How Does The Direct Characterization Of Little Red Riding Hood

Roald Dahl’s retelling of a classic fairy tale begins rather unexpectedly. The classic fairy tale spends the first few sentences describing Little Red Riding Hood as a beautiful, charming girl with her signature red cloak. Taking on a different strategy, Dahl switches the lens to follow the Wolf at the beginning of his narrative. Rather than the wolf be the ominous threat that the reader is waiting for, Dahl’s version has readers actively waiting for the arrival of Little Red Riding Hood, the first sign of his divergent characterization.
Order of character appearances is not the most memorable or telling aspect of Dahl’s piece. The words and phrases he uses while writing about these characters is more revealing. For example, Dahl simply refers to the known villain as “Wolf.” There is no description of a cunning individual that should instill fear or suspicion. Rather, Wolf is characterized as an animal desperate for his next meal. Without prior knowledge of the fairy tale, the first few lines of Dahl’s narrative perhaps allude to a creature that will turn up begging for scraps at Grandma’s front door. It isn’t until the phrases “sharp white teeth” and “horrid grin” that Wolf transitions from a possible
Her lack of hesitation as she “whips a pistol from her knickers” along with her small smile transform Little Red Riding Hood from an innocent, pure child to a practiced villain. Replacing Wolf as the murderer, Little Red Riding Hood assumes the role of the villain. On the other hand, many readers will interpret Little Red Riding Hood’s actions of self-defence as heroic. No longer assisted by a male savior, Little Red Riding Hood takes matters into her own hands. She is able to take initiative and rescue herself from a risky situation. The inarguable gullible girl from the original tale is replaced by a character who is able to fluctuate between villain and heroine quite