Literary Themes and Narrative Element in Little Red Riding Hood

The story of Little Red Riding Hood is indisputably a classic piece of literature (read the story here). Regardless of one’s interpretation of this short story, owing to the fact that it has gained notoriety for its lewd connotation, this is a story that will certainly endure the test of time. It’s interesting to note how the narrative elements in this short story contribute to a larger narrative theme.

The themes addressed in this classic work are true to these modern times. Greed is a real social problem even today. The wolf is an epitome of greed in the Little Red Riding Hood. He eats what is considerably a copious amount of food that he certainly has no need of. Eating both Little Red Riding Hood and her sickly grandmother paints the wolf as extremely greedy and the claim that he hadn’t eaten for three days cannot justify his level of greed.

Deception is another key theme in this short story. Taking advantage of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf deceives her into her own waterloo. From the story, we learn that the little girl was oblivious to the danger that comes with entertaining a conversation with the wolf. And this is one fact that was clearly evident to the wolf who capitalizes on the poor girl’s ignorance.

Family value is yet another significant theme in the Little Red Riding Hood. We see how concerned the little girl’s mother is about the grandmother’s state of health. She (the mother) dispatches little red riding hood with a cake and a little pot of butter for the ailing grandmother. Unfortunately, the grandmother never gets to enjoy her gifts as the wolf spoils the party for everyone through grand treachery.

Symbolism is an outstanding literary element in this short story. The wolf is certainly a symbol of greed and little red riding hood a symbol of ignorance. There belies a certain degree of controversial euphemism in these two symbols that is subject of much literary discourse that this article will not dwell on.

The character of the wolf leaves a lot to be desired. While others might consider him smart, some will definitely find his character distasteful. The fact that he took advantage of a little innocent girl is surely bound to turn many hearts black with ire. On the contrary though, both the character of the grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood invite much compassion from the audience owing to the ease with which they trust the wolf who, unbeknownst to them, harbors ulterior motives.

Both the character and symbolism employed in this short story serve to realize a great narrative theme. It’s through the characterization of the characters in this short story that we get the themes. For instance, the wolf is painted as greedy, resulting in the theme of greed. As for symbolism, the wolf is once again used to symbolize greed which in turn evolves into a theme of greed. Incredibly, literary elements successfully contribute to a larger narrative theme in the Little Red Riding Hood.

How to Review/Analyze a Book

Many people often read books without caring to analyze their contents. They just read leisurely as the printed words in the pages quickly glide away in their eyes. Students of literature however, don’t have such luxury. They are required to go through every phrase and sentence with the finest toothcomb possible all in a bid to grasp the deeper meaning in the story. So how do you analyze/review a book?

1.      Frontispiece. This is the cover of a book. A student should keenly analyze any graphics on the cover and ponder on the book title. There is always a hidden meaning in the cover hence the old adage don’t judge a book by the cover.

2.      Plot. This is the general flow of the story in a book from the first page till the last one. A good student of literature should be able to briefly narrate the story in a book. This is the backbone of excellent literature grades since characterization, themes and style all spring from a student’s grasp and understanding of the plot. 

3.      Characterization. This refers to how the characters are portrayed in a book. A student can easily excel at characterization by keenly looking at how the characters talk, act and develop.

4.      Themes. This is basically the topics addressed in a book. At most instances, characters give rise to themes through their speech and actions. Examples of themes are greed, poverty et cetera.

5.      Literary styles. This is how a book has been written. For instance, the entire story in a book might be a recollection of someone’s memory about an incident that transpired many years ago. This style is called flashback.

Essentially, above are the basic issues to consider when analyzing/reviewing any book. Next, I will post an example of a book review.