Quixotic Pixels
Little Red Riding Hood
It’s an old story. It was old even before the Brothers Grimm appropriated it in the 19th century, old even before Charles Perrault wrote it out in the 17th century, and probably old even before 14th century French peasants sat around fireplace of an evening and told their children the cautionary tale of Le Petit Chaperon Rouge.
An old story, interpreted differently in each era in which it’s told. In the earliest version the innocent child goes to visit an old woman against her parents wishes; she and the unfortunate old woman are both eaten by the wolf. No rescue by a brave huntsman, no happy ending. This is what happens to wayward children who don’t listen to their parents. Later it becomes a coming-of-age story. The girl in the red hood is outwitted by the wolf, but saved by a strapping young huntsman; she loses her innocent nature and leaves childhood behind, emerging as a young woman, wiser and more cautious. In more modern versions, the girl saves herself. Who needs a huntsman?
An old story, elastic and adaptable to every age. But the hood is always red, the girl is always young and pretty, and nobody roots for the wolf.
Blog photograph copyrighted to the photographer and used with permission by utata.org. All photographs used on utata.org are stored on flickr.com and are obtained via the flickr API. Text is copyrighted to the author, greg fallis and is used with permission by utata.org. Please see Show and Share Your Work
