Month: February 2025

Introduction: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton first appeared in Transformations (1971), a poetry collection that reinterprets classic fairy tales with a dark, feminist, and psychoanalytic lens. This poem, like others in the collection, deconstructs traditional narratives to expose their unsettling undertones, particularly regarding beauty, power, and female subjugation. Sexton’s retelling presents Snow White as an objectified, passive figure—”rolling her china-blue doll eyes / open and shut”—who remains trapped in a cycle of male possession and societal expectations. The poem critiques the idealization of feminine innocence and the destructive nature of vanity, embodied in the queen’s obsessive rivalry. The haunting imagery, visceral language, and biting irony make the poem a staple in feminist literary studies and modern poetry anthologies. Its continued use in academic settings stems from its ability to challenge the sanitized versions of fairy tales and provoke discussions on gender roles, beauty standards, and psychological depth in literature.

Text: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

No matter what life you lead
the virgin is a lovely number:
cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper,
arms and legs made of Limoges,
lips like Vin Du Rhône,
rolling her china-blue doll eyes
open and shut.
Open to say,
Good Day Mama,
and shut for the thrust
of the unicorn.
She is unsoiled.
She is as white as a bonefish.

Once there was a lovely virgin
called Snow White.
Say she was thirteen.
Her stepmother,
a beauty in her own right,
though eaten, of course, by age,
would hear of no beauty surpassing her own.
Beauty is a simple passion,
but, oh my friends, in the end
you will dance the fire dance in iron shoes.
The stepmother had a mirror to which shereferred–
something like the weather forecast–
a mirror that proclaimed
the one beauty of the land.
She would ask,
Looking glass upon the wall,
who is fairest of us all?
And the mirror would reply,
You are the fairest of us all.
Pride pumped in her like poison.

Suddenly one day the mirror replied,
Queen, you are full fair, ’tis true,
but Snow White is fairer than you.
Until that moment Snow White
had been no more important
than a dust mouse under the bed.
But now the queen saw brown spots on her hand
and four whiskers over her lip
so she condemned Snow White
to be hacked to death.
Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter,
and I will salt it and eat it.
The hunter, however, let his prisoner go
and brought a boar’s heart back to the castle.
The queen chewed it up like a cube steak.
Now I am fairest, she said,
lapping her slim white fingers.

Snow White walked in the wildwood
for weeks and weeks.
At each turn there were twenty doorways
and at each stood a hungry wolf,
his tongue lolling out like a worm.
The birds called out lewdly,
talking like pink parrots,
and the snakes hung down in loops,
each a noose for her sweet white neck.
On the seventh week
she came to the seventh mountain
and there she found the dwarf house.
It was as droll as a honeymoon cottage
and completely equipped with
seven beds, seven chairs, seven forks
and seven chamber pots.
Snow White ate seven chicken livers
and lay down, at last, to sleep.

The dwarfs, those little hot dogs,
walked three times around Snow White,
the sleeping virgin.  They were wise
and wattled like small czars.
Yes.  It’s agood omen,
they said, and will bring us luck.
They stood on tiptoes to watch
Snow White wake up.  She told them
about the mirror and the killer-queen
and they asked her to stay and keep house.
Beware of your stepmother,
they said.
Soon she will know you are here.
While we are away in the mines
during the day, you must not
open the door.

Looking glass upon the wall . . .
The mirror told
and so the queen dressed herself in rags
and went out like a peddler to trap Snow White.
She went across seven mountains.
She came to the dwarf house
and Snow White opened the door
and bought a bit of lacing.
The queen fastened it tightly
around her bodice,
as tight as an Ace bandage,
so tight that Snow White swooned.
She lay on the floor, a plucked daisy.
When the dwarfs came home they undid the lace
and she revived miraculously.
She was as full of life as soda pop.
Beware of your stepmother,
they said.
She will try once more.

Looking glass upon the wall. . .
Once more the mirror told
and once more the queen dressed in rags
and once more Snow White opened the door.
This time she bought a poison comb,
a curved eight-inch scorpion,
and put it in her hair and swooned again.
The dwarfs returned and took out the comb
and she revived miraculously.
She opened her eyes as wide as Orphan Annie.
Beware, beware, they said,
but the mirror told,
the queen came,
Snow White, the dumb bunny,
opened the door
and she bit into a poison apple
and fell down for the final time.
When the dwarfs returned
they undid her bodice,
they looked for a comb,
but it did no good.
Though they washed her with wine
and rubbed her with butter
it was to no avail.
She lay as still as a gold piece.

The seven dwarfs could not bring themselves
to bury her in the black ground
so they made a glass coffin
and set it upon the seventh mountain
so that all who passed by
could peek in upon her beauty.
A prince came one June day
and would not budge.
He stayed so long his hair turned green
and still he would not leave.
The dwarfs took pity upon him
and gave him the glass Snow White–
its doll’s eyes shut forever–
to keep in his far-off castle.
As the prince’s men carried the coffin
they stumbled and dropped it
and the chunk of apple flew out
of her throat and she woke up miraculously.

And thus Snow White became the prince’s bride.
The wicked queen was invited to the wedding feast
and when she arrived there were
red-hot iron shoes,
in the manner of red-hot roller skates,
clamped upon her feet.
First your toes will smoke
and then your heels will turn black
and you will fry upward like a frog,
she was told.
And so she danced until she was dead,
a subterranean figure,
her tongue flicking in and out
like a gas jet.
Meanwhile Snow White held court,
rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut
and sometimes referring to her mirror
as women do.

Annotations: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

Section	Summary	Key Themes	Literary Devices	Quotations
Opening Lines	The poem begins with a reflection on purity and virginity. Snow White is introduced as an idealized, fragile beauty, emphasizing the theme of innocence and objectification.	Purity, Innocence, Objectification	Metaphor (virgin as “a lovely number”), Simile (“cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper”), Symbolism (white as purity)	“No matter what life you lead / the virgin is a lovely number”
Introduction of Snow White	Snow White is portrayed as a delicate, doll-like figure, reinforcing traditional femininity and desirability. Her passivity is emphasized.	Idealized Beauty, Passive Womanhood	Imagery (delicate, doll-like features), Symbolism (youth as purity)	“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes / open and shut”
Stepmother’s Vanity and Rivalry	The stepmother, obsessed with her own beauty, consults the mirror. The mirror’s response triggers her jealousy and desire to eliminate Snow White.	Jealousy, Power Struggles, Vanity	Personification (mirror as judge), Irony (beauty as obsession), Symbolism (aging as decay)	“Pride pumped in her like poison”
Stepmother Orders Snow White’s Death	The stepmother orders the hunter to kill Snow White and bring back her heart as proof. The hunter deceives the queen and lets Snow White go.	Betrayal, Deception, Mercy	Diction (violent commands), Irony (hunter’s mercy), Grotesque imagery (queen eating the heart)	“Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter, / and I will salt it and eat it.”
Snow White in the Wildwood	Snow White wanders alone in the wilderness, facing numerous dangers. The imagery of wolves, birds, and snakes suggests both sexual threats and the harshness of the world.	Danger, Sexual Threats, Loss of Innocence	Personification (wolves, birds, and snakes as threats), Symbolism (dark forest as loss of innocence)	“Each a noose for her sweet white neck.”
Snow White Finds the Dwarfs	Snow White discovers the dwarfs’ cottage and finds safety. The dwarfs accept her, emphasizing the fairy tale motif of sanctuary and protection.	Sanctuary, Safety, Domestic Role	Repetition (seven motifs), Fairy tale conventions (dwarfs as guardians), Symbolism (small size as wisdom)	“Seven beds, seven chairs, seven forks”
First Attempt to Kill Snow White – Lacing	The stepmother disguises herself and tricks Snow White into wearing a too-tight lace, causing her to faint. The dwarfs save her, warning her about future dangers.	Naivety, Deception, Revival	Foreshadowing (warnings), Symbolism (tight bodice as oppression), Dramatic irony (reader knows the stepmother’s disguise)	“She lay on the floor, a plucked daisy.”
Second Attempt – Poison Comb	The stepmother tries again, selling Snow White a poisoned comb. Snow White faints but is revived by the dwarfs, reinforcing her naivety and passivity.	Repetition of Mistakes, Trust Issues	Symbolism (comb as a poisoned tool), Hyperbole (revival as miraculous), Repetition (queen’s persistence)	“A curved eight-inch scorpion”
Final Attempt – Poison Apple	The final, fatal deception occurs when Snow White eats the poisoned apple. This time, the dwarfs are unable to save her, and she is placed in a glass coffin.	Final Betrayal, Death, Fate	Imagery (gold piece, stillness), Symbolism (apple as original sin), Tragedy (Snow White’s helplessness)	“She lay as still as a gold piece.”
Snow White in the Glass Coffin	Snow White’s beauty is preserved in death, reinforcing themes of passive femininity and the male gaze. She becomes an object to be admired rather than an active figure.	Eternal Beauty, Male Gaze, Objectification	Symbolism (glass coffin as preservation of beauty), Male Gaze (Snow White as a display object)	“So that all who passed by / could peek in upon her beauty.”
Prince’s Arrival and Snow White’s Revival	The prince arrives and becomes obsessed with Snow White. She is only revived by accident, emphasizing the arbitrary nature of her fate and lack of agency.	Passivity, Arbitrary Fate, Male Ownership	Irony (prince’s love for a dead girl), Symbolism (revival through accidental action), Objectification	“The chunk of apple flew out of her throat and she woke up miraculously.”
Stepmother’s Punishment	The stepmother’s brutal punishment (dancing in red-hot iron shoes) serves as a grim moral lesson, though its cruelty undermines the simplistic ‘good vs. evil’ narrative.	Justice, Revenge, Moral Hypocrisy	Dark humor (gruesome punishment), Symbolism (red-hot shoes as poetic justice), Irony (excessive cruelty)	“First your toes will smoke / and then your heels will turn black”
Closing Reflection on Snow White	Snow White, now a queen, mirrors the stepmother’s vanity by continuing to gaze into her own reflection. This suggests a cycle of female competition and objectification.	Cyclical Nature of Beauty Standards, Feminine Competition	Symbolism (mirror as vanity and self-surveillance), Irony (Snow White becomes like the stepmother)	“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut / and sometimes referring to her mirror / as women do.”

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

Literary Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Alliteration	“Snow White walked in the wildwood”	The repetition of the “w” sound enhances the fairy-tale quality of the line and creates a smooth, lyrical effect.
Allusion	“She opened her eyes as wide as Orphan Annie.”	Refers to the famous comic strip character, known for her large, round eyes, emphasizing Snow White’s innocence and naivety.
Ambiguity	“She is as white as a bonefish.”	The comparison suggests both purity and death, leaving multiple interpretations open.
Anaphora	“Looking glass upon the wall…”	The repeated phrase reinforces the mirror’s power and obsessive influence over the queen.
Assonance	“The birds called out lewdly, / talking like pink parrots”	The repetition of vowel sounds in “called,” “out,” and “lewdly” creates a musical, rhythmic effect.
Connotation	“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut”	The phrase “china-blue doll eyes” suggests fragility, passivity, and objectification, reinforcing Snow White’s lack of agency.
Dark Humor	“The queen chewed it up like a cube steak.”	The grotesque image of the queen eating what she believes is Snow White’s heart adds a macabre sense of humor.
Diction	“The seven dwarfs could not bring themselves / to bury her in the black ground.”	The phrase “black ground” evokes death and finality, contrasting with the idea of preserving Snow White’s beauty.
Dramatic Irony	“Snow White, the dumb bunny, opened the door”	The audience knows Snow White is in danger, but she remains unaware, creating tension and frustration.
Enjambment	“And the snakes hung down in loops, / each a noose for her sweet white neck.”	The line break forces the reader to pause, emphasizing the sinister imagery of the snakes as execution devices.
Epiphora	“Beware of your stepmother, they said. / She will try once more.”	The repetition of warnings underscores Snow White’s repeated failure to heed advice.
Euphemism	“She lay as still as a gold piece.”	Rather than explicitly stating that Snow White is dead, the comparison to a “gold piece” softens the imagery, making it poetic.
Grotesque Imagery	“First your toes will smoke / and then your heels will turn black / and you will fry upward like a frog.”	The exaggerated and unsettling depiction of the queen’s punishment adds to the fairy-tale horror element.
Hyperbole	“A prince came one June day / and would not budge. / He stayed so long his hair turned green.”	The extreme description of time passing emphasizes the prince’s obsessive devotion.
Imagery	“His tongue lolling out like a worm.”	The vivid comparison of the wolf’s tongue to a worm paints a disturbing picture of predatory hunger.
Irony	“Now I am fairest, she said, / lapping her slim white fingers.”	The queen believes she has won, but the audience knows Snow White is alive, highlighting the irony of her false victory.
Metaphor	“The virgin is a lovely number.”	Snow White is not literally a number; this metaphor equates purity with an abstract, measurable quality.
Personification	“Pride pumped in her like poison.”	Pride is given the qualities of a physical substance, emphasizing its destructive nature.
Repetition	“The queen came, / Snow White, the dumb bunny, / opened the door”	The repetition of the queen’s arrival and Snow White’s mistakes reinforces her passive role and the inevitability of the plot.
Symbolism	“The glass coffin”	The coffin represents both Snow White’s preservation as a beauty ideal and her entrapment within societal expectations of passive femininity.

