, she “kills” him and
goes on with her life alone.
In “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter, the protagonist demonstrates that she
and the wolf are equal. She expresses her desire for him and sees him as a tender creature.
This dynamism between the two characters is very different from the one portrayed in the
poem by Carol Ann Duffy. In “The Company of Wolves”, the protagonist realizes that
she and the wolf have much in common and decides to make both hers and his needs a
priority.
As we can see, the protagonist in the poem by Duffy decides for the life without a man
and the protagonist in the story by Carter decides to share her life with one. The
relationship in the story by Carter seems to be built on more solid ground as the
protagonist believes that she and her male counterpart are equal. The way their beginning
relationship is portrayed breaks the misconception that can often be encountered even
nowadays – that feminists despise men and think that men are lesser than women.)
(Hooks, 2000, p. 10.) This, of course, is not true as feminism fights for the equality of the
sexes, not for the superiority of women.
In the poem by Duffy, the relationship is constantly filled with expectation. When the
expectations are not fulfilled, the protagonist decides to leave. Both versions of the tale
are feminist but each takes a very different approach.
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7.4 The absence of savior archetype
Another common feature that was found is the absence of savior archetype which is
closely connected to the element of independence. This feature was found in all three of
the contemporary versions.
As is dealt with in the chapter on “The Little Red Cap” by Grimm, in this version, the
savior archetype is present and is represented by the huntsman. The huntsman saves both
the grandmother and LRRH and this action makes the female characters dependent. There
is a later episode in which the grandmother and LRRH outsmart another wolf together
and do not need the help of the huntsman. This, however, only suggests that they have
learned their lesson. It is not the character of the wolf who is reformed but the protagonist
who, essentially, did nothing wrong in the first place.
In the contemporary versions, there is no such thing as the savior archetype. In the version
by Duffy, the situation is handled in the most radical way as it is the protagonist who kills
the wolf and therefore saves herself. This way of dealing with the situation suggest that a
woman does not need saving and is capable of doing so herself. This approach to the
killing also combines the character of LRRH and the character of huntsman together,
conjoining both the feminine and masculine values into one which implies harmony and
equality.
In the story “The Company of Wolves” Angela Carter takes a similar approach. The
protagonist, again, saves herself but this time in a slightly different manner. The
protagonist is saved when she embraces her sexual awakening and starts to see the
predatory wolf as a mate. The acceptance of her own sexuality might be interpreted as the
acceptance of feminist ideas of the second-wave. When she realizes and admits her sexual
attraction to the wolf, she sees how similar they are. Consequently, she takes action in
order to demonstrate their equality – she takes off both her and his clothes to show their
likeness.
The poem by Broumas does not introduce any character that might be classified solely as
the savior. In fact, the author combines three characters into one. The protagonist
represents the characters of LRRH, the wolf, and the huntsman. We already know from
the analysis that the protagonist came to the world “howling”. This signifies that the wolf
is within the protagonist and so is the savior archetype. The protagonist has no one to help
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her with her struggle and she is attempting to do so herself. This gives her the potential
to save herself, without any assistance of a different character.
As is apparent, each of the contemporary writers have decided not to include the savior
archetype in the story or to join this persona to the persona of the protagonist. The way
the savior archetype is treated in all three versions is much closer to the reality of life and
also the reality of second-wave feminism as the women were alone in the struggle for
equality and did not wait until somebody fought for them. They simply had to fight for
themselves.
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Conclusion
This thesis aimed to analyze three contemporary versions inspired by the tale best known
as the “Little Red Riding Hood” (LRRH) with the regard to the most prominent issues of
the second-wave feminism. The contemporary versions included the poem “Little RedCap” by Carol Ann Duffy, the short story “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter
and the poem “Little Red Riding Hood” by Olga Broumas. To ensure the relevance of the
comparison it also analyzed a well-known version by the Brothers Grimm – the first
version which carries the title “The Little Red Cap”.
The feminist features that were searched for (embracing sexuality, independence,
sisterhood and self-esteem) were successfully found in the three contemporary versions
in varying degrees. Additionally, new common features such as the absence of savior
archetype, the refusal of the protagonist to be the victim or the portrayal of wolf as a love
interest have emerged and were consequently analyzed in greater detail in the last chapter
of the thesis. The recurrence of common features in some of the versions prove that the
second-wave feminism reflected in a unifying way and its ideas had great impact on the
way women began to perceive themselves.
From the individual analyses it is apparent that the second-wave feminism allowed many
female writers to express themselves freely and allowed them to choose among variety of
feminisms the one that suited them the best. As a consequence, this choice reflected not
only in their lives but also in their writings.
Thanks to the influence of the second-wave feminism, the three authors successfully
challenged the patriarchal ideas portrayed in the tale of LRRH and managed to create
three intriguing feminist characters. The importance of the contemporary versions is vast
as they implicitly portray how corrupt the well-known tale is, especially in the terms of
gender stereotyping.
The three contemporary versions of the tale of the LRRH defy the sexist ideas spread by
the well-known version by the Grimm. They improve the reputation of the female
protagonist by recreating her into a strong woman and enable her story to develop
differently.
The answer to the question what had made the various versions of the character of LRRH
feminist is fairly simple. It is the influence and experience of the women who recreated
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her and enabled her victimized character to transform into an independent woman who
realizes her self-worth, is content with her sexuality and recognizes the value of
sisterhood.
59
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