Little Red Riding Hood by Brothers Grimm [PDF]

Information: Little Red Riding Hood

• Author: Brothers Grimm
• Publication Date: 1812
• Main Characters:
  • Little Red Riding Hood: A young girl known for the red hood she always wears. She is obedient to her mother but naive when confronted by the wolf in the forest.
  • The Wolf: A cunning predator who deceives Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. He represents danger disguised behind charm and false familiarity.
  • The Grandmother: Little Red Riding Hood's elderly and ailing relative who lives alone in the forest. She becomes the wolf's first victim.
  • The Huntsman: A woodsman who discovers the wolf sleeping after his meal and cuts him open, rescuing both the grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood.
• Brief Summary: Little Red Riding Hood tells the story of a young girl who is sent through the forest to visit her sick grandmother. A wolf intercepts her, learns her destination, and races ahead to the grandmother's house. The wolf devours the grandmother, disguises himself in her clothing, and waits for the girl. When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, the famous exchange of observations leads to her being swallowed as well. In the Grimm version, a passing huntsman cuts the wolf open, freeing both the girl and her grandmother alive.
• Thematic Analysis: At its core, the tale explores the tension between innocence and danger, trust and deception. The wolf represents threats that exploit naivety, while the forest itself symbolizes the unknown territory between childhood safety and the wider world. The story also carries a clear moral about the consequences of straying from the path and speaking to strangers.
• Historical Context: The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, published Little Red Riding Hood in their first edition of Children's and Household Tales in 1812. They adapted it from oral traditions and earlier literary versions, most notably Charles Perrault's 1697 French telling. The Grimms softened some elements and added the huntsman rescue, reflecting their aim to create tales suitable for a growing middle-class readership in early 19th-century Germany.