Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “Little Red Cap” Essay

It is In Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s Little Red Cap that makes young children absorb information of moral conduct subconsciously since early childhood. No wonder many fairy tales have been created since the middle ages in order to teach children how to act and behave. The more parents wanted to raise a man of merit, the faster pedagogic developed and children started receiving lessons of moral through fairy-tales rather than useless moral admonitions. As such, Little Red Cap is a wonderful representation of what the Grimm brothers made out in order to teach parents, and those n their turn can teach their kids how not to act. Of course, it is necessary to say that the fairy-tale presents a medieval antithesis of contrast between woods and village, therefore, this was the foremost lesson for kids of those times: not to leave the village without permission. However, surprisingly, the tale fits contemporary needs of upbringing, too. Namely, Little Red Cap states that the feature of well-bred young ladies is never talking to strangers; otherwise they might doom themselves to any possible dangers and troubles.

So, it is quite remarkable that the fairy-tale is so topical today. Of course, modern parents do not primarily think of their children going to the woods, though situations differ, and this might be essential also. However, what is more, important in the context of this tale is the ability of children to differentiate the persons to speak and not to speak to. Little Red Cap gives an explicit image of a bad guy who pursues young women at home and in the streets to do harm. This is what the black side of modern society is like. Unfortunately, approximately since the midst of the previous century, Americans have been shaken with thrilling news about maniacs threatening and killing women. This is the reason why modern adults can learn from Little Red Cap in order to prevent any possible interactions of their daughters (and sons) with dubious persons. The most essential thing a tale teaches us is that the ‘wolves can be pretty charming, polite, and modest – this is what’s so dangerous about them. So adults may also learn about perfidious people who may not be trusted under any circumstances of polite and nice conduct.

Among the treacherous traits of the wolf was his ability t think in advance. “Listen, Little Red Cap, haven’t you seen the beautiful flowers that are blossoming in the woods? Why don’t you go and take a look?” This was the moment where the wolf was trying to gain some more time in order to provide himself with one more victim. An adult may learn from it that sometimes our imprudence may result in someone else’s problems as well. Another thing that an adult should think of is not letting a child go all by him/herself somewhere away in the first place. The world is full of not very safe places to let a kid walk alone.

Moreover, there is another variant of Little Red Cap in which a wolf is ready to eat up a girl once more. However, the Red Cap has received her lesson already and says: ‘If we hadn’t been on a public road, he would have eaten me up’ so the public places might save the situation in some cases. Nevertheless, the wolf just wouldn’t calm down – as a representation of a substance of evil – and jumps on a roof to wait until a girl leaves the house. This should teach to find extraordinary ways out of difficult situations, just as grandma did “Yesterday I cooked some sausage. Carry the water that I boiled them with to the trough”.

In conclusion, it is necessary to say that it is essential to understand where danger may come from and it is important to discern truly nice people from wicked ones.