Little Red Riding Hood

“LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD” COMMENTARY

by Héctor González Mayorga

- “One day her mother asked her to take a basket of fresh fruit and mineral water...” Here, the author inserts two new elementssuch as fruit and water (typical grandmother’s food) instead of cakes (less wholesome food).

- “to her grandmother’s house –not because this was womyn’s work…” It excuses a traditional stance (notcause this was a women’s work...), so the author doesn’t intend to show that.

- “..but because the deed was generous and helped engender a feeling of community.” Little Red Riding Hood took thatbasket of food of sheer politeness (asked by her mother)...

- “...her grandmother was not sick, but rather was in full physical and mental health and was fully capable of taking care of herself as amature adult.” ...because her grandma wasn’t sick. Here, Jim Garner breaks with the traditional tale again, and introduces another point of view: a healthy and capable grandmother.

- The secondparagraph hasn’t any change with regard to the original tale.

- “She replied –some healthful snacks for my grandmother, who is centainly capable of taking care of herself as a mature adult–.” Itseems that Little Red Riding Hood wasn’t happy with the errand, because her grandmother could have carried that basket herself (because she was capable).

- “The Wolf said –you know, my dear, it isn’tsafe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone” / “Red Riding Hood said –I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as anoutcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid worldview –.” Mayby, the Wolf wanted to be nice. Howerver, Red Riding Hood took that remark so badly, she wason the defensive. Here, we can deduce that this girl was feminist and rather unruly.

- “But, because his status outside society had freed him from slavish adherence to linear, Western-style...