Themes: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

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1. The Objectification and Passivity of Women

• Throughout the poem, Snow White is depicted as a passive, fragile, and doll-like figure, reinforcing the idea that women, especially in traditional fairy tales, are valued primarily for their beauty and compliance.
• Example from the poem:

“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes / open and shut.”

• The phrase “china-blue doll eyes” equates Snow White with a lifeless, decorative object, emphasizing her lack of autonomy. Her ability to open and shut her eyes is mechanical, reinforcing how she is merely an object to be admired rather than an active participant in her fate.
• Passivity in Snow White’s fate:

“She lay as still as a gold piece.”

• Snow White is completely motionless, waiting for an external force (the prince) to revive her. This highlights traditional expectations of female helplessness, where a woman must be “saved” by a man rather than take control of her own destiny.

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2. The Destructive Nature of Beauty Standards and Female Competition

• The queen’s obsession with her beauty and her rivalry with Snow White reflect society’s fixation on female youth and appearance. Sexton critiques the way women are pitted against each other due to these unrealistic beauty ideals.
• Example from the poem:

“But now the queen saw brown spots on her hand / and four whiskers over her lip.”

• The queen’s fear of aging is portrayed as an existential crisis. These minor, natural signs of aging become unbearable to her because they symbolize the loss of social power tied to youth and beauty.
• The mirror as a tool of self-destruction:

“Looking glass upon the wall, / who is fairest of us all?”

• The mirror serves as a metaphor for external validation, showing how women are conditioned to seek approval based on their physical attractiveness. The mirror dictates worth, making beauty a dangerous obsession.
• Brutal consequences of beauty-driven rivalry:

“First your toes will smoke / and then your heels will turn black / and you will fry upward like a frog.”

• The queen’s punishment—being forced to dance to death in red-hot iron shoes—serves as a grotesque metaphor for how the pursuit of beauty and power ultimately destroys women.

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3. The Cycle of Female Oppression

• Sexton suggests that the oppression women face is cyclical, where young women, once victimized, may later become the enforcers of the same oppressive standards.
• Example from the poem:

“Meanwhile Snow White held court, / rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut / and sometimes referring to her mirror / as women do.”

• Even after the queen’s downfall, Snow White mirrors her behavior, suggesting that she, too, may succumb to vanity and the inescapable burden of beauty expectations. The phrase “as women do” implies that this cycle of self-surveillance and insecurity is deeply ingrained in female experience.
• Snow White’s eventual role as queen:
  • Unlike traditional fairy tales that end with “happily ever after,” Sexton’s version suggests that Snow White is not freed from the system but instead becomes a part of it. She moves from being an object to admire to one who will likely perpetuate the same standards.

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4. Violence and the Dark Realities Beneath Fairy Tales

• Sexton strips away the sanitized version of the Snow White story and exposes its inherent violence, cruelty, and grotesqueness. She highlights the brutality lurking beneath traditional tales.
• Example from the poem:

“Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter, / and I will salt it and eat it.”

• The queen’s command is disturbingly literal, revealing the cannibalistic, primal violence often present in old fairy tales before they were softened for children.
• The wilderness as a place of threat:

“The birds called out lewdly, / talking like pink parrots, / and the snakes hung down in loops, / each a noose for her sweet white neck.”

• The forest is not a place of safety but of lurking dangers, symbolizing the harsh, predatory nature of the real world. The imagery of snakes forming nooses further emphasizes the ever-present threat to Snow White’s purity and life.
• Death and punishment in the fairy tale world:

“She danced until she was dead, / a subterranean figure, / her tongue flicking in and out like a gas jet.”

• The queen’s death is graphic and relentless, reinforcing how fairy tales often contain violent moral lessons. Sexton does not shy away from this brutality but instead emphasizes it to expose the cruelty embedded in these stories.

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Literary Theories and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

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Literary Theory	Interpretation of the Poem	Textual References & Analysis
Feminist Criticism	Feminist analysis highlights the objectification of women, female rivalry caused by patriarchal beauty standards, and the passive role of Snow White. The poem critiques the way women are conditioned to be obsessed with beauty and remain submissive.	– “Rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut.” → Snow White is treated as an object, devoid of agency. – “Looking glass upon the wall, / who is fairest of us all?” → The mirror symbolizes the external validation women are conditioned to seek. – “Meanwhile Snow White held court… / sometimes referring to her mirror / as women do.” → This suggests that Snow White inherits the same vanity and objectification that plagued the queen, reinforcing a cycle of oppression.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	This approach examines psychological elements, including the stepmother’s obsession with youth, Snow White’s unconscious passivity, and the Oedipal undertones in the prince’s desire to possess a lifeless, preserved Snow White.	– “But now the queen saw brown spots on her hand / and four whiskers over her lip.” → The queen’s fear of aging reveals an obsessive neurosis, driven by anxiety over losing power and desirability. – “The seven dwarfs could not bring themselves / to bury her in the black ground.” → The preservation of Snow White in a glass coffin suggests an unconscious fear of death and decay, possibly linking to Freud’s theory of Thanatos (death drive). – “A prince came one June day / and would not budge.” → The prince’s fascination with a lifeless Snow White suggests an element of necrophilia or a desire for an idealized, passive female who cannot resist male control.
Marxist Criticism	A Marxist reading examines class struggle and economic power. The stepmother represents the ruling class that wants to maintain dominance, while Snow White represents the exploited lower class, dependent on the dwarfs, who are working-class laborers.	– “While we are away in the mines / during the day, you must not / open the door.” → The dwarfs are workers (miners) who provide shelter for Snow White, while she takes on the role of a domestic laborer (housekeeper). – “The queen dressed herself in rags / and went out like a peddler to trap Snow White.” → The queen masks her class status to deceive Snow White, illustrating class struggle and manipulation. – “They made a glass coffin / and set it upon the seventh mountain / so that all who passed by / could peek in upon her beauty.” → Snow White becomes a spectacle, reflecting commodification, where her beauty is preserved for public consumption.
Postmodernism / Deconstruction	From a postmodern perspective, Sexton deconstructs the traditional fairy tale, exposing its contradictions, dark humor, and unsettling undertones. The poem plays with irony, grotesque imagery, and an unreliable narrator to question the idealized world of fairy tales.	– “The queen chewed it up like a cube steak.” → The gruesome humor and grotesque imagery undermine the fairy tale’s traditional moral lessons. – “Snow White, the dumb bunny, opened the door.” → The mocking tone challenges Snow White’s purity and innocence, suggesting that she is not a noble heroine but a foolish, passive figure. – “And so she danced until she was dead, / a subterranean figure, / her tongue flicking in and out like a gas jet.” → The bizarre, exaggerated death scene of the queen dismantles the simplistic “good vs. evil” narrative of the original fairy tale.

Critical Questions about “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

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1. How does Sexton critique traditional fairy tale representations of women, particularly through Snow White and the stepmother?

Sexton’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” critiques traditional fairy tale depictions of women by exposing the harmful stereotypes of female purity and vanity. Snow White is passive, objectified, and reduced to her beauty, while the stepmother is villainized for her ambition and aging. The dichotomy of the “pure virgin” versus the “vain, aging woman” reflects societal expectations that reward women for youth and submissiveness while punishing them for power and age.

The poem highlights Snow White’s lack of agency, describing her as a doll-like figure, reinforcing the idea that women are valued only for their beauty and compliance:

“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes / open and shut.”

This mechanical imagery reduces Snow White to an object of display rather than a thinking, feeling individual. Even after her revival, she remains a symbol rather than an active figure, showing no personal growth.

Meanwhile, the stepmother’s descent into jealousy and destruction is tied to her fear of aging:

“But now the queen saw brown spots on her hand / and four whiskers over her lip.”

These minor, natural signs of aging become a source of existential crisis for the stepmother, illustrating how society devalues women as they age. The mirror, which she constantly consults, becomes a metaphor for female self-surveillance under patriarchy, showing how women are conditioned to base their worth on external validation. Ultimately, the stepmother’s punishment—dancing in red-hot iron shoes until she dies—demonstrates how women who seek power or defy conventional beauty ideals face cruel consequences.

Sexton’s retelling forces readers to question the fairy tale’s gender roles: why must Snow White remain passive and beautiful, while the stepmother—who fights for power—is cast as evil? The poem critiques how these traditional narratives pit women against each other, reinforcing destructive beauty standards and gender hierarchies.

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2. What role does violence play in the poem, and how does it challenge traditional fairy tale storytelling?

Violence is central to Sexton’s reinterpretation of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, exposing the gruesome brutality that underlies traditional fairy tales. While classic fairy tales are often sanitized, Sexton amplifies the original Grimm Brothers’ violence, making it explicit and grotesque.

From the beginning, threats of violence loom over Snow White’s existence, driven by the stepmother’s vanity and insecurity:

“Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter, / and I will salt it and eat it.”

This cannibalistic imagery strips away the moral lessons of fairy tales and instead reveals their brutal, primal nature. The act of eating Snow White’s heart symbolizes the ultimate destruction of youth and beauty, as the stepmother seeks to consume and absorb what she no longer possesses.

Similarly, Snow White’s innocence and beauty are constantly linked with death and danger:

“Each a noose for her sweet white neck.”

This dark, predatory imagery paints the world as filled with sexual and mortal threats, making the traditional fairy tale setting much more sinister. The violent death of the stepmother, where she is forced to dance in red-hot iron shoes, also lacks the moral righteousness of classic fairy tales:

“First your toes will smoke / and then your heels will turn black / and you will fry upward like a frog.”

This exaggerated, grotesque punishment critiques the idea of fairy tale “justice”, suggesting that violence is not simply a consequence of evil but an inescapable reality in a world obsessed with beauty and power. Sexton’s use of violent imagery challenges readers to see fairy tales not as innocent moral lessons, but as disturbing reflections of real-world cruelty.

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3. How does Sexton use irony and dark humor to subvert the traditional Snow White fairy tale?

Sexton’s version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is infused with irony and dark humor, undermining the traditional fairy tale’s innocence and exposing its absurd and unsettling undertones.

One of the most striking uses of irony comes in the mocking tone applied to Snow White’s purity and passivity. Instead of being a noble heroine, she is reduced to a clueless and helpless figure:

“Snow White, the dumb bunny, opened the door.”

Referring to her as a “dumb bunny” completely shatters the romanticized image of the innocent, intelligent princess. This ironic framing makes Snow White seem foolish rather than virtuous, suggesting that her passivity is not noble but dangerously naive.

Sexton also injects dark humor into traditionally solemn moments, such as the prince’s obsessive devotion to Snow White’s corpse:

“A prince came one June day / and would not budge. / He stayed so long his hair turned green.”

This absurd image of the prince waiting so long that his hair changes color makes his romantic devotion seem ridiculous rather than heroic. Instead of a love story, the prince’s fixation appears more like necrophilia, further deconstructing the fairy tale’s supposed happy ending.

Similarly, the queen’s exaggerated death scene reads more like a twisted comedy than a moral resolution:

“Her tongue flicking in and out like a gas jet.”

By making the queen’s suffering cartoonishly grotesque, Sexton forces the reader to question whether justice has actually been served or if fairy tale endings are simply cruel and arbitrary. Through irony and dark humor, the poem de-romanticizes Snow White, exposing the absurdity and brutality hidden beneath traditional fairy tale structures.

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4. What is the significance of the mirror in the poem, and how does it function as a symbol?

The mirror is one of the most powerful symbols in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, representing vanity, self-surveillance, and the oppressive nature of beauty standards. The stepmother’s reliance on the mirror defines her existence, making her entirely dependent on external validation:

“Looking glass upon the wall, / who is fairest of us all?”

The mirror acts as an omnipresent judge, reinforcing the idea that a woman’s worth is determined by her physical appearance. The stepmother’s downfall begins the moment she is no longer “the fairest”, highlighting how women are conditioned to see each other as competition under patriarchal beauty standards.

However, the mirror’s significance extends beyond the stepmother. At the end of the poem, Snow White begins using the mirror as well:

“Meanwhile Snow White held court, / rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut / and sometimes referring to her mirror / as women do.”

This final reference to the mirror suggests that Snow White has inherited the same obsession with appearance that destroyed the queen. Instead of breaking free from the cycle of vanity and self-judgment, she perpetuates it, reinforcing the idea that women remain trapped in a system that values beauty above all else.

Sexton’s use of the mirror highlights how society forces women into endless self-surveillance, turning them into both the victims and enforcers of beauty standards.Bottom of Form

Literary Works Similar to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

1. “Cinderella” by Anne Sexton – Like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, this poem from Sexton’s Transformations collection retells a classic fairy tale with dark humor and grotesque imagery, critiquing societal expectations of women and the illusion of fairy tale happiness.
2. “Gretel in Darkness” by Louise Glück – This poem reimagines Hansel and Gretel from Gretel’s perspective, exploring themes of trauma, survival, and the psychological burden of past horrors, much like Sexton’s subversive take on Snow White.
3. “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy – A feminist retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, this poem shares Sexton’s themes of female awakening, power struggles, and the deconstruction of traditional gender roles in fairy tales.
4. “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton – Another poem from Transformations, “Rapunzel” mirrors “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in its exploration of female entrapment, patriarchal control, and the illusions of fairy tale romance.
5. “The Witch’s Life” by Anne Sexton – This poem, while not a direct fairy tale retelling, shares Sexton’s signature dark tone, exploring themes of female power, aging, and societal fears of independent women, much like the portrayal of the stepmother in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.

