Angela Carter's version of “Little Red Riding Hood” was a take on the traditional story that I had not yet read before. It takes a detour from the usual innocence and murder of a young girl, to her conforming and following the wolves that initially hungered for her. In terms of gender, I found myself pondering Carter's words over and over again. I have two versions of this story; one where the wolves represent males, and one where the wolves are genderless. The wolves in my eyes represent a sort of insatiable hunger of society.

In my interpretation where the wolves are males, the ending represents the exploitation of young women and the wish for them to conform and bend to male's ideals. Throughout history, women have been expected to conform and serve men and their needs. As she encounters the wolf in her grandmother's house, she chooses to follow him. She asked, "‘What shall I do with my blouse?’, to which the wolf responded, ‘Into the fire with it, too, my pet.’. this nickname incites that she is owned. a pet has an owner and a leash, and too many women throughout history were held on a chain next to their husbands. The girl did what she did to save her life like so many other women have done. By agreeing with the opposing forces, she no longer risks her well-being and safety.

In my other depiction, the wolves depict a sort of society where gender constructs are not enforced. it seemed like this pocket of society where the wolves were demonized showed a society where gender constructs are decentralized, and people revert back to their animalistic tendencies. Carter wrote, "The girl burst out laughing; she knew she was nobody’s meat. She laughed at him full in the face, she ripped off his shirt for him and flung it into the fire, in the fiery wake of her own discarded clothing. The flames danced like dead souls on Walpurgisnacht and the old bones under the bed set up a terrible clattering but she did not pay them any heed," (Carter 7). This excerpt to me depicts an equalization of both genders as the woman takes the lead and realizes her full self and siezes control. Carter goes on to write, "Carnivore incarnate, only immaculate flesh appeases him. She will lay his fearful head on her lap and she will pick out the lice from his pelt and perhaps she will put die lice into her mouth and eat them, as he will bid her, as she would do in a savage marriage ceremony," (Carter 7). This part shows me an equal exchange between both, and they are no longer conforming to their traditional roles. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story because of how conflicted I was on analyzing it. It really made me dive deep and the writing was so gorgeous.

(This was my interpretation for a class, and of course I could be wrong!! keep that in mind!)