Little Red Riding Hood

Today I will be analysing the classic Little Red Riding Hood in comparison to the adaptation of Carol Ann Duffy, Little Red-Cap. I will be comparing the character roles between the two texts, as well as analysing how these two contrast each other and how this creates a different message/conclusion. I will also be analysing the conventional characteristics of both texts, and how these affect the text.

The conventional character roles are switched around in the two texts, giving Carol Ann Duffy’s text a sadistic, more evil tone. In almost all conventional fairytales, the main character is a young, innocent, caring girl who must be saved from a terrible conflict in which she will get hurt, and gets saved by a strong, heroic man that rescues her. This is also a reflection on real life relationships. Men in relationships have to protect their female partners often virginal innocence, which is often portrayed in film and literature. For many people, due to this constant conditioning since childhood, A mans ability to protect their female partner (usually in a violent manner) is interpreted and understood as love and heroism. In the conventional story of Little Red Riding Hood, she is an extremely obedient, innocent, young girl who is preyed on by the evil wolf. In Carol Ann Duffy’s adaptation, it is seen that the young girl uses her innocence to catch the attention of the wolf, who she is seeking out romantically. She is not scared of him, and she almost manipulates him. This is shown when she says:” I made quite sure he spotted me, sweet sixteen, never been, babe, waif”.