Representative Quotations of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

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Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Rolling her china-blue doll eyes / open and shut.”	Snow White is introduced as a passive, doll-like figure, emphasizing her objectification and lack of agency.	Feminist Criticism – Highlights how women, especially young girls, are valued for their appearance rather than their intelligence or actions.
“Looking glass upon the wall, / who is fairest of us all?”	The stepmother repeatedly asks the mirror to validate her beauty, which dictates her sense of self-worth.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – The mirror symbolizes the superego (external judgment), reinforcing the queen’s obsessive narcissism and fear of aging.
“Bring me her heart, she said to the hunter, / and I will salt it and eat it.”	The queen demands Snow White’s heart to consume, believing it will restore her status as “fairest.”	Marxist Criticism – The queen, representing the elite, seeks to “consume” the beauty of the younger generation, mirroring capitalist exploitation.
“The seven dwarfs could not bring themselves / to bury her in the black ground.”	Snow White is not buried but placed in a glass coffin, where she remains on display for admiration.	Feminist Criticism – Snow White is preserved as an object of male desire, reinforcing the idea that women are valued only for their beauty, even in death.
“A prince came one June day / and would not budge. / He stayed so long his hair turned green.”	The prince’s absurd devotion to Snow White’s corpse is exaggerated, making his role comically obsessive.	Postmodernism / Deconstruction – Challenges the traditional idea of “true love,” exposing the prince’s actions as disturbing rather than romantic.
“Snow White, the dumb bunny, opened the door.”	Despite multiple warnings, Snow White naively lets the disguised queen in again, leading to her downfall.	Feminist Criticism – Critiques the portrayal of women as innocent and helpless, reinforcing passivity as a desirable trait in fairy tales.
“First your toes will smoke / and then your heels will turn black / and you will fry upward like a frog.”	The queen is punished with an exaggerated, gruesome death, forced to dance in red-hot iron shoes until she dies.	Postmodernism / Deconstruction – The grotesque imagery mocks fairy tale “justice,” revealing the irrational cruelty behind traditional moral lessons.
“The birds called out lewdly, / talking like pink parrots, / and the snakes hung down in loops, / each a noose for her sweet white neck.”	Snow White’s journey through the wild is depicted as sexually threatening, with predatory imagery.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – The forest represents unconscious sexual fears, with animals symbolizing the dangers of growing up.
“Meanwhile Snow White held court, / rolling her china-blue doll eyes open and shut / and sometimes referring to her mirror / as women do.”	In the end, Snow White, now a queen, continues to check her reflection, much like the stepmother.	Feminist Criticism – Suggests that the cycle of female oppression continues, as Snow White now mirrors the vanity and insecurity of the previous queen.
“She lay as still as a gold piece.”	After eating the poisoned apple, Snow White is described as a precious, lifeless object.	Marxist Criticism – Snow White is reduced to a commodity, her beauty preserved for male ownership rather than personal autonomy.

Suggested Readings: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton

1. Mason, David. “Anne Sexton and Her Times.” The Hudson Review, vol. 45, no. 1, 1992, pp. 167–74. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3852113. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
2. McClatchy, J. D. “ANNE SEXTON: SOMEHOW TO ENDURE.” The Centennial Review, vol. 19, no. 2, 1975, pp. 1–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23738229. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
3. STONE, KAY F. “Feminist Approaches to the Interpretation of Fairy Tales.” Fairy Tales and Society: Illusion, Allusion, and Paradigm, edited by RUTH B. BOTTIGHEIMER, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986, pp. 229–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x1nhz.18. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
4. Sexton, Anne. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The Classic Fairy Tales (1971): 96-100.

Introduction: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

“Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton first appeared in Transformations (1971), a poetry collection that reimagines classic fairy tales through a dark, psychological, and often feminist lens. This poem, like others in the collection, explores themes of female relationships, sexuality, oppression, and the complexities of power. Sexton retells the traditional Rapunzel story with an emphasis on the intense, sometimes possessive love between women, particularly between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. The poem implies a homoerotic bond, reinforced by lines such as “A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.” Mother Gothel’s protectiveness over Rapunzel is presented not only as maternal but also possessive and erotic, creating a complex and layered relationship. The poem also critiques societal constraints on female sexuality, drawing parallels between Rapunzel’s isolation and the way women have historically been confined under patriarchal structures. Because of its exploration of these themes, Rapunzel is often studied in literature courses, particularly in feminist and psychoanalytic readings of fairy tales. The poem remains a compelling text in contemporary discussions on gender and desire, reinforcing Sexton’s reputation as a poet who redefined traditional narratives through a confessional and subversive voice.

Text: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

A woman
who loves a woman
is forever young.
The mentor
and the student
feed off each other.
Many a girl
had an old aunt
who locked her in the study
to keep the boys away.
They would play rummy
or lie on the couch
and touch and touch.
Old breast against young breast…
Let your dress fall down your shoulder,

come touch a copy of you
for I am at the mercy of rain,
for I have left the three Christs of Ypsilanti
for I have left the long naps of Ann Arbor
and the church spires have turned to stumps.
The sea bangs into my cloister
for the politicians are dying,
and dying so hold me, my young dear,
hold me…
The yellow rose will turn to cinder

and New York City will fall in
before we are done so hold me,
my young dear, hold me.
Put your pale arms around my neck.
Let me hold your heart like a flower
lest it bloom and collapse.
Give me your skin
as sheer as a cobweb,
let me open it up
and listen in and scoop out the dark.
Give me your nether lips
all puffy with their art
and I will give you angel fire in return.
We are two clouds
glistening in the bottle galss.
We are two birds
washing in the same mirror.
We were fair game
but we have kept out of the cesspool.
We are strong.
We are the good ones.
Do not discover us
for we lie together all in green
like pond weeds.
Hold me, my young dear, hold me.
They touch their delicate watches

one at a time.
They dance to the lute
two at a time.
They are as tender as bog moss.
They play mother-me-do
all day.
A woman
who loves a woman
is forever young.
Once there was a witch’s garden
more beautiful than Eve’s
with carrots growing like little fish,
with many tomatoes rich as frogs,
onions as ingrown as hearts,
the squash singing like a dolphin
and one patch given over wholly to magic —
rampion, a kind of salad root
a kind of harebell more potent than penicillin,
growing leaf by leaf, skin by skin.
as rapt and as fluid as Isadoran Duncan.
However the witch’s garden was kept locked
and each day a woman who was with child
looked upon the rampion wildly,
fancying that she would die
if she could not have it.
Her husband feared for her welfare
and thus climbed into the garden
to fetch the life-giving tubers.

Ah ha, cried the witch,
whose proper name was Mother Gothel,
you are a thief and now you will die.
However they made a trade,
typical enough in those times.
He promised his child to Mother Gothel
so of course when it was born
she took the child away with her.
She gave the child the name Rapunzel,
another name for the life-giving rampion.
Because Rapunzel was a beautiful girl
Mother Gothel treasured her beyond all things.
As she grew older Mother Gothel thought:
None but I will ever see her or touch her.
She locked her in a tow without a door
or a staircase. It had only a high window.
When the witch wanted to enter she cried”
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.
Rapunzel’s hair fell to the ground like a rainbow.
It was as strong as a dandelion
and as strong as a dog leash.
Hand over hand she shinnied up
the hair like a sailor
and there in the stone-cold room,
as cold as a museum,
Mother Gothel cried:
Hold me, my young dear, hold me,
and thus they played mother-me-do.

Years later a prince came by
and heard Rapunzel singing her loneliness.
That song pierced his heart like a valentine
but he could find no way to get to her.
Like a chameleon he hid himself among the trees
and watched the witch ascend the swinging hair.
The next day he himself called out:
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,
and thus they met and he declared his love.
What is this beast, she thought,
with muscles on his arms
like a bag of snakes?
What is this moss on his legs?
What prickly plant grows on his cheeks?
What is this voice as deep as a dog?
Yet he dazzled her with his answers.
Yet he dazzled her with his dancing stick.
They lay together upon the yellowy threads,
swimming through them
like minnows through kelp
and they sang out benedictions like the Pope.

Each day he brought her a skein of silk
to fashion a ladder so they could both escape.
But Mother Gothel discovered the plot
and cut off Rapunzel’s hair to her ears
and took her into the forest to repent.
When the prince came the witch fastened
the hair to a hook and let it down.
When he saw Rapunzel had been banished
he flung himself out of the tower, a side of beef.
He was blinded by thorns that prickled him like tacks.
As blind as Oedipus he wandered for years
until he heard a song that pierced his heart
like that long-ago valentine.
As he kissed Rapunzel her tears fell on his eyes
and in the manner of such cure-alls
his sight was suddenly restored.

They lived happily as you might expect
proving that mother-me-do
can be outgrown,
just as the fish on Friday,
just as a tricycle.
The world, some say,
is made up of couples.
A rose must have a stem.

As for Mother Gothel,
her heart shrank to the size of a pin,
never again to say: Hold me, my young dear,
hold me,
and only as she dreamed of the yellow hair
did moonlight sift into her mouth.

Annotations: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

Stanza	Annotation
A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.	This opening line establishes the theme of female intimacy and possibly queer love. The phrase “forever young” suggests that such love resists the aging effects of time, reinforcing a romanticized and timeless quality.
The mentor / and the student / feed off each other.	Introduces the dynamic between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel, presenting it as one of learning and dependence. The phrase “feed off each other” suggests emotional, psychological, or even physical intimacy.
Many a girl / had an old aunt / who locked her in the study / to keep the boys away.	A modernized allusion to societal control over female sexuality, echoing the way Rapunzel is confined. The “old aunt” metaphorically represents figures who suppress young women’s autonomy.
They would play rummy / or lie on the couch / and touch and touch.	The “touch and touch” hints at a possible erotic subtext, emphasizing intimacy between women that goes beyond familial bonds.
Old breast against young breast… / Let your dress fall down your shoulder,	This explicitly describes a physical closeness that blurs the line between maternal care and eroticism, reinforcing the poem’s exploration of complex female relationships.
Come touch a copy of you / for I am at the mercy of rain,	“Touch a copy of you” suggests a mirroring effect, possibly alluding to a lesbian relationship where the two women see themselves in each other. “Mercy of rain” implies vulnerability and surrender to desire.
For I have left the three Christs of Ypsilanti / for I have left the long naps of Ann Arbor	Reference to The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, a psychological study on schizophrenia, possibly symbolizing breaking away from imposed narratives or societal expectations. The “long naps of Ann Arbor” suggests a past life of passivity or dreaming.
The sea bangs into my cloister / for the politicians are dying, / and dying so hold me, my young dear, hold me…	“Cloister” implies isolation (as in a convent), while the “sea banging” suggests an intrusion of emotion or chaos. The reference to dying politicians may symbolize societal change or decay.
The yellow rose will turn to cinder / and New York City will fall in / before we are done so hold me,	“Yellow rose” traditionally symbolizes friendship but turning to “cinder” implies destruction. The image of New York City’s fall suggests impermanence and upheaval, reinforcing the urgency of intimacy.
Put your pale arms around my neck. / Let me hold your heart like a flower / lest it bloom and collapse.	The fragility of love and emotion is highlighted through the metaphor of a blooming flower, suggesting both beauty and vulnerability.
Give me your skin / as sheer as a cobweb, / let me open it up / and listen in and scoop out the dark.	These lines use visceral imagery, implying an intense, almost surgical desire to know the other deeply. “Scoop out the dark” suggests revealing hidden fears, traumas, or truths.
Give me your nether lips / all puffy with their art / and I will give you angel fire in return.	This is an overtly sensual line, reinforcing the theme of sexual intimacy. “Angel fire” juxtaposes the carnal with the divine, suggesting transcendent passion.
We are two clouds / glistening in the bottle glass. / We are two birds / washing in the same mirror.	The imagery of “clouds” and “birds” suggests fluidity and symmetry in their relationship, emphasizing unity and reflection.
We were fair game / but we have kept out of the cesspool.	This suggests that, despite being vulnerable to judgment or harm, they have managed to avoid societal corruption or degradation.
We are strong. / We are the good ones.	This declaration reaffirms their resilience and self-righteous confidence in their relationship.
Do not discover us / for we lie together all in green / like pond weeds.	“Pond weeds” imply secrecy and natural entanglement, reinforcing the theme of hidden, forbidden love.
Hold me, my young dear, hold me.	The repeated plea underscores emotional and physical dependence.
They touch their delicate watches / one at a time.	Watches symbolize time, suggesting a fleeting nature of youth or love.
They dance to the lute / two at a time.	Lutes were historically used in courtly love songs, enhancing the poem’s romantic tones.
They are as tender as bog moss.	“Bog moss” evokes softness and moisture, reinforcing sensuality and closeness.
They play mother-me-do / all day.	“Mother-me-do” refers to a childlike game, reinforcing the theme of maternal intimacy and emotional dependence.
A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.	Repeated refrain that suggests timeless, youthful vitality in same-sex relationships.
Once there was a witch’s garden / more beautiful than Eve’s…	Introduces the Rapunzel story, linking it to the Biblical garden, thus connecting female desire to original sin.
However, the witch’s garden was kept locked…	Represents restricted access to knowledge, power, or sexuality, much like Rapunzel’s later imprisonment.
Her husband feared for her welfare / and thus climbed into the garden…	Suggests the gendered dynamic where men must transgress boundaries to “save” women.
Ah ha, cried the witch, / whose proper name was Mother Gothel…	Introduces Mother Gothel as both captor and protector, mirroring the possessiveness seen earlier in the poem.
Because Rapunzel was a beautiful girl / Mother Gothel treasured her beyond all things.	Reinforces the obsessive nature of their relationship, highlighting themes of possessiveness and control.
As she grew older Mother Gothel thought: / None but I will ever see her or touch her.	Echoes the earlier lesbian undertones, portraying Gothel as a jealous lover as well as a mother figure.
When the witch wanted to enter she cried: / Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.	Retains the classic fairy-tale motif, but in the context of the poem, it gains an erotic charge.
Years later a prince came by / and heard Rapunzel singing her loneliness.	The prince symbolizes heteronormative love, contrasted against the closeness Rapunzel shares with Gothel.
Like a chameleon he hid himself among the trees…	Suggests deception or the idea that he must adapt to access her.
Yet he dazzled her with his dancing stick.	The “dancing stick” is a phallic symbol, highlighting Rapunzel’s transition into heterosexual desire.
They lay together upon the yellowy threads, / swimming through them / like minnows through kelp.	Sexual consummation is depicted through natural imagery, reinforcing transformation.
Mother Gothel discovered the plot / and cut off Rapunzel’s hair to her ears.	The cutting of hair symbolizes a loss of power and punishment for transgression.
As blind as Oedipus he wandered for years…	Links the prince’s suffering to Greek tragedy, suggesting fate and redemption.
They lived happily as you might expect…	The traditional “happy ending” is presented almost ironically, contrasting with the earlier deep female connection.
As for Mother Gothel, / her heart shrank to the size of a pin…	Gothel’s downfall parallels the loss of her obsessive love for Rapunzel.
And only as she dreamed of the yellow hair / did moonlight sift into her mouth.	Suggests that even in defeat, Gothel is haunted by her love for Rapunzel.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

