The two stories I have chosen are “Little Red Cap” by the Brothers Grimm, and “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne-Marie Leprince De Beaumont. I decided on these two stories in particular, because they are the stories and versions I know the best from my childhood and I’ve always enjoyed them. The topic I’m focusing on with these two stories is the reinforcement of patriarchal order.
In “Little Red Cap” the wolf is the male stranger that leads Little Red Riding Hood astray from her task, while in other versions the wolf is the male seducer. In the versions of LRRH where the wolf represents a male, it can be symbolic of the idea of how certain kinds men often prey upon weak and innocent females. In fact, in the Perrault version of the story it is even a warning to young women who could be preyed upon. In “Little Red Cap” it is notable that the hunter, which saves both Little Red and her grandmother is a man. The hunter or whoever saved them from the wolf could have been written or told as being a woman. This reinforces the male patriarchy because the hunter saves them which reinforces the idea that males are supposed to be the ones who are stronger and save the day, as well as being greatly respected and admired by others, while women are seen as being weaker and in need of protection.
In “Beauty and the Beast” the girl gives up everything to save her father and live in servitude to the beast. The girl is praised for her beauty and kindness which reinforces the stereotype of how girls and women in society should be like. The story reflects the ideas of the patriarchy because the girl is serving and protecting her father and by doing so submitting herself to the beast who she has to stay with. These aspects of the story show the order of the patriarchy because within patriarchal standards women should always serve and be obedient to the men in their lives. In this story the girl is serving and submitting herself to the beast, which is the main male figure in the story, and the reason she does this is to serve and protect her father from the beast.
The stories themselves do not have a ton in common when it comes to the order of the patriarchy, only that they reinforce certain standards about men and women. Each story tells of different values and lessons and by doing so they incorporate different patriarchal norms. Thus far I definitely like “Beauty and the Beast” more then LRRH because I didn’t really like all the hidden meanings in LRRH, however, I think the lessons within the many versions of the story are very valuable ones. I also like “Beauty and the Beast” better because it is a story that I grew up with more as a child because of watching the Disney one, therefore, the story has more meaning and nostalgia for me.
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