Explains fairytales and the symbolic elements of "Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault

The simplicity, linearity, and one-dimensionality of fairytales have led to a belief in their allegorical nature, a conviction that fairytales mean something quite different from what stands in the text. (Adapted from Bottigheimer. 1986: 6) This essay will discuss symbolic elements of "Little Red Riding Hood" in terms of the tales by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. In Perrault's version, the bourgeois society is being represented. Little Red Riding Hood is referred to as a "little …

…to restore social order. The two traditional versions of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" represent different ideals and beliefs, which are emphasised through the telling of the story. Through analysing fairytales such as this one, on each of their levels, one can decipher their different symbolic interpretations. Once one is initiated into the school of thought that fairy tales mean something different from what stands in the text, the true meaning can be understood.