Poetic Device	Example from Poem	Explanation
Alliteration	“with carrots growing like little fish.”	Repetition of consonant sound “l”at the beginning of words enhances musicality.
Allusion	“For I have left the three Christs of Ypsilanti.”	Reference to a real psychological study, expanding the poem’s depth.
Anaphora	“Hold me, my young dear, hold me…”	Repetition of phrases at the start of clauses to emphasize longing and emotional weight.
Assonance	“The sea bangs into my cloister.”	Repeated vowel sounds create a lyrical and flowing effect.
Caesura	“Put your pale arms around my neck. Let me hold your heart like a flower.”	A natural pause in the middle of the line adds emphasis and rhythm.
Consonance	“What is this beast, she thought, with muscles on his arms like a bag of snakes?”	Repetition of consonant sounds creates a textured and rhythmic quality.
Ekphrasis	“They lay together upon the yellowy threads, swimming through them like minnows through kelp.”	A vivid, descriptive passage that paints a picture for the reader.
Enjambment	“The yellow rose will turn to cinder and New York City will fall in before we are done…”	A sentence or phrase continues beyond the line break, creating fluidity.
Epistrophe	“A woman who loves a woman is forever young.”	Repetition at the end of clauses or lines reinforces key themes.
Euphemism	“Mother-me-do.”	A gentle or indirect expression referring to maternal intimacy instead of overt sexuality.
Hyperbole	“The prince flung himself out of the tower, a side of beef.”	An exaggerated description to intensify the emotional impact.
Imagery	“We lie together all in green like pond weeds.”	Evocative language appeals to the senses and creates a strong mental picture.
Irony	“As for Mother Gothel, her heart shrank to the size of a pin.”	Contradicts the reader’s expectation—Gothel, once powerful, is reduced emotionally.
Metaphor	“We are two birds washing in the same mirror.”	A direct comparison suggesting unity and shared experience.
Onomatopoeia	“The sea bangs into my cloister.”	A word imitates the sound it describes, reinforcing the sensory experience.
Paradox	“We are the good ones.”	A statement that seems contradictory but holds truth, as society may see them otherwise.
Personification	“Moonlight sifted into her mouth.”	Giving human qualities to nature, reinforcing the magical, surreal tone.
Refrain	“A woman who loves a woman is forever young.”	A repeated line or phrase that emphasizes a central theme.
Simile	“What is this moss on his legs?”	A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ to describe unfamiliar experiences.
Symbolism	“Rapunzel’s hair fell to the ground like a rainbow.”	Her hair represents power, beauty, and entrapment.

Themes: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

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1. Female Desire, Intimacy, and Queer Love: One of the most striking themes in “Rapunzel” is the exploration of female desire and same-sex intimacy. Sexton subverts the traditional fairy tale to depict a deeply emotional and possibly erotic bond between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. The line “A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.” suggests a love that transcends time, reinforcing the idea that women who engage in relationships with other women escape the societal constraints of aging and traditional domesticity. Throughout the poem, there are overtly sensual descriptions that blur the line between maternal care and romantic affection, such as “Old breast against young breast… / Let your dress fall down your shoulder.” These moments challenge conventional interpretations of the Rapunzel story by transforming it into a narrative of forbidden, hidden, yet deeply powerful female love. The portrayal of this relationship not only adds a queer reading to the text but also critiques how female bonds are often controlled and restricted by society.

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2. Control, Possession, and Maternal Obsession: Mother Gothel’s relationship with Rapunzel is marked by an intense possessiveness that reflects themes of control and maternal obsession. Unlike the classic fairy tale, Sexton presents Gothel as more than just a captor—she is an emotionally dependent figure who treasures Rapunzel to the point of imprisonment. The line “None but I will ever see her or touch her.” highlights her obsessive desire to keep Rapunzel for herself, denying her access to the outside world. Gothel’s possessiveness is further emphasized in moments where she pleads for intimacy, repeating “Hold me, my young dear, hold me.” This suggests that she needs Rapunzel as much as Rapunzel needs her. This portrayal complicates the traditional idea of maternal love by merging it with elements of dependence and control. Ultimately, Gothel’s love is not purely nurturing but suffocating, symbolizing how women, especially young ones, have historically been confined under the guise of protection.

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3. Entrapment and Female Oppression: The theme of entrapment is central to Sexton’s version of “Rapunzel”, reinforcing the historical oppression of women through confinement. Rapunzel is locked away in a tower, isolated from the world, much like how women have been physically and metaphorically restricted by patriarchal structures. The stanza “She locked her in a tower without a door / or a staircase. It had only a high window.” powerfully conveys the extent of her imprisonment, both physical and emotional. The poem also draws a parallel between Rapunzel’s confinement and the ways women have been guarded or kept under surveillance, as shown in “Many a girl / had an old aunt / who locked her in the study / to keep the boys away.” This suggests that women’s freedom has been historically controlled by both external (men) and internal (other women) forces, making escape a nearly impossible feat. The prince’s eventual arrival represents a traditional form of liberation, but Sexton complicates this by showing how Gothel’s grip on Rapunzel is emotional as well as physical, making the concept of true freedom uncertain.

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4. Transformation and the Loss of Innocence: Sexton’s “Rapunzel” also addresses transformation, particularly the transition from innocence to experience. Rapunzel begins as a sheltered, innocent girl, but her relationship with Gothel, and later the prince, forces her into the complexities of love, desire, and betrayal. The moment she meets the prince, she is confronted with the unfamiliar nature of men: “What is this beast, she thought, / with muscles on his arms / like a bag of snakes? / What is this moss on his legs?” These lines illustrate her naïveté and the way she views male physicality as strange and foreign. Her eventual escape with the prince symbolizes the inevitable loss of childhood dependency and innocence. However, unlike traditional fairy tales, Sexton doesn’t present this transition as purely positive. The cutting of Rapunzel’s hair—“Mother Gothel discovered the plot / and cut off Rapunzel’s hair to her ears.”—acts as a violent marker of change, signifying both punishment and the loss of youthful power. In the end, the prince’s blinding and subsequent cure through Rapunzel’s tears suggest that transformation is painful but ultimately necessary, reinforcing the inevitability of growth and change.

Literary Theories and “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

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1. Feminist Literary Theory: Feminist literary criticism is particularly relevant to “Rapunzel”, as Anne Sexton rewrites the traditional fairy tale through a lens that critiques the oppression of women and the restrictive roles imposed on them. The poem explores themes of female autonomy, control, and confinement, particularly in how Rapunzel is isolated by Mother Gothel. The line “She locked her in a tower without a door / or a staircase. It had only a high window.” symbolizes the historical oppression of women, where they were often confined to domestic spaces or denied agency over their own bodies. The theme of possession—“None but I will ever see her or touch her.”—further reflects how women have been controlled under patriarchal systems, whether by men or by maternal figures reinforcing those societal structures. Feminist theory can also be applied to analyze the portrayal of female relationships, as the poem challenges the heteronormative expectations found in traditional fairy tales.

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2. Queer Theory: Queer theory is essential in interpreting “Rapunzel”, as the poem presents a subversive and possibly homoerotic relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. Sexton rewrites the classic story to explore the dynamics of same-sex intimacy, particularly through lines like “A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.” This suggests an eternal and unbreakable bond between women, possibly hinting at a romantic or sexual relationship. The imagery of physical closeness—“Old breast against young breast… / Let your dress fall down your shoulder.”—further supports a reading of queer desire. Mother Gothel’s possessiveness over Rapunzel can be interpreted as both protective and jealous, reinforcing the complexity of same-sex relationships that do not fit into traditional societal norms. By applying queer theory, the poem can be seen as a radical reimagining of female desire, breaking away from heteronormative constraints and celebrating the fluidity of gender and sexuality.

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3. Psychoanalytic Literary Theory (Freudian and Lacanian Analysis): A psychoanalytic reading of “Rapunzel” reveals deep-seated themes of obsession, desire, and transformation. Sigmund Freud’s theories on attachment and repression can be applied to Mother Gothel’s relationship with Rapunzel, as her excessive control mirrors an Oedipal-like complex where the maternal figure refuses to release the child into independence. The line “Hold me, my young dear, hold me.” is repeated throughout the poem, indicating Gothel’s emotional dependency on Rapunzel, which could be interpreted as a subconscious fear of abandonment.

Lacanian psychoanalysis, particularly the concept of the “mirror stage,” is also applicable. Rapunzel’s first encounter with the prince—“What is this beast, she thought, / with muscles on his arms / like a bag of snakes?”—demonstrates her confusion and fear upon encountering the Other (the male figure), which disrupts her world of maternal attachment. Rapunzel’s transformation from a secluded girl to an independent woman mirrors Lacan’s theory of identity formation, where she moves from the Imaginary (a world shaped by her relationship with Mother Gothel) to the Symbolic Order (the world of desire and sexual maturity represented by the prince).

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4. Postmodernism and Intertextuality: Anne Sexton’s “Rapunzel” is a prime example of postmodern literature, which often deconstructs traditional narratives and reinterprets them through a contemporary lens. The poem engages in intertextuality by reworking the well-known fairy tale, but instead of presenting a straightforward moral lesson, Sexton injects ambiguity and psychological depth. The reference to “the three Christs of Ypsilanti” (a real-life psychiatric case study) disrupts the fairy-tale setting, blending reality with myth and challenging traditional narrative expectations.

Postmodern theory also examines the instability of meaning, and in “Rapunzel”, there is no clear moral resolution. While traditional fairy tales present clear distinctions between good and evil, Sexton’s version complicates this binary. Mother Gothel is not merely a villain; she is also a woman driven by love and fear. The final lines—“As for Mother Gothel, / her heart shrank to the size of a pin, / never again to say: Hold me, my young dear, hold me.”—suggest that she, too, is a tragic figure, left alone after losing the person she tried to keep. This subversion of the conventional fairy-tale structure aligns with postmodern themes of fragmentation, reinterpretation, and challenging dominant ideologies.

Critical Questions about “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

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Literary Works Similar to “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

1. “Cinderella” by Anne Sexton – Like “Rapunzel”, this poem is part of Sexton’s Transformations collection and retells a classic fairy tale with dark, subversive, and feminist undertones, critiquing traditional happy endings.
2. “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti – This poem shares themes of female intimacy, temptation, and the complexities of desire, as two sisters navigate a world where their bodies and autonomy are at stake.
3. “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson – Similar to “Rapunzel”, this poem features a woman trapped in isolation, longing for the outside world, and ultimately facing tragic consequences when she tries to break free.
4. “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath – Both poems explore themes of female identity, transformation, and the passage of time, using reflection and entrapment as central metaphors.
5. “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” by Oscar Wilde – Though not a fairy-tale retelling, this poem resonates with “Rapunzel” in its themes of imprisonment, longing, and the psychological impact of confinement.

