Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Other Classic Fairy Tales - Classic Text | Alexandria
Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Other Classic Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault (1628-1703) stands as a seminal collection that fundamentally shaped the Western fairy tale tradition. Published in 1697 under the French title "Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités" (Stories or Tales from Past Times, with Morals), also known as "Contes de ma mère l'Oye" (Tales of Mother Goose), this work represents the first literary adaptation of traditional oral folktales into refined stories suitable for French aristocratic society.
Perrault, a prominent member of the Académie Française and a key figure in the literary quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns, crafted these tales during the height of the French Baroque period. His collection emerged at a time when salon culture flourished, and literary fairy tales (contes de fées) became a sophisticated form of entertainment among the French nobility. Unlike earlier folkloric versions, Perrault's tales incorporated distinct literary elements, moral lessons, and social commentary relevant to 17th-century French court life.
The collection includes eight prose tales: "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," "Bluebeard," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Puss in Boots," "The Fairies," "Ricky with the Tuft," and "Little Thumb." Each story concludes with a verse moral, distinguishing them from their oral predecessors. Perrault's versions introduced now-iconic elements: Cinderella's glass slipper (replacing the fur slipper of earlier versions), the fairy godmother, and Little Red Riding Hood's memorable red cape. His sophisticated narrative style, combining folkloric elements with courtly refinement, established a template for fairy tale literature that influenced subsequent collectors and adapters, including the Brothers Grimm.
The enduring influence of Perrault's collection extends beyond literature into various artistic mediums, from opera and ballet to film and popular culture. Modern scholars continue to analyze these tales through various theoretical lenses, examining their social implications, gender roles, and psychological dimensions. The collection's ability to simultaneously entertain and instruct, while addressing complex themes of morality, social mobility, and human nature, ensures its relevance in contemporary discourse, raising persistent questions about the role of fairy tales in shaping cultural values and societal norms.