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Antoinette Delaney's Little Red Riding Hood

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Female, fairy tale characters are often introduced as vulnerable and submissive: per the "Little" in the title "Little Red Riding Hood", or the naivety of Snow White eating an apple from a stranger in the woods. These defining traits, along with the traditional expectation, that women are "scientifically and historically" meant to run the household (Goucher 579), are all seen throughout a vast array of fairy tales. "The Gunnywolf", retold and illustrated by Antoinette Delaney in 1988, is a fairy tale about a young girl who ventures outside of her home, into the woods and encounters the Gunnywolf, a misunderstood creature who is anything but dangerous. "The Gunnywolf", establishes the traditional expectation that a female shall not leave …show more content…

On the contrary, the Gunnywolf is anything but a danger to the child; a nuisance perhaps. The traditional household expectation set forth upon women is clear in this story. A "deep, dark woods" surrounds the Little Girl, representing a life outside her home which she is warned not to enter (Delaney 2). Several signs posted around the child's home order her to "KEEP OUT!", confining her to the household (Delaney 3-6). The Little Girl is first introduced to the Gunnywolf when she unknowingly stumbles into the woods. She has escaped the confinements of her expectations and is visibly shaken and terrified by the Gunnywolf's presence (Delaney 12). The characteristics of the real world frighten the child, but she quickly learns that the Gunnywolf poses no threat at all, rather an initial nuisance that she grows accustomed to. The Gunnywolf personifies a life beyond the household. A life that does not welcome …show more content…

On page five of "The Gunnywolf", Delaney writes that a "blooming flower" grabs the child's interest. The word "blooming" is not seen anywhere else in the story. This singular word signifies the Little Girls growth or introduction into the reality that is outside of her home. Instinctively, she is reeled into the woods once she gets a taste of what it can offer. She drops her "ABC" book as she steps past the tree line, representing her desire to learn and embrace education. The reoccurring flowers signify what life has to offer and the Little Girl becomes intoxicated by the abundance of opportunities that continue to present themselves. Nevertheless, a challenge eventually steps into the path of the Little Girl. The Gunnywolf frightens the child and her immediate response is to submit and temporarily deal with the issue. The problem continuously resurfaces, and the Little Girl learns how to appropriately cope with the issue. Instead of cowering, she confidently approaches life's challenges and returns to the outside world the following day to embrace the opportunities and difficulties reality has to

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