What I Researched, and What I Found: I researched the musical Into the Woods because I have heard the music before, and I was curious to see how the lyrics compared to the versions we read in class. I feel that the visual portrayal of the interaction between Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf is very interesting, and somewhat different from the versions we were exposed to. There are two songs dealing specifically with Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The first song is called Hello Little Girl, which is a dialog between Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The second number is I Know Things Now, which is sung by Little Red Riding Hood after she is saved by the woodsman. I have posted the links to the lyrics, and have also posted video clips of the musical numbers. (Just to warn everyone, the Wolf's costume in the best clip I could find is a little...revealing, but symbolic.)
Hello Little Girl: Video
I know Things Now: Video
How I Interpret It: In this version, the Wolf's intentions are plainly stated. The versions we read in Orenstein's book all portray the wolf as evil and provocative, but only in the Grimm's' version did the wolf verbalize his true intentions. The wolf is obviously presented as the villain, and Red Riding Hood as the naive victim of seduction. The wolf expresses his incredible, lusty desire to make the "soft and supple" Red Riding Hood his snack, in a sort of sexual way. By reading the lyrics, this symbolism may not be as apparent as it is in the video. The wolf is wearing a tight jacket, showing his muscular physique, and though Red Riding Hood tries to stick to the path her mother ordered her to follow, her curiosity, intrigue, and lust cause her to stray. After Red Riding Hood is eaten by the wolf, and then saved by the woodsman, she sings I Know Things Now in response to her experience. I think it's very interesting that she was grateful to be alive, but also regretted the fact that she involuntarily gained so much knowledge from her experience. She seems to waver a lot in her reasoning. Statements such as, "I should have heeded her advice...but he seemed so nice," "He made me feel excited-well, excited and scared," and "Isn't it nice to know a lot! But sometimes not," imply that Red Riding Hood may have matured too early. She wishes that she had not been forced to grow up so quickly, and that she still had the privilege of being naive, as she was before. In this aspect, this version ties in very well with the "coming of age" theme we discussed in class.
What I Think it Adds to Discussion: All of the stories we have read so far have morals; some more obvious than others. I think that this is an interesting take on the story, in that Red Riding Hood expresses her understanding of the moral, and promises that she will not stray from the path again, but it seems as though she still has reservations. She doesn't seem completely content with her ending, and I think she may have enjoyed a more positive encounter with the wolf. This reveals that Little Red Riding Hood may not be as innocent as she seems. I would like to compare this version to the other versions we read, and see if any of the other stories imply that the Little Red Riding Hood character may not be so innocent either. It would be interesting for the class to discuss their take on this version, and to see if they view the symbolism as I do. I would especially like to hear everyone's take on the last two lines of I Know Things Now.
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6 comments:
Very interesting thoughts on Little Red's innocence, or lack thereof. I read the last lines as asserting a kind of paradox--Red wants to be innocent instead of having the (sexualized) knowledge she now has, but the reason she wants this is so she can enjoy illicit pleasures without being implicated in a desire for them. In other words, there's a pleasure in being innocent, but much of this has to do with being able to disclaim the knowledge/enjoyment of pleasures that are more morally questionable while still enjoying them!
Also, is it more disturbing that the Wolf costume from In the Woods reminds me of a Chippendales dancer (not from personal experience!) or that a quick google search reveals that the Chippendales' original choreographer also did children's TV? The former, if I'm right, suggests that the wolf is being represented as a specifically female fantasy figure, not just a male predator.
More feedback from me later . . .
I love "Into the Woods," especially Little Red Riding Hood's story in it, and I agree with you that the wolf's costume and suggestive dance moves make it very clear that his intentions are sexual.
I had a tape of the Broadway show when I was little, and I always thought that another interesting thing about the show is that the actor who plays the wolf is the same actor who plays Cinderella's Prince (this is true for all of the revival versions as well). This casting choice explicitly strengthens the connection between "man" and "wolf," and suggests that even the ideal man in fairy tales, the prince, has a bit of wolf in him.
I was surprised to see how young looking Red was in the video clip. (Although the actress is probably older than she looks) This speaks to the adult male-young girl relationship that is present and generally acceptable.
I noticed in the Grimm version of Little Red Riding Hood in Orenstein that when the wolf tells Little Red Cap to look around and notice the flowers, "Little Red Cap opened her eyes and saw how the sunlight broke through the trees and how everything was full of beautiful flowers."(42) This "opening of her eyes" could be the knowledge, or temptation, that the wolf presents to her that makes her less innocent after she accepts. If it is analyzed in a biblical sense, it can be considered a parallel to the Garden of Eden. Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit and when she did, she was filled with knowledge, realized things she didn't before, and because of that knowledge was no longer innocent and original sin supposedly came about. It corresponds to "Into the Woods" as Red sings the song about knowledge and how she lost her innocence, but that it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
I was also surprised at how young Little Red Riding Hood looked in the musical. Also, when I was in high school our school performed "Into the Woods" and the wolf's costume wasn't sexualized like the one in the musical. Probably because people would've thought it was inappropriate. I think the last two lines of the song represent that Little Red is curious about some things that she's not mature enough to understand/handle yet.
As a person of the theatre, I adored this post. I'm not familiar with the musical as I'm more of a play person, but I've certainly heard of INTO THE WOODS before and was thrilled to be able to watch a little clip of it. Though the costume of the wolf and Red's curls were quite funny (Lord Fonterloy allusive maybe?), I didn't find the acting and singing so much. I found it interesting that there was audible laughter from the audiece present in the first clip. Maybe seeing the performance live makes it more funny. Or maybe just sexual and they are laughing because they are uncomfortable.
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