Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Essay Example for Free

Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Essay The short story of Little Red Riding Hood is a simple to understand child’s tale and clearly portrays the deceitfulness of appearance. The story is clearly organized with characters and symbols of innocence by a child and the sly dangers represented by a wolf. Throughout the story we see the characters build more of a persona of innocence and evil. It is stated by Cassady, M. (1991), â€Å"Symbolism plays a large part in Identity and Difference.† This is seen a lot and very clearly with the oblivious thoughts of Red Riding Hood and the singular objective of the wolf constantly reminded throughout the story. The characters add to the theme and the theme is portrayed though these characters. The theme of Little Red Riding Hood is made clearer and understanding in many ways. In the original short story there are clear references to what the clear idea is behind the theme. These are pointed out and recognized by asking simple questions even supported through the text. Clungston, R. (2010), â€Å"How does the writer use setting to narrow the underlying idea? How do characters make particular aspects of the underlying idea clear? How does conflict reveal the strength or worth of the underlying idea?† These are questions more clearly defined in this story than could be found in many others. The most clear and obvious would be the characters. The antagonist being represented as a mischievous and blood thirsty wolf gave a clear view on the danger posed against the young and innocent Little Red Riding Hood. The little fun loving child was also a character who added to the theme, making it clear there was an innocent victim. Along with the presence of the characters there is a clear instance of conflict making the theme clearer. In the short story there was a most noted and memorable moment when the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood reunited without Red Riding Hood knowing she was in the presence of the wolf. The famous lines in the story written by l’Oye (1697), â€Å"Grandmother, what big arms you have! All the better to hug you with, my dear. Grandmother, what big legs you have! All the better to run with, my child. Grandmother, what big ears you have! All the better to hear with, my child. Grandmother, what big eyes you have! All the better to see with, my child. Grandmother, what big teeth you have got! All the better to eat you up with.† Said and repeated, this became one of the most notorious childhood short stories to ever exist. This conflict showed the adolescence of the child and the trust she put into the wolf’s words. As these go on it becomes more obvious the appearance of Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother become less resembling to how Little Red Riding Hood know her to appear. This is where â€Å"looks can be deceiving† seems to be most appropriately referenced. In the story of Little Red Riding Hood the child character had no knowledge of not talking to the stranger wolf, which led to her and her grandmother’s peril. . The story has the intertwining relations between the characters and their symbolism in the story. As the little child frolics and plays with butterflies and picks up nuts to enjoy the wolf tears through the woods to be sure not to lose out on his opportunity to feast. This is the image brought to the reader of the characters and heightened by the influences of the child being a child and the wolf being a wolf. Cassady, M. (1991) also states, â€Å"the characters are symbols as well as individuals† this explain our predicted image of the characters and the importance of why these two characters have to be who they are to make a clear statement in the story. Without the presence of these characters or the manifestation of the theme, neither would exist without the other to create the effect this story created. This is symbolism and character created strongest in the story of Little Red Riding Hood.