Representative Quotations of “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“A woman / who loves a woman / is forever young.”	This line is repeated throughout the poem and establishes the theme of female intimacy and possibly same-sex desire. It suggests that love between women exists outside societal expectations of aging and domesticity.	Queer Theory & Feminist Theory – Challenges heteronormative love and traditional gender roles, portraying female relationships as eternal and transcendent.
“She locked her in a tower without a door / or a staircase. It had only a high window.”	Describes Mother Gothel’s act of imprisoning Rapunzel, reinforcing the theme of control and restriction.	Feminist Theory & Psychoanalytic Theory – Symbolizes female oppression and maternal possessiveness, preventing Rapunzel from attaining independence.
“Hold me, my young dear, hold me.”	Repeated throughout the poem, this plea from Mother Gothel highlights her dependence on Rapunzel and blurs the line between maternal and romantic love.	Psychoanalytic Theory & Queer Theory – Suggests emotional fixation and attachment, possibly reflecting Freudian concepts of desire and repression.
“Old breast against young breast…”	An explicit moment of physical closeness between Gothel and Rapunzel, reinforcing the poem’s underlying eroticism.	Queer Theory & Feminist Theory – Explores non-normative female relationships and subverts traditional mother-daughter dynamics.
“What is this beast, she thought, / with muscles on his arms / like a bag of snakes?”	Rapunzel’s first reaction to the prince, portraying him as strange and foreign.	Psychoanalytic Theory & Postmodernism – Highlights Rapunzel’s detachment from traditional masculinity and disrupts the fairy-tale trope of instant romantic attraction.
“They lay together upon the yellowy threads, / swimming through them / like minnows through kelp.”	Describes the sexual encounter between Rapunzel and the prince, using organic imagery.	Psychoanalytic Theory & Feminist Theory – Symbolizes sexual awakening but also contrasts natural freedom with Rapunzel’s past confinement.
“Mother-me-do all day.”	A phrase describing the intimate bond between Gothel and Rapunzel, reinforcing childlike dependency.	Psychoanalytic Theory – Represents emotional regression and prolonged maternal control, preventing Rapunzel’s maturation.
“As blind as Oedipus he wandered for years / until he heard a song that pierced his heart.”	The prince, blinded after his fall, is restored by Rapunzel’s presence.	Intertextuality & Psychoanalytic Theory – References Greek tragedy, emphasizing fate and suffering as part of transformation.
“The yellow rose will turn to cinder / and New York City will fall in / before we are done.”	A surreal, apocalyptic image suggesting impermanence and inevitable change.	Postmodernism – Blends fairy-tale imagery with real-world references, destabilizing traditional narrative expectations.
“As for Mother Gothel, / her heart shrank to the size of a pin, / never again to say: Hold me, my young dear, / hold me.”	Describes Gothel’s downfall after losing Rapunzel, emphasizing her emotional devastation.	Psychoanalytic Theory & Feminist Theory – Highlights the loss of power and emotional dependency in maternal control, reinforcing themes of abandonment and possession.

Suggested Readings: “Rapunzel” by Anne Sexton

1. Gonzalez, Matilde Martin. “Fairy Tales Revisited and Transformed: Anne Sexton’s Critique of Social (ized) Femininity‖.” Universidad de la Laguna (1999): 10-21.
2. GETTY, LAURA J. “Maidens and Their Guardians: Reinterpreting the ‘Rapunzel’ Tale.” Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal, vol. 30, no. 2, 1997, pp. 37–52. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44029886. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
3. Skorczewski, Dawn. “What Prison Is This? Literary Critics Cover Incest in Anne Sexton’s ‘Briar Rose.'” Signs, vol. 21, no. 2, 1996, pp. 309–42. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3175066. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
4. McClatchy, J. D. “ANNE SEXTON: SOMEHOW TO ENDURE.” The Centennial Review, vol. 19, no. 2, 1975, pp. 1–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23738229. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Introduction: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

“Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy first appeared in The World’s Wife (1999), a poetry collection that reimagines mythic, biblical, and historical female figures through a feminist lens. The poem is a modern retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, reinterpreted as a coming-of-age narrative about a young girl’s journey into womanhood, self-discovery, and intellectual awakening. Duffy subverts the traditional story by transforming the wolf into an older poet figure, symbolizing both literary mentorship and predatory male influence. The speaker, initially naïve and drawn to the world of poetry, willingly follows the wolf into the “dark tangled thorny place” of experience, a metaphor for both romantic and literary initiation. However, as she matures, she recognizes the wolf’s stagnation—his “same rhyme, same reason” existence—and ultimately liberates herself by metaphorically killing him, emerging from the forest independent and self-sufficient. The poem’s blend of feminist empowerment, literary symbolism, and evocative imagery makes it a popular choice in literature curricula, offering rich material for discussions on gender roles, power dynamics, and poetic craft. The final triumphant image—“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone”—cements the speaker’s transformation, encapsulating the poem’s themes of independence, artistic identity, and female agency.

Text: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

Annotations: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

Line	Annotation
At childhood’s end, the houses petered out	Marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, setting up the theme of growth and transformation.
into playing fields, the factory, allotments	Depicts the landscape shifting from innocence (playing fields) to industrialization (factory) and secrecy (allotments, metaphorically kept like mistresses).
kept, like mistresses, by kneeling married men,	Hints at male dominance and hidden affairs, reinforcing themes of gender dynamics and power.
the silent railway line, the hermit’s caravan,	Suggests isolation and a journey into the unknown, setting up the transition into the woods.
till you came at last to the edge of the woods.	Introduces the woods, a metaphor for experience, danger, and transformation.
It was there that I first clapped eyes on the wolf.	Introduces the wolf as a figure of temptation and learning, representing both danger and knowledge.
He stood in a clearing, reading his verse out loud	Depicts the wolf as a poet, suggesting the allure of literature and experience.
in his wolfy drawl, a paperback in his hairy paw,	Blends human and animal characteristics, emphasizing his dual nature of intellect and predatoriness.
red wine staining his bearded jaw. What big ears	Red wine symbolizes excess, indulgence, and possibly seduction.
he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!	References the original fairy tale but here suggests both admiration and foreboding.
In the interval, I made quite sure he spotted me,	Shifts agency to the speaker, showing her desire to be noticed and engage with the wolf.
sweet sixteen, never been, babe, waif, and bought me a drink,	Plays on innocence and initiation, reinforcing the theme of youthful naivety meeting experience.
my first. You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.	Explicitly states that the wolf represents poetry, learning, and inspiration, not just seduction.
The wolf, I knew, would lead me deep into the woods,	Acknowledges the wolf as a guide into experience, adventure, and the unknown.
away from home, to a dark tangled thorny place	Describes the woods as a place of difficulty, challenge, and transformation.
lit by the eyes of owls. I crawled in his wake,	Owls symbolize wisdom, but also haunting mystery. The crawling suggests submission or difficulty.
my stockings ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer	Suggests loss of innocence, transformation, and hints at a violent struggle.
snagged on twig and branch, murder clues. I lost both shoes	Foreboding imagery of being marked by experience, referencing fairy tale tropes.
but got there, wolf’s lair, better beware. Lesson one that night,	Acknowledges the danger in the relationship, reinforcing the idea of the wolf as both a mentor and a threat.
breath of the wolf in my ear, was the love poem.	Suggests intimacy, seduction, and the imparting of knowledge through poetry.
I clung till dawn to his thrashing fur, for	Implies struggle and passion, possibly an intense but draining relationship.
what little girl doesn’t dearly love a wolf?	Questions societal fascination with danger and forbidden experiences.
Then I slid from between his heavy matted paws	Signifies separation, moving away from the wolf after experience and learning.
and went in search of a living bird—white dove—	Symbolizes purity, peace, and possibly seeking renewal or something untainted.
which flew, straight, from my hands to his open mouth.	Represents loss of innocence or ideals being consumed by the wolf.
One bite, dead. How nice, breakfast in bed, he said,	Dark humor emphasizes the wolf’s selfish, predatory nature.
licking his chops. As soon as he slept, I crept to the back	Shows the speaker’s growing awareness and plotting of escape or revenge.
of the lair, where a whole wall was crimson, gold, aglow with books.	Books symbolize knowledge, power, and the true treasure the wolf possesses.
Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head,	Describes the power of literature and poetry as a living force.
warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.	Metaphorically connects literature to passion, life, and intensity.
But then I was young—and it took ten years	Acknowledges the passage of time, maturity, and eventual realization.
in the woods to tell that a mushroom	Mushroom imagery suggests decay, hidden truths, and the reality of experience.
stoppers the mouth of a buried corpse, that birds	Dark realization of hidden deaths, secrets, and the symbolic connection of birds to memory or speech.
are the uttered thought of trees, that a greying wolf	Connects nature to thought, implying that even the wolf is aging and stagnant.
howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out,	The wolf is now repetitive, predictable, and no longer exciting or new.
season after season, same rhyme, same reason.	Criticizes monotony, particularly in literature and relationships.
I took an axe	Shifts tone to action, suggesting a break from the past.
to a willow to see how it wept. I took an axe to a salmon	Testing the effect of violence, challenging nature, perhaps asserting control.
to see how it leapt. I took an axe to the wolf	Culmination of rebellion, symbolically breaking free from the wolf’s influence.
as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat, and saw	Gruesome imagery of violent retribution, reclaiming power.
the glistening, virgin white of my grandmother’s bones.	References the original fairy tale—discovering hidden truth within the wolf.
I filled his old belly with stones. I stitched him up.	Echoes the fairy tale’s conclusion, signifying closure and triumph.
Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.	Ends on an image of independence and renewal, emphasizing self-sufficiency.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

Literary Device	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Alliteration	“same rhyme, same reason”	The repetition of the ‘s’ sound emphasizes the monotonous and cyclical nature of the wolf’s poetry and life.
Allusion	“What big ears he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!”	References Little Red Riding Hood, but subverts it by making the wolf a poet rather than a straightforward villain.
Ambiguity	“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”	The ending is open to interpretation—does she celebrate freedom, mourn loss, or signify creative rebirth?
Assonance	“At childhood’s end, the houses petered out”	The repetition of vowel sounds in “childhood’s” and “houses” creates a musical effect that enhances rhythm.
Caesura	“My first. You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.”	The use of punctuation forces a pause, emphasizing the weight of her initiation into the literary world.
Consonance	“lit by the eyes of owls. I crawled in his wake,”	The repetition of ‘l’ and ‘w’ sounds creates a flowing, haunting effect.
Dark Humor	“One bite, dead. How nice, breakfast in bed, he said, licking his chops.”	The casual tone about a violent act adds a layer of grim irony.
Diction	“thrashing fur, for what little girl doesn’t dearly love a wolf?”	The word choice (“thrashing,” “dearly love”) contrasts violence and affection, highlighting the complex relationship.
Double Entendre	“I took an axe to a willow to see how it wept.”	The word “wept” can refer to both the tree releasing sap and an emotional response, reinforcing themes of pain and discovery.
Enjambment	“Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head, / warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.”	The sentence flows onto the next line without punctuation, mimicking the uncontrollable excitement of discovery.
Foreshadowing	“better beware. Lesson one that night, breath of the wolf in my ear, was the love poem.”	The warning hints at the eventual consequences of her relationship with the wolf.
Imagery	“my stockings ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer snagged on twig and branch, murder clues.”	Vivid sensory details emphasize loss of innocence and danger, evoking a crime scene.
Irony	“what little girl doesn’t dearly love a wolf?”	The statement contrasts with the actual dangers the wolf represents, highlighting the paradox of attraction to risk.
Metaphor	“Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head, warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.”	Language and poetry are compared to living things, emphasizing their power and intensity.
Personification	“the silent railway line, the hermit’s caravan”	The railway is described as “silent,” giving it a human characteristic, enhancing the eerie tone.
Repetition	“Words, words were truly alive…”	Repeating “words” emphasizes their significance in her journey of self-discovery.
Rhyme	“season after season, same rhyme, same reason.”	A subtle internal rhyme reinforces monotony and the speaker’s realization about the wolf’s predictable nature.
Symbolism	“a living bird—white dove—which flew, straight, from my hands to his open mouth.”	The white dove symbolizes peace and innocence, which the wolf devours, signifying destruction of purity.
Tone Shift	“I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat.”	The shift from poetic reflection to stark violence marks a dramatic turn in the speaker’s journey.
Transformation (Motif)	“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”	The speaker transitions from naïve girl to independent woman, illustrating personal and intellectual growth.

