In fact, he stresses that these stories should be read without any commentary about the possible unconscious content. "Fairy tales can and do serve children well, can even make an unbearable life seem worth living, as long as the child doesn't know what they mean to him psychologically" (Bettelheim 57). This destroys the story's enchantment.
More recently, different authors have returned to the earlier usage of fairy tales, or conveying a message about society perspectives. Catherine Storr, for example, emphasizes a feminist viewpoint. In "Little Polly Riding Hood." Polly does not become a victim to the cunning of the male wolf. In fact, she outsmarts him and refutes the stereotype of men being smarter than women. Polly does not even live in a forest but in a city. She deceives the wolf by taking the bus or getting a ride to her grandmother's house. Finally, the story ends with the wolf saying: "Bother, bother, bother, and bother!'" said the wolf. 'It hasn't worked out right this time either. And I did just what it said in the book. Why can't I ever get you, Polly, when that other wolf managed to get his little girl?' 'Because this isn't a fairy story,' said Polly, 'and I'm not Little Red Riding Hood. I am Polly, and I can always escape from you, Wolf, however much you try to catch me' (Zipes et al.356). Thus, Polly becomes a modern heroine and a symbol of women's liberation.
Some stories go even further and make Little Red Riding Hood do the victimizing. Roald Dahl's character pulls a gun out and shoots the wolf to replace her silly cloak and hood with a "lovely furry wolfskin coat" (Zipes et. al 359). Philippe Dumas's "Little Navy Blue Riding Hood" includes a very determined and self-confident girl who is jealous of her famous grandmother, the "ex-Little Red Riding Hood." Little Navy Blue Riding Hood frees the wolf in order to revive the old story and become well-known like her grandmother. However, this wolf, the great-great-nephew of Perrault's...
Believing that her grandmother is the wolf, Little Navy Blue takes the confused old lady to the zoo at knifepoint and locks her in the wolf's cage. Little Navy Blue Riding Hood becomes notorious with all the media attention and the outcry against the little girl who had previously seemed to be "so well-behaved and obedient" (Dumas 22-24).
Over the years, there have been at least 120 different interpretations of "Little Red Riding Hood" throughout the world. Rather than trying to interpret each one on how it relates to society's ethics or the way it describes the inner psychological battles between the id and ego, isn't it better just to read the books and enjoy them for what they are? People should take a few minutes reading a fairy tale on their own or with children, looking at the pictures and taking a break from the stressful day. Centuries ago, when the storyteller came into the village, people of all ages gathered around to hear the tales. It was a time to come together as a community and share a common cultur -- a good reason to read a fairy tale.
References
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage, 1977.
Cashdan, Sheldon. The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales. New York:
Basic Books. 1999.
Dumas, Philippe. Little Navy Blue Riding Hood. In Recycling Red Riding Hood.
Sandra Beckett (Ed). New York: Routledge 2002, 108-110.
Orenstein, Catherine. Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Ten Moral Tales from the Forest. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
Zipes, Jack, Paul Lissa, Vallone, Lynne, Hunt, Peter and Avery, Gillian. Norton Anthology of Children's Literature. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2005.
