Little Red Riding Hood as an Empowered Female

by Thea Angelica Angeles

Photo by: Kehbab Salaheddine

Throughout many generations that have evolved over time, the traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood has been associated with cautionary themes of not trusting strangers— often depicting the eponymous protagonist as a helpless and innocent victim. Despite this fixed portrayal, Little Red has been reinterpreted as an empowered lady who faces her fears and makes her own choices. Such modern adaptations have frequently changed the narrative—allowing Red to take hold of her destiny not only by outsmarting the wolf but also by challenging societal expectations instilled upon her. In particular, James Thurber and Roald Dahl offer two respective retellings that subvert the original story to emphasize this daring version of the hooded heroine.

Concerning Thurber’s The Little Girl and the Wolf, Little Red becomes a symbol of feminine intuition and decisive action—especially towards the end of the story. Rather than showing fear or naivety, she displays an undaunted, almost aloof image of a cunning girl who quickly sees through the wolf’s disguise and kills it without hesitation. Even when she first encounters the wolf in the dark forest, she senses something suspicious about him—drawing attention to her keenness and aligning with the story’s moral: “it is not easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be” (Thurber 3). Without relying on the intervention of a male savior, Little Red becomes the agent of her own survival. Furthermore, the sardonic tone of this story critiques the outdated damsel-in-distress trope by replacing sentimental susceptibility with sharp wit and matter-of-fact authority. This parody ridicules the conventional buildup of suspense— in which a defenseless girl is typically stalked and deceived— by flipping the script and prompting Little Red to remain three steps ahead throughout the interaction. This noted shift is especially evident when Thurber writes, “…for even in a nightcap, a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge” (3). In essence, the absurdity in these lines shows how Thurber mocks the implausibility of the wolf’s deception in traditional versions— revealing Little Red’s heightened awareness and defiance to be patronized. Comparing a famous public figure and a Hollywood icon further establishes Little Red’s character in a contemporary, media-savvy sense— situating her intelligence within a culturally literate framework that expects to decode appearances and challenge illusions. Also, the brisk pacing also reflects her refusal to indulge in dramatics— echoing a protagonist who is not merely acquainted with her surroundings but also uninterested in playing the passive role assigned to her by folklore. Her swift, unapologetic reaction conveys a sense of everyday empowerment— as though her boldness is not extraordinary but expected. This subtle normalization of her self-reliance hints at a broader commentary on evolving gender roles— where young girls are taught to trust their instincts and act decisively rather than wait for permission or assistance. Along those lines, Little Red is not simply brave in the conventional sense; she is emotionally intelligent and composed— characteristics that redefine what courage looks like in modern girlhood. In presenting independence as a natural reflex rather than a rare achievement, it can be determined that the paradigm of girlhood has been reframed into one that grants self-determination and resilience— in which competence and self-trust are favored over fear and submissiveness. By stripping away elaborate plot devices and heroic rescues, Thurber emphasizes that the heroine’s strength is internal and immediate— she needs no transformation or awakening to act. Through Thurber’s lens, the forest becomes more of a testing ground for a woman’s confidence and strength instead of a space filled with danger.

Dahl’s poem Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf shares the same theme and climax as Thurber’s adaptation; however, it adds a flamboyant, dark comedic twist that satirizes not only the predator-prey dynamic but also through exaggerated imagery and an irreverent tone that derides both fairytale logic and rigid gender stereotypes. Far from Thurber’s straightforward prose, Dahl follows a rhymed structure that intensifies the silliness of the tale— casting Little Red into a “final girl” persona with a tongue-in-cheek swagger and lethal charm who dispatches the wolf and casually dons his pelt into a fashionable garment:

I came upon Miss Riding Hood

No cloak of red,

No silly hood upon her head

She said, “Hello, and please do note

My lovely furry wolfskin coat” (lines 49-53).

This cheeky fashion statement signals more than a plain costume change; it reflects a metamorphosis in identity as Little Red regains the symbol of her former innocence and reconfigures it into a trophy of dominance. The image of her parading in wolf fur transforms her into one of hunter and conqueror— a bold reversal that dismantles the conventional hierarchy and elevates her from prey to predator. Instead of being marked by fear and fragility, she becomes an emblem of vengeance cloaked in luxury—with her outfit embodying a deliberate fusion of power and performance, suggesting that femininity and fierceness can coexist without contradiction. Additionally, the hyper-stylized nature of the poem— infused with grotesque humor and irony— mirrors a world where young women are no longer bound by politeness or propriety but are free to rewrite their roles with confidence and flair. Within that context, Little Red does not solely break the fourth wall seen in traditional meta-narratives— she effaces it with punch lines and precision, turning every cliché into a bantering opportunity as a way to assert dominance. Her dialogue brims with sassy wit, and her actions exude an unbridled audacity that jeers at the very scripts she is supposedly programmed to comply with. Little Red’s weaponization of style and sarcasm reflects a generational transition— one where young women don’t just escape danger but confront it head-on with a knack for dramatic justice. She is no longer a silent observer in a man-made fable but an astute narrator of her own legend—one who turns symbols of submission into tools of empowerment and redefines narrative-altering violence as a vehicle for autonomy. By doing so, she destabilizes the entire mythos of feminine passivity in the fairytale canon that once restrained her— demonstrating how self-fashioning can be the most radical form of resistance. In doing so, Dahl’s rendition champions the idea that empowerment can be as much about attitude as it is about action— where shrewdness, creative rebellion, and brazen confidence form a new kind of armor against the world’s metaphorical wolves.

Taken together, these contemporary remixes reveal how the evolution of Little Red Riding Hood has continued to change the way femininity is perceived and performed. Little Red is not reduced to a girl with a basket of goodies; she is reimagined as a force of instinct, intelligence, and style—someone who maneuvers through danger with tenacity rather than dread. Not only does this recasting modernize her role; it also destabilizes the binary oppositions—such as predator versus prey, innocence versus corruption, or male versus female—that once defined the tale’s moral structure. Whether it be incisive wit or defiant elegance, our beloved hooded heroine transpires as a multidimensional figure who blends sharp discernment with unapologetic presence— illustrating that strength can be subtle, stylish, and revolutionary all at once. These versions do more than subvert expectations; they expand the possibilities of what a fairytale heroine can typify in a world that demands both survival and self-definition.

Works Cited

Dahl, Roald. “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.” Poetry by Heart, https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/little-red-riding-hood-and-the-wolf.

Accessed 4 April 2025. Thurber, James. “The Little Girl and the Wolf.” Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated, Harpers, 1995, p. 3.