Short Writing Assignment Two Pick a fairy tale. Identify the central lesson (ie What did the author intend to teach) Why would the people who wrote it want to convey that lesson (ie What were the moti

Writing Assignment Two: Pick a Fairy Tale

            A fairy tale denotes a story that uses different forms of characters to convey a moral and teach individuals valuable lessons. In this regard, the fairy tale picked for this project is Little Red Riding Hood. Written by Charles Perrault, this fairy tale tells the story of a young country girl's encounter with a cunning wolf on her way to her grandmother's home. Ideally, the fairy tale has a simple plot, but the moral that one should not trust strangers is valuable. A close analysis of the characters, however, reveals issues of gender roles in the fairy tale. Therefore, Little Red Riding Hood story seems to teach its audience that talking to strangers is dangerous, but if you look closer at the characters, one can see that the tale is teaching people gender roles.

The central lesson conveyed through the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood is that talking and trusting strangers is dangerous. In other words, the author intended to teach children about the dangers of talking or trusting strangers in society. Based on the interactions of the girl and the cunning wolf, the audience learns that even a friendly stranger can have bad intentions. Notably, the young girl endangers herself and her grandmother because he talks and trusts the wolf (Perrault, n.d). Such actions would have ended with the wolf killing the girl and her grandmother if the huntsman had failed to save them. Therefore, the fairy tale conveys a cautionary lesson to the audience.

            Furthermore, the author was motivated by the safety of children in society to convey this cautionary lesson. The story instills a sense of caution in children for their safety in society (Perrault, n.d). Ideally, the fairy tale's historical context reveals issues concerning children's safety that existed when Perrault wrote. Many children suffered, and others lost their lives in forested areas. Such context connects to the author's idea of depicting the encounter involving the girl and the wolf in the woods.

            Additionally, the story assumes virtue ethics based on the acts of various characters. Throughout the story, the author emphasizes several virtue ethics, such as empathy, kindness, and compassion. For example, Little Red Riding Hood's mother asked her to go and see her grandmother because she was ill (Perrault, n.d). Such an act demonstrates a cognitive and emotional reaction to the grandmother's experiences. Further, the huntsman's act of saving Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother from the wolf portrays kindness and compassion. His response shows concern about the danger the young girl and her grandmother face.

            Nevertheless, a close examination of the contents of the story reveals the presence of an unintentional lesson. Little Red Riding Hood seems to teach its audience that trusting and talking to strangers is dangerous, but if you look closer, one can observe that the story is teaching people gender roles. For example, the author portrays the young girl as naïve and innocent, while the huntsman is demonstrated as a brave figure in the story (Perrault, n.d). Unintentionally, this depiction can foster the belief that women are obedient and passive and always depend on men for their safety. Depicting the huntsman as the savior reinforces masculinity beliefs.

            Conclusively, the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood is beneficial to children. The story can model the audience's behavior regarding their safety. The audience can learn from the young girl's mistakes. The author also teaches kindness and compassion through the story. Therefore, fairy tales can help teach children different ethics in society.

Reference

Perrault, C. (n.d). Little Red Riding Hood https://core.ecu.edu/parillek/littleredcinder.pdf