Angela Carter Wolf
When authors or writers rewrite classic texts, they are able to reveal important lessons, they believe in, to readers or make the underlying message from an original text more obvious to readers. Rewriting classic texts can also allow the writer make an original text more moderate and relatable to the readers and help them understand the story clearer. Which exactly what Angela Carter did in her text, “The Company of Wolves,” Carter seems to make a feminist point in her rewrite and seems to criticize the original text of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s story, “Little Red Cap.” Instead of having Little Red Riding Hood a weak character who falls for the tricks of the wolf and needs help of a “strong” male character, the Huntsman; Carter makes Little
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Readers can see this in the Grimm Brother’s fairytale, when they write “He stepped into the parlor, and when he approached the bed, he saw the wolf lying there.” (Grimm 1083). Just as Little Red Cap’s life became in peril, the strong male character swoops in and saves the damsel in distress and her grandmother. A male character, who fairly has a brief appearance in the story, is the liberator who gets rid of the main protagonist’s problem instantly. This is very unrealistic and portrays females as weak people, who needs someone tough as the huntsman to come save them from their problems. Carter, on the other hand, does the complete opposite and combines the wolf and huntsman as one character. Carter at first fools the readers to think the huntsman is a good heroine and holds a simple flirtatious relationship with the protagonist, the young girl. However, Carter writes “Off with his disguise, that coat of forest-colored cloth. The hat with the feather tucked into the ribbon; his matted hair seams down his white shirt and she can see the lice moving in it.” (Carter 1090) and it turns out that the huntsman was the wolf in disguise. The way Carter writes, readers are misled to believing that her story will follow the path of “Little Red Cap,” after she recites the famous questions that Little Red Cap once asked. Carter is trying to show by these little details that the young girl in “The Company of Wolves” did not need a strong male protagonist, in fact, she makes the young girl take in charge of her story. Carters does not give strong nor weak attributes to the young girl, but makes her a normal young girl who is exploring her
Readers can see this in the Grimm Brother’s fairytale, when they write “He stepped into the parlor, and when he approached the bed, he saw the wolf lying there.” (Grimm 1083). Just as Little Red Cap’s life became in peril, the strong male character swoops in and saves the damsel in distress and her grandmother. A male character, who fairly has a brief appearance in the story, is the liberator who gets rid of the main protagonist’s problem instantly. This is very unrealistic and portrays females as weak people, who needs someone tough as the huntsman to come save them from their problems. Carter, on the other hand, does the complete opposite and combines the wolf and huntsman as one character. Carter at first fools the readers to think the huntsman is a good heroine and holds a simple flirtatious relationship with the protagonist, the young girl. However, Carter writes “Off with his disguise, that coat of forest-colored cloth. The hat with the feather tucked into the ribbon; his matted hair seams down his white shirt and she can see the lice moving in it.” (Carter 1090) and it turns out that the huntsman was the wolf in disguise. The way Carter writes, readers are misled to believing that her story will follow the path of “Little Red Cap,” after she recites the famous questions that Little Red Cap once asked. Carter is trying to show by these little details that the young girl in “The Company of Wolves” did not need a strong male protagonist, in fact, she makes the young girl take in charge of her story. Carters does not give strong nor weak attributes to the young girl, but makes her a normal young girl who is exploring her