Sexuality In Angela Carter's The Little Red Riding Hood

Angela Carter’s interpretation of the fairytale “The Little Red Riding Hood”, The company of Wolves, explores the realms of sexuality in both men and women. Carter illustrates the evil, sexual nature of men through wolves and twists the roles of sexuality of women, often depicted as sacrificial and inferior. Out of all the “perils of the night and forest,” wolves are deemed the worst creatures in existence for their continuous lust of sexuality and their abilities to manipulate their prey. The werewolves are the worst because of their cunning nature and ability to transform into men. The state of a werewolf embodies the nature of a beast within a human and the young protagonist in the story, represents the brink of loss in the innocence of a child turning into a woman. Carter sheds a different light on the sexuality of women through the child, who owned her sexual nature and empowered herself against the traditional superiority and intimidating sexual nature of men. The Northern …show more content…
They are rushed into a cold reality where their imagination and curiosity is forbidden. The protagonist is an exception to this, it almost seems like her innocence is being protected and salvaged so she can experience growth in a natural way where she can find herself. “Children do not stay young for long in this savage country. There are no toys for them to play with, so they work hard and grow wise, but this one, so pretty and the youngest of her family, a little-late comer, had been indulged by her mother and the grandmother who’d knitted her the red shawl that, today, has the ominous if brilliant look