Zohar Shavit
What happened to Little Red Riding Hood on its way to the 20th century?
Seminar, Tuesday 2014, 2nd semester, 10:00-12:00

Little Red Riding Hood began as a text addressing adults and was employed for satirical purposes (Charles Perrault); it eventually turned into a fairytale, allegedly passed down from the people, with the objective of constructing a supposedly national heritage (The Brothers Grimm). Later it became part and parcel of the canonical repertoire of fairytales. During its evolution the text was changed considerably in order to meet various needs and demands.

The seminar will focus on the linkages between the fairytale entitled "Little Red Riding Hood" and the changing notions of child and childhood, and between these and the circumstances under which it was written, as well as the various roles attributed to the text since the 18th century.

The discussion will deal with a variety of verbal texts of Little Red Riding Hood, including parodies and satires, and non-verbal texts, mainly illustrations, artifacts, movies, commercials and children's games.