Themes: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

• Female Empowerment and Liberation: One of the central themes of “Little Red-Cap” is female empowerment and liberation from patriarchal control. The poem reinterprets the traditional Little Red Riding Hood tale, where the girl is typically depicted as naïve and in need of rescue. Instead, Duffy’s speaker actively seeks out the wolf, who represents experience, poetry, and male influence. Initially, she follows him into the woods, symbolizing her transition into womanhood and intellectual maturity. However, as she gains knowledge and independence, she realizes that the wolf, despite his initial allure, is ultimately stagnant—“same rhyme, same reason”—and no longer serves her growth. In a powerful moment of self-assertion, she kills him: “I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat”, symbolizing her rejection of male dominance. She emerges from the forest “singing, all alone”, a triumphant figure of self-sufficiency. The poem, therefore, celebrates female agency and the ability to carve out one’s own path beyond societal expectations.
• The Journey from Innocence to Experience: Duffy explores the classic literary theme of moving from innocence to experience, often associated with coming-of-age narratives. At the beginning of “Little Red-Cap,” the speaker is “sweet sixteen, never been, babe, waif”, highlighting her youthful innocence. However, she is drawn to the wolf not out of fear but out of curiosity and ambition, particularly for poetry: “You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.” Her journey into the woods represents an initiation into adulthood, knowledge, and passion, where she willingly follows the wolf, even as her clothes—symbols of innocence—are torn: “my stockings ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer snagged on twig and branch, murder clues.” Over time, she grows disillusioned with the wolf’s repetitive nature and realizes that true knowledge lies beyond him. The symbolic ten years in the woods represent her deepening understanding of life: “it took ten years in the woods to tell that a mushroom stoppers the mouth of a buried corpse.” By the end of the poem, she emerges wiser and more self-assured, showing the inevitable transformation from naïve youth to empowered adulthood.
• The Power of Literature and Artistic Awakening: Literature, poetry, and artistic discovery play a crucial role in “Little Red-Cap,” with the wolf embodying both a mentor and a threat. The speaker is drawn to the wolf not for romance but for poetry, seeing him as a gateway into the literary world: “The wolf, I knew, would lead me deep into the woods.” He introduces her to the power of words, as seen in the imagery of his lair: “a whole wall was crimson, gold, aglow with books.” The descriptions of poetry as “warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood” emphasize its vitality and its ability to shape identity. However, the wolf’s stagnation—*”same rhyme, same reason”—*reveals that her growth requires moving beyond him. Her decision to kill the wolf and leave the woods symbolizes her rejection of outdated literary traditions and her ability to forge her own artistic voice. The poem ultimately champions literature as a tool for self-discovery and liberation, but one that must evolve rather than remain fixed.
• Gender Power Dynamics and the Predatory Male Figure: The poem critiques the power dynamics between older men and younger women, particularly in artistic and intellectual circles. The wolf, an experienced poet, represents an older, authoritative male figure who takes interest in the young speaker, mirroring real-world imbalances in mentorship and romantic relationships. His presence is both enticing and dangerous, evident in the fairy tale references: “What big ears he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!” While he provides the speaker with access to poetry and knowledge, there is an underlying sense of exploitation, reinforced by the violent imagery: “I clung till dawn to his thrashing fur.” Over time, she sees through his influence and recognizes his repetitive, self-indulgent nature. The moment she kills him—“one chop, scrotum to throat”—is both a literal and symbolic act of reclaiming power. By filling his belly with stones and leaving the forest independently, the speaker reverses the traditional damsel-in-distress narrative, instead positioning herself as the one in control. “Little Red-Cap” critiques gendered power structures and highlights the necessity of breaking free from exploitative relationships.

Literary Theories and “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

Literary Theory	Application to “Little Red-Cap”	References from the Poem
Feminist Literary Theory	Examines how the poem challenges patriarchal structures and reclaims female agency. The poem subverts the traditional Little Red Riding Hood tale, where the girl is usually a passive victim, by making the speaker an active agent of her own transformation. The wolf symbolizes a dominant male figure (mentor/lover), and his eventual death represents the speaker’s rejection of male control and assertion of independence.	“I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat, and saw the glistening, virgin white of my grandmother’s bones.” → The violent act symbolizes the breaking of patriarchal constraints, reclaiming female autonomy.
Psychoanalytic Literary Theory (Freudian and Lacanian Analysis)	Explores the subconscious desires, fears, and psychological transformation of the speaker. The journey into the woods represents a psychological rite of passage, with the wolf symbolizing both a father figure and a forbidden desire (Freudian interpretation). Lacanian theory might view the wolf as representing the “Other,” a figure who introduces the speaker to language, poetry, and self-awareness. However, she ultimately surpasses him and claims her own identity.	“The wolf, I knew, would lead me deep into the woods, away from home, to a dark tangled thorny place.” → Suggests a journey into the unconscious mind and personal discovery.
Postmodernism / Intertextuality	The poem plays with intertextuality by reinterpreting a well-known fairy tale with modern themes. Duffy deconstructs the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story, turning it into a feminist and literary awakening narrative. The self-awareness and playfulness of language align with postmodern techniques.	“What big ears he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!” → A direct reference to the fairy tale but used in a context where the speaker is not a helpless victim but a willing participant in her transformation.
Marxist Literary Theory	Examines power dynamics, class struggles, and systems of control. The wolf can be interpreted as an embodiment of institutionalized literary tradition or an elitist figure that controls access to knowledge. The speaker’s act of destroying him can symbolize breaking free from the intellectual hierarchy that privileges certain voices over others.	“Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head, warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.” → Suggests the democratization of literature and breaking free from traditional literary structures.

Critical Questions about “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

• How does Duffy subvert the traditional “Little Red Riding Hood” fairy tale in “Little Red-Cap”?
• Carol Ann Duffy radically transforms the classic Little Red Riding Hood story in “Little Red-Cap” by shifting the narrative from one of passive victimhood to one of female empowerment and self-discovery. In the traditional tale, Little Red Riding Hood is a naïve girl who falls prey to the manipulative and cunning wolf, requiring a male savior (the woodsman) to rescue her. Duffy’s version, however, presents a speaker who actively seeks out the wolf, drawn not by fear but by curiosity and ambition—“You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.” Unlike the traditional protagonist, this Red-Cap is aware of her choices and willingly follows the wolf into the woods, symbolizing her initiation into knowledge, experience, and sexuality. The wolf, no longer just a predator, becomes a poet and mentor figure, embodying both temptation and inspiration. However, as the speaker matures, she recognizes the wolf’s stagnation—“same rhyme, same reason”—and ultimately overcomes him, taking control of her own destiny. The dramatic moment where she kills the wolf—“one chop, scrotum to throat”—represents not only a break from male control but also an assertion of female power and independence. By the end, she emerges “singing, all alone,” rewriting the fairy tale to center on self-liberation rather than victimization.
• How does “Little Red-Cap” explore the relationship between gender and power?
• “Little Red-Cap” presents a nuanced exploration of gender and power, particularly in the context of mentorship, literary authority, and male dominance in artistic and intellectual spheres. The wolf, an older, knowledgeable poet, initially holds power over the young speaker, offering her an introduction to poetry and experience. His presence carries both a seductive and predatory quality—“breath of the wolf in my ear, was the love poem.” This dynamic mirrors real-world relationships where older men often serve as literary or intellectual gatekeepers, shaping the development of young female voices. However, as the speaker matures, she recognizes the wolf’s limitations: his poetry is repetitive, his influence is cyclical—“howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out.” The power dynamic shifts when she takes agency into her own hands, killing the wolf and metaphorically dismantling his influence over her. The gruesome imagery—“one chop, scrotum to throat”—specifically targets male anatomy, reinforcing the theme of breaking free from patriarchal control. The poem critiques traditional gender roles, where men are often seen as the literary authorities and women as their protégés, and instead envisions a world where women claim their own creative and intellectual space.
• How does the imagery in “Little Red-Cap” contribute to the themes of transformation and self-discovery?
• Duffy’s use of rich and often violent imagery in “Little Red-Cap” plays a crucial role in illustrating the speaker’s transformation from innocence to experience. At the beginning of the poem, the setting is described with subtle foreboding—“At childhood’s end, the houses petered out into playing fields, the factory, allotments kept, like mistresses, by kneeling married men.” The transition from childhood to adulthood is mapped onto the landscape, suggesting a journey into a more complex, hidden world. As the speaker follows the wolf into the woods, the imagery becomes increasingly dark and intense—“a dark tangled thorny place lit by the eyes of owls.” This description evokes both mystery and danger, reinforcing the idea that knowledge and experience are not easily gained. The transformation culminates in the moment of violence—“I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat.” Here, the stark brutality of the language marks a definitive break from the past, signaling the speaker’s final assertion of selfhood. The closing image—“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”—suggests rebirth and renewal, as she emerges from the metaphorical woods of experience into a space of independent creativity.
• What role does poetry and language play in “Little Red-Cap” as a form of empowerment?
• Poetry and language function as central themes in “Little Red-Cap,” representing both a source of fascination and a means of liberation for the speaker. From the outset, the wolf is not just a figure of danger but also a poet—“He stood in a clearing, reading his verse out loud in his wolfy drawl, a paperback in his hairy paw.” The speaker is initially drawn to him not out of fear but because of his connection to poetry, which she sees as a gateway to knowledge and power. The imagery of books as treasures—“a whole wall was crimson, gold, aglow with books.”—reinforces the idea that literature holds transformative potential. However, as she matures, she realizes that the wolf’s poetry is repetitive and stagnant—“same rhyme, same reason.” Her final act of killing the wolf is not just about severing ties with a controlling figure, but about claiming poetry and language for herself. The triumphant ending—“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”—suggests that she has taken control of her own voice, no longer needing validation from male literary figures. Duffy positions poetry as both a means of oppression (through established, male-dominated literary traditions) and a tool for personal and artistic emancipation.

Literary Works Similar to “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

1. “The Applicant” by Sylvia Plath – Similar to “Little Red-Cap”, this poem critiques gender roles, societal expectations of women, and the imbalance of power between men and women.
2. “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti – Both poems focus on a young female protagonist encountering an alluring yet dangerous male presence, with a strong emphasis on female agency and resistance.
3. “Medusa” by Carol Ann Duffy – Another poem from The World’s Wife, “Medusa” shares “Little Red-Cap”’s themes of female rage, independence, and breaking free from male influence.

Representative Quotations of “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“At childhood’s end, the houses petered out into playing fields, the factory, allotments kept, like mistresses, by kneeling married men.”	The opening lines describe the transition from childhood to adulthood, setting a tone of transformation.	Psychoanalytic Theory – The movement away from childhood represents the unconscious shift from innocence to experience, where hidden desires and societal corruption become visible.
“It was there that I first clapped eyes on the wolf.”	Introduces the wolf as a significant figure in the speaker’s journey, signaling the beginning of a transformative relationship.	Feminist Theory – The wolf, often symbolic of male authority, represents both attraction and danger in patriarchal structures.
“What big ears he had! What big eyes he had! What teeth!”	A direct reference to the traditional Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, but here the speaker is aware of the wolf’s characteristics rather than being deceived.	Intertextuality & Postmodernism – Duffy plays with fairy tale conventions, reworking them into a feminist framework where the protagonist has agency.
“You might ask why. Here’s why. Poetry.”	The speaker justifies her decision to engage with the wolf, showing that her attraction to him is based on literature and intellectual discovery rather than mere seduction.	Marxist Theory – Knowledge and cultural capital (poetry) are central to power structures. The wolf holds intellectual authority, which the speaker initially seeks before claiming it for herself.
“I crawled in his wake, my stockings ripped to shreds, scraps of red from my blazer snagged on twig and branch, murder clues.”	The imagery of torn clothing and “murder clues” suggests a loss of innocence and foreshadows violence.	Psychoanalytic & Feminist Theory – The destruction of the red clothing, symbolic of youth and femininity, represents both sexual awakening and the erasure of innocence.
“I clung till dawn to his thrashing fur, for what little girl doesn’t dearly love a wolf?”	This rhetorical question implies both irony and inevitability, reinforcing the traditional attraction to danger.	Feminist & Gender Theory – The relationship reflects gender power dynamics, where women are socialized to be drawn to dominant, even destructive, male figures.
“Words, words were truly alive on the tongue, in the head, warm, beating, frantic, winged; music and blood.”	A passionate depiction of poetry as something vital, urgent, and transformative.	Postmodernism & Literary Theory – Celebrates language as a living force, aligning with the idea that words shape reality and personal identity.
“howls the same old song at the moon, year in, year out, season after season, same rhyme, same reason.”	The speaker recognizes the wolf’s stagnation and repetitive nature, implying her disillusionment.	Poststructuralism & Feminist Theory – Critiques the cyclical, self-indulgent traditions in male-dominated literary and social structures.
“I took an axe to the wolf as he slept, one chop, scrotum to throat, and saw the glistening, virgin white of my grandmother’s bones.”	The speaker violently kills the wolf, symbolizing her rejection of male control and her reclamation of female legacy.	Feminist & Psychoanalytic Theory – Represents a Freudian “killing the father” moment and breaking free from patriarchal literary authority.
“Out of the forest I come with my flowers, singing, all alone.”	The final line portrays a sense of completion, independence, and creative rebirth.	Feminist & Existentialist Theory – The speaker emerges as an autonomous individual, rejecting male validation and embracing self-sufficiency.

Suggested Readings: “Little Red-Cap” by Carol Ann Duffy

1. Duffy, Carol Ann. “Little Red-Cap.” Ambit, no. 158, 1999, pp. 102–03. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44338870. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
2. Varty, Anne. “Carol Ann Duffy: ‘The Edge Has Become the Centre.’” Women, Poetry and the Voice of a Nation, Edinburgh University Press, 2022, pp. 121–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv287sb3j.10. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
3. Duffy, Carol Ann. “Little Red-Cap.” Ambit 158 (1999): 102-103.

Introduction: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

“Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton first appeared in her 1972 poetry collection Transformations, a book that reimagines classic fairy tales with dark, ironic, and psychological depth. Sexton’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood explores themes of deception, violence, and survival, revealing the grim realities behind the stories traditionally told to children. The poem subverts the innocence of the original folktale, presenting a world where deception lurks everywhere—not just in the woods, but in everyday life, from fraudulent schemes to hidden despair. Sexton’s stark, confessional style, infused with irony, exposes how easily innocence is preyed upon and how survival often requires a grim transformation. The poem remains a staple in literature and feminist studies due to its critique of societal norms and its dark, modernist reinterpretation of classic narratives. As Sexton writes, “Many a deception ends on such a note.” Her exploration of deception, power, and the grotesque makes this poem a popular choice in literature courses, where it serves as an example of both feminist revisionism and psychological complexity.

Text: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

Many are the deceivers:
The suburban matron,
proper in the supermarket,
list in hand so she won’t suddenly fly,
buying her Duz and Chuck Wagon dog food,
meanwhile ascending from earth,
letting her stomach fill up with helium,
letting her arms go loose as kite tails,
getting ready to meet her lover
a mile down Apple Crest Road
in the Congregational Church parking lot.
Two seemingly respectable women
come up to an old Jenny
and show her an envelope
full of money
and promise to share the booty
if she’ll give them ten thou
as an act of faith.
Her life savings are under the mattress
covered with rust stains
and counting.
They are as wrinkled as prunes
but negotiable.
The two women take the money and disappear.
Where is the moral?
Not all knives are for
stabbing the exposed belly.
Rock climbs on rock
and it only makes a seashore.
Old Jenny has lost her belief in mattresses
and now she has no wastebasket in which
to keep her youth.
The standup comic
on the “Tonight” show
who imitates the Vice President
and cracks up Johnny Carson
and delays sleep for millions
of bedfellows watching between their feet,
slits his wrist the next morning
in the Algonquin’s old-fashioned bathroom,
the razor in his hand like a toothbrush,
wall as anonymous as a urinal,
the shower curtain his slack rubberman audience,
and then the slash
as simple as opening as a letter
and the warm blood breaking out like a rose
upon the bathtub with its claw and ball feet.
And I. I too.
Quite collected at cocktail parties,
meanwhile in my head
I’m undergoing open-heart surgery.
The heart, poor fellow,
pounding on his little tin drum
with a faint death beat,
The heart, that eyeless beetle,
running panicked through his maze,
never stopping one foot after the other
one hour after the other
until he gags on an apple
and it’s all over.
And I. I too again.
I built a summer house on Cape Ann.
A simple A-frame and this too was
a deception — nothing haunts a new house.
When I moved in with a bathing suit and tea bags
the ocean rumbled like a train backing up
and at each window secrets came in
like gas. My mother, that departed soul,
sat in my Eames chair and reproached me
for losing her keys to the old cottage.
Even in the electric kitchen there was
the smell of a journey. The ocean
was seeping through its frontiers
and laying me out on its wet rails.
The bed was stale with my childhood
and I could not move to another city
where the worthy make a new life.
Long ago
there was a strange deception:
a wolf dressed in frills,
a kind of transvestite.
But I get ahead of my story.
In the beginning
there was just little Red Riding Hood,
so called because her grandmother
made her a red cape and she was never without it.
It was her Linus blanket, besides
it was red, as red as the Swiss flag,
yes it was red, as red as chicken blood,
But more than she loved her riding hood
she loved her grandmother who lived
far from the city in the big wood.
This one day her mother gave her
a basket of wine and cake
to take to her grandmother
because she was ill.
Wine and cake?
Where’s the aspirin? The penicillin?
Where’s the fruit juice?
Peter Rabbit got chamomile tea.
But wine and cake it was.
On her way in the big wood
Red Riding Hood met the wolf.
Good day, Mr. Wolf, she said,
thinking him no more dangerous
than a streetcar or a panhandler.
He asked where she was going
and she obligingly told him
There among the roots and trunks
with the mushrooms pulsing inside the moss
he planned how to eat them both,
the grandmother an old carrot
and the child a shy budkin
in a red red hood.
He bade her to look at the bloodroot,
the small bunchberry and the dogtooth
and pick some for her grandmother.
And this she did.
Meanwhile he scampered off
to Grandmother’s house and ate her up
as quick as a slap.
Then he put on her nightdress and cap
and snuggled down in to bed.
A deceptive fellow.
Red Riding hood
knocked on the door and entered
with her flowers, her cake, her wine.
Grandmother looked strange,
a dark and hairy disease it seemed.
Oh Grandmother, what big ears you have,
ears, eyes, hands and then the teeth.
The better to eat you with my dear.
So the wolf gobbled Red Riding Hood down
like a gumdrop. Now he was fat.
He appeared to be in his ninth month
and Red Riding Hood and her grandmother
rode like two Jonahs up and down with
his every breath. One pigeon. One partridge.
He was fast asleep,
dreaming in his cap and gown,
wolfless.
Along came a huntsman who heard
the loud contented snores
and knew that was no grandmother.
He opened the door and said,
So it’s you, old sinner.
He raised his gun to shoot him
when it occurred to him that maybe
the wolf had eaten up the old lady.
So he took a knife and began cutting open
the sleeping wolf, a kind of caesarian section.
It was a carnal knife that let
Red Riding Hood out like a poppy,
quite alive from the kingdom of the belly.
And grandmother too
still waiting for cakes and wine.
The wolf, they decided, was too mean
to be simply shot so they filled his belly
with large stones and sewed him up.
He was as heavy as a cemetery
and when he woke up and tried to run off
he fell over dead. Killed by his own weight.
Many a deception ends on such a note.
The huntsman and the grandmother and Red Riding Hood
sat down by his corpse and had a meal of wine and cake.
Those two remembering
nothing naked and brutal
from that little death,
that little birth,
from their going down
and their lifting up.

Annotations: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

Line	Annotation
Many are the deceivers:	Sexton begins with a statement about deception, setting the theme for the poem.
The suburban matron, proper in the supermarket,	Depicts a seemingly respectable woman who hides a secret life.
List in hand so she won’t suddenly fly,	Her shopping list serves as a metaphor for maintaining control over her facade.
Buying her Duz and Chuck Wagon dog food,	Ordinary purchases contrast with her hidden intentions.
Meanwhile ascending from earth,	Suggests an escape or detachment from reality.
Letting her stomach fill up with helium,	Symbolizes a feeling of lightness or release from societal constraints.
Letting her arms go loose as kite tails,	A sense of freedom and surrender to temptation.
Getting ready to meet her lover a mile down Apple Crest Road	Reveals her deception, meeting a lover in secrecy.
Two seemingly respectable women	Introduces another deception, this time in the form of a scam.
Come up to an old Jenny and show her an envelope	They prey on an elderly woman’s trust.
Full of money and promise to share the booty	A classic confidence trick, exploiting greed and desperation.
If she’ll give them ten thou as an act of faith.	The victim is manipulated into giving up her savings.
Her life savings are under the mattress	Represents old-fashioned security and trust in material wealth.
Covered with rust stains and counting.	Suggests decay and the futility of hoarding money.
They are as wrinkled as prunes but negotiable.	Age and value juxtaposed, implying vulnerability.
The two women take the money and disappear.	The deception is completed, leaving the victim destitute.
Where is the moral?	Questions the presence of justice in such a world.
Not all knives are for stabbing the exposed belly.	Not all harm is physical; deception wounds the soul.
Rock climbs on rock and it only makes a seashore.	Nature’s indifference contrasts with human cruelty.
Old Jenny has lost her belief in mattresses	Symbolizes lost trust in security and stability.
And now she has no wastebasket in which to keep her youth.	A poignant metaphor for irreversible loss.
The standup comic on the ‘Tonight’ show	Introduces another deceptive figure, a comedian hiding pain.
Who imitates the Vice President and cracks up Johnny Carson	Public success masks private despair.
And delays sleep for millions of bedfellows watching between their feet,	Television as escapism, disconnecting from reality.
Slits his wrist the next morning in the Algonquin’s old-fashioned bathroom,	The contrast between laughter and suicide.
The razor in his hand like a toothbrush,	Suicide made mundane, a daily ritual of despair.
Wall as anonymous as a urinal,	A metaphor for isolation and impersonal surroundings.
The shower curtain his slack rubberman audience,	A tragic irony, performing even in death.
And then the slash as simple as opening a letter	Suicide depicted as an everyday action.
And the warm blood breaking out like a rose	Beauty juxtaposed with violence.
Upon the bathtub with its claw and ball feet.	Even the setting has an eerie, animate presence.
And I. I too.	The speaker connects herself to these figures of deception.
Quite collected at cocktail parties,	Maintaining an outward facade of composure.
Meanwhile in my head I’m undergoing open-heart surgery.	Contrasts the external image with internal turmoil.
The heart, poor fellow, pounding on his little tin drum	The heart is personified as suffering, struggling.
With a faint death beat,	Suggests an impending collapse, physical or emotional.
The heart, that eyeless beetle, running panicked through his maze,	Depicts anxiety and the inevitability of fate.
Never stopping one foot after the other one hour after the other	A relentless, futile struggle.
Until he gags on an apple and it’s all over.	A reference to mortality and possibly the Fall of Man.
And I. I too again.	Repetition emphasizes the speaker’s personal connection to deception.
I built a summer house on Cape Ann.	A metaphor for creating an illusion of stability.
A simple A-frame and this too was a deception	Acknowledges the false security of material possessions.
Nothing haunts a new house.	The idea that new beginnings do not erase the past.
When I moved in with a bathing suit and tea bags	Simple objects contrast with the weight of memory.
The ocean rumbled like a train backing up	Nature as a force of inevitability.
And at each window secrets came in like gas.	Memories and regrets infiltrate despite attempts to escape.
My mother, that departed soul, sat in my Eames chair	The presence of the past in the present.
And reproached me for losing her keys to the old cottage.	Guilt and unresolved familial ties.
Even in the electric kitchen there was the smell of a journey.	The past remains alive in the senses.
The ocean was seeping through its frontiers	The inability to contain or control nature and memory.
And laying me out on its wet rails.	A metaphor for submission to fate.
The bed was stale with my childhood	Memory turns even comforting spaces oppressive.
And I could not move to another city where the worthy make a new life.	A sense of being trapped in one’s history.
Long ago there was a strange deception:	Shifts back to the fairy tale narrative.
A wolf dressed in frills, a kind of transvestite.	A literal deception, but also symbolic of societal disguise.
But I get ahead of my story.	Acknowledging the nonlinear nature of memory and narration.
In the beginning	Marks the transition into the fairy tale, signaling a return to traditional storytelling.
There was just little Red Riding Hood,	Introduces the protagonist, emphasizing her innocence.
So called because her grandmother	Explains the origin of her name, tying it to family.
Made her a red cape and she was never without it.	The red cape symbolizes both protection and vulnerability.
It was her Linus blanket, besides	A reference to Peanuts, implying comfort and emotional security.
It was red, as red as the Swiss flag,	Emphasizes the striking color, linking it to national identity and symbolism.
Yes, it was red, as red as chicken blood,	Links the red color to life, violence, and danger.
But more than she loved her riding hood	Suggests that her affection extends beyond material objects.
She loved her grandmother who lived	Establishes the grandmother as an important figure in her life.
Far from the city in the big wood.	The setting evokes isolation and danger, emphasizing vulnerability.
This one day her mother gave her	Begins the familiar fairy tale narrative.
A basket of wine and cake	A symbolic offering, but an unusual one for someone who is sick.
To take to her grandmother	Establishes the central mission of the story.
Because she was ill.	Provides motivation for Red Riding Hood’s journey.
Wine and cake?	A questioning tone, adding irony and skepticism.
Where’s the aspirin? The penicillin?	A modern contrast to the old-fashioned remedy.
Where’s the fruit juice?	Questions the logic of traditional medicinal offerings.
Peter Rabbit got chamomile tea.	A humorous reference to another children’s story.
But wine and cake it was.	Accepts the traditional fairy tale logic with resignation.
On her way in the big wood	Reinforces the theme of venturing into the unknown.
Red Riding Hood met the wolf.	Introduces the antagonist, signaling danger.
Good day, Mr. Wolf, she said,	Her politeness contrasts with the wolf’s hidden intentions.
Thinking him no more dangerous	Shows her naivety and lack of suspicion.
Than a streetcar or a panhandler.	Modernizes the threat, comparing it to urban dangers.
He asked where she was going	The wolf’s deceptive tactics begin.
And she obligingly told him	Demonstrates her innocence and trust.
There among the roots and trunks	Evokes a natural yet eerie setting.
With the mushrooms pulsing inside the moss	A vivid, almost surreal depiction of the forest.
He planned how to eat them both,	Reveals the wolf’s true intentions.
The grandmother an old carrot	Reduces the grandmother to mere food, emphasizing predation.
And the child a shy budkin in a red red hood.	Depicts Red Riding Hood as small and delicate, reinforcing vulnerability.
He bade her to look at the bloodroot,	A symbolic plant associated with both medicine and danger.
The small bunchberry and the dogtooth	Natural elements that add to the fairy tale imagery.
And pick some for her grandmother.	A distraction tactic by the wolf.
And this she did.	Shows her obedience and trust.
Meanwhile he scampered off	The wolf takes action while she is preoccupied.
To Grandmother’s house and ate her up	A shocking, violent moment, reflecting the brutality of fairy tales.
As quick as a slap.	Simile emphasizing the suddenness of the attack.
Then he put on her nightdress and cap	The wolf’s deceptive transformation begins.
And snuggled down into bed.	A grotesque imitation of human behavior.
A deceptive fellow.	Reinforces the theme of trickery and disguise.
Red Riding Hood knocked on the door and entered	She walks unknowingly into danger.
With her flowers, her cake, her wine.	The gifts now seem ironic in contrast with the danger ahead.
Grandmother looked strange,	Hints at Red Riding Hood’s growing suspicion.
A dark and hairy disease it seemed.	Describes the wolf in grotesque, almost medical terms.
Oh Grandmother, what big ears you have,	Begins the well-known exchange.
Ears, eyes, hands and then the teeth.	The progressive buildup of tension.
The better to eat you with my dear.	The climax of the deception and reveal of the wolf’s true nature.
So the wolf gobbled Red Riding Hood down	A violent and sudden resolution, mirroring the grandmother’s fate.
Like a gumdrop.	Juxtaposes horror with childlike imagery, reinforcing irony.
Now he was fat.	His greed and overindulgence are emphasized.
He appeared to be in his ninth month	A grotesque image, likening him to pregnancy.
And Red Riding Hood and her grandmother	Suggests they are trapped inside him.
Rode like two Jonahs up and down with his every breath.	A biblical allusion to Jonah in the whale, reinforcing themes of survival and rebirth.
One pigeon. One partridge.	A surreal comparison, almost playful despite the horror.
He was fast asleep,	The wolf’s overindulgence makes him vulnerable.
Dreaming in his cap and gown,	An absurdly civilized image, contrasting his monstrous actions.
Wolfless.	An ironic term, as if he is free from his predatory nature in sleep.
Along came a huntsman who heard	Introduces the rescuer figure.
The loud contented snores	Reinforces the wolf’s false sense of security.
And knew that was no grandmother.	His experience and wisdom contrast with Red Riding Hood’s innocence.
He opened the door and said,	Begins the decisive confrontation.
So it’s you, old sinner.	Names the wolf’s deception as a moral failing.
He raised his gun to shoot him	Suggests an immediate act of justice.
When it occurred to him that maybe	Shows a moment of thoughtfulness.
The wolf had eaten up the old lady.	The huntsman considers an alternative solution.
So he took a knife and began cutting open	A literal and symbolic unveiling.
The sleeping wolf, a kind of caesarian section.	Juxtaposes birth and death in a grotesque comparison.
It was a carnal knife that let	Suggests both violence and renewal.
Red Riding Hood out like a poppy,	A delicate and vivid image of rebirth.
Quite alive from the kingdom of the belly.	Frames the stomach as a dark, almost mythical place.
And grandmother too	Completes the miraculous rescue.
Still waiting for cakes and wine.	A humorous touch, as if she was oblivious to her ordeal.
The wolf, they decided, was too mean	His fate is debated rather than immediately executed.
To be simply shot so they filled his belly	His punishment is tied to his own gluttony.
With large stones and sewed him up.	A strangely meticulous act of vengeance.
He was as heavy as a cemetery	A metaphor for his inescapable fate.
And when he woke up and tried to run off	His final moment of struggle.
He fell over dead.	His greed and deception ultimately destroy him.
Killed by his own weight.	A moral conclusion, reinforcing poetic justice.
Many a deception ends on such a note.	Reinforces the theme that deception often leads to downfall.
The huntsman and the grandmother and Red Riding Hood	Marks the restoration of order after the wolf’s demise.
Sat down by his corpse and had a meal of wine and cake.	Darkly ironic, as they celebrate right next to the dead wolf.
Those two remembering	Refers to Red Riding Hood and her grandmother.
Nothing naked and brutal	Suggests they do not acknowledge or recall the horror they endured.
From that little death,	A reference to their near-death experience.
That little birth,	Equates their rescue to a form of rebirth.
From their going down	Symbolizes their entrapment inside the wolf.
And their lifting up.	Represents their rescue and return to life.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

Literary Device	Example	Explanation
Alliteration	“Red Riding Hood met the wolf.”	The repetition of the ‘R’ sound creates rhythm and emphasis.
Allusion	“One pigeon. One partridge.”	References the Twelve Days of Christmas song, adding a surreal effect.
Ambiguity	“Nothing haunts a new house.”	Implies multiple meanings—emptiness, escape, or a hidden past.
Anaphora	“And I. I too.”	Repetition of “I” emphasizes the speaker’s personal connection to deception.
Assonance	“Oh Grandmother, what big ears you have.”	The repetition of vowel sounds creates musicality and emphasis.
Caesura	“Dreaming in his cap and gown, / wolfless.”	A pause in the line breaks the flow, emphasizing irony.
Dark Humor	“Sat down by his corpse and had a meal of wine and cake.”	Juxtaposes violence with an absurdly casual reaction.
Diction	“As quick as a slap.”	Simple, direct word choice enhances the suddenness of the wolf’s attack.
Dramatic Irony	“Good day, Mr. Wolf, she said, / thinking him no more dangerous than a streetcar or a panhandler.”	The reader knows the wolf is a threat, while Red Riding Hood does not.
Enjambment	“The better to eat you with my dear. / So the wolf gobbled Red Riding Hood down like a gumdrop.”	A sentence spills over multiple lines, creating a fast-paced effect.
Epizeuxis	“Red, as red as the Swiss flag, / yes, it was red, as red as chicken blood.”	Repetition of “red” intensifies its symbolic meaning.
Grotesque Imagery	“He appeared to be in his ninth month.”	Describes the wolf’s bloated stomach as if he were pregnant, creating unease.
Hyperbole	“Her life savings are under the mattress / covered with rust stains and counting.”	Exaggeration emphasizes the vulnerability of the old woman.
Irony	“Still waiting for cakes and wine.”	Grandmother’s calmness after being rescued contrasts with the horror of her ordeal.
Metaphor	“The heart, that eyeless beetle, / running panicked through his maze.”	Compares the heart to a blind insect, evoking anxiety.
Mood	“A dark and hairy disease it seemed.”	Creates a sinister, unsettling atmosphere.
Paradox	“Killed by his own weight.”	The idea that the wolf’s downfall is caused by his own greed is contradictory but true.
Personification	“The mushrooms pulsing inside the moss.”	Gives lifelike qualities to nature, enhancing the eerie setting.
Satire	“Where’s the aspirin? The penicillin? Where’s the fruit juice?”	Mocks the impracticality of fairy tale remedies with modern skepticism.
Symbolism	“Red Riding Hood out like a poppy.”	The poppy symbolizes rebirth and fragility, reinforcing her survival.

Themes in “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

1. Deception: Sexton’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood” delves deeply into the theme of deception, portraying it as a pervasive element in human interaction and societal norms. The wolf, traditionally the deceiver in this tale, is not alone in his guises; Sexton extends this motif to humans who wear social masks. The poem opens with the imagery of a suburban matron who appears ordinary but is secretly planning to meet a lover, illustrating that deception is not limited to malicious acts but can also be found in everyday social facades. Similarly, the wolf’s disguise as the grandmother and the manipulative acts of the two women who trick old Jenny out of her savings underscore a world where deception crosses boundaries between the mundane and the predatory, suggesting that everyone, not just the obvious villains, harbors potential for deceit.
2. Loss of Innocence: Sexton uses the story of Red Riding Hood as a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the harsh awakenings that accompany growing up. The poem captures this transition through the protagonist’s journey, where she starts with a naive trust in the wolf, whom she perceives as harmless as a “streetcar or a panhandler.” This innocence is shattered when she encounters the wolf in her grandmother’s clothing, only to be swallowed whole. Sexton captures the brutality of this loss with stark, violent imagery, emphasizing the abrupt and often brutal confrontation with reality that marks the passage from childhood to adulthood.
3. Confrontation with Reality: Throughout the poem, characters face moments of stark reality that challenge their previous perceptions or beliefs. For instance, old Jenny loses her life savings to fraud, shattering her trust in others and her belief in a just world. Similarly, Red Riding Hood’s realization of the wolf’s true nature at her grandmother’s house is a sudden confrontation with evil and danger, stripping away her earlier innocence. These moments reflect the broader human experience of encountering truths that are difficult to accept yet are essential for personal growth and understanding of the world.
4. Cyclical Nature of Life: Sexton portrays life as a cycle of events that repeat or mirror each other, suggesting a rhythm to human experiences that can be both comforting and disquieting. This is seen in the poem’s structure and recurring motifs, such as the opening and closing scenes which both involve deceptive appearances and end with revelations. The cyclical motif is further emphasized by the huntsman who decides to cut the wolf open, mirroring the wolf’s earlier consumption of the grandmother and Red Riding Hood. This act of cutting open to reveal the truth suggests a recurring need to examine and re-examine our surroundings and ourselves, a process that is continuous and necessary for survival and understanding.

Literary Theories and “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

Literary Theory	Example from the Poem	Explanation
Feminist Criticism	“A wolf dressed in frills, a kind of transvestite.”	Examines gender roles and how the wolf deceives by adopting a traditionally feminine disguise, reinforcing themes of manipulation and patriarchal control.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	“And I. I too. / Quite collected at cocktail parties, / meanwhile in my head / I’m undergoing open-heart surgery.”	Analyzes internal conflict and hidden psychological distress, reflecting themes of repression and the unconscious mind.
Marxist Criticism	“Her life savings are under the mattress / covered with rust stains and counting.”	Highlights economic vulnerability and exploitation, as seen in the scam that targets an old woman’s financial insecurity.
Postmodernism	“Where’s the aspirin? The penicillin? / Where’s the fruit juice?”	Challenges traditional fairy tale logic with modern skepticism, subverting classical narratives and questioning societal norms.

Critical Questions about “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

• How does Sexton use deception as a central theme in the poem?
• Deception is a dominant theme in Anne Sexton’s “Little Red Riding Hood,” extending beyond the fairy tale’s traditional trickery to explore the pervasive nature of deceit in everyday life. The poem opens with vignettes of deception in modern society, such as a seemingly respectable suburban matron leading a double life and two women conning an elderly woman out of her savings: “Many are the deceivers: The suburban matron, proper in the supermarket, / list in hand so she won’t suddenly fly.” These stories parallel the deception at the heart of the fairy tale, where the wolf disguises himself to trick both Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. Sexton deepens the theme by suggesting that not all knives are used for physical violence: “Not all knives are for / stabbing the exposed belly.” This statement implies that deception itself can be a weapon, one that wounds psychologically rather than physically. The wolf’s ability to disguise himself as the grandmother (“A wolf dressed in frills, a kind of transvestite.”) highlights societal concerns about identity and manipulation. Through these layered examples, Sexton expands the traditional moral of the story to critique the deceptive nature of human interactions in various forms.
• How does Sexton modernize and subvert the classic fairy tale?
• Sexton’s retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” moves beyond a simple cautionary tale into a satirical and psychological exploration of power and deception. She inserts modern skepticism by questioning the logic of fairy tale conventions: “Wine and cake? Where’s the aspirin? The penicillin? Where’s the fruit juice?” This humorous interjection mocks the outdated remedies given to the sick grandmother and forces the reader to reconsider how fairy tales often ignore practical realities. Similarly, the huntsman, traditionally the hero, is depicted in a way that challenges conventional ideas of salvation. Instead of swiftly executing the wolf, he considers his actions, turning the scene into a bizarre and grotesque surgical procedure: “So he took a knife and began cutting open / the sleeping wolf, a kind of caesarian section.” The choice to describe the wolf’s disembowelment as a birth-like event (“Red Riding Hood out like a poppy, quite alive from the kingdom of the belly.”) adds an unsettling dimension, blending violence with renewal. By blending dark humor, realism, and irony, Sexton transforms the fairy tale into a postmodern reflection on power, deception, and the absurdities of traditional narratives.
• What role does violence play in the poem, and how is it portrayed differently than in the traditional fairy tale?
• Violence in Sexton’s “”Little Red Riding Hood” is not just a tool for punishment but an intrinsic part of the world she creates, occurring in both grotesque and absurd ways. The fairy tale traditionally depicts the wolf’s devouring of Red Riding Hood and her grandmother as a moment of horror, followed by a clean-cut resolution where the huntsman heroically saves them. However, Sexton makes the violence disturbingly graphic, describing the wolf’s consumption as “Now he was fat. He appeared to be in his ninth month / and Red Riding Hood and her grandmother rode like two Jonahs up and down with his every breath.” The grotesque imagery of the wolf appearing pregnant with his victims adds to the unsettling nature of the violence. Furthermore, the wolf’s punishment is exaggerated in a way that highlights the absurdity of fairy tale justice: “They filled his belly with large stones and sewed him up. / He was as heavy as a cemetery and when he woke up and tried to run off / he fell over dead.” The wolf is not just killed; he is weighed down by the consequences of his greed, quite literally destroyed by his own excess. This exaggerated and surreal depiction forces the reader to question whether justice in fairy tales is ever truly moral or if it is just another form of storytelling convenience.
• What is the significance of Sexton’s use of confessional poetry in this retelling?
• As a poet associated with the Confessional movement, Sexton often intertwined personal emotions with classical narratives, and “Little Red Riding Hood” is no exception. Unlike the traditional fairy tale, which maintains a sense of detachment, Sexton inserts herself into the narrative, breaking the fourth wall with personal asides: “And I. I too. / Quite collected at cocktail parties, / meanwhile in my head / I’m undergoing open-heart surgery.” This abrupt shift from the fairy tale to a deeply personal confession disrupts the reader’s expectations, blending autobiography with storytelling. Sexton suggests that the theme of deception is not just external—it is internal, as people mask their true emotions even in social settings. By merging personal reflection with the fairy tale, Sexton draws a parallel between Red Riding Hood’s naive trust and the poet’s own struggles with psychological vulnerability. The inclusion of confessional elements forces readers to reconsider the fairy tale not as a distant moral fable, but as a deeply human experience, where fear, deception, and survival are personal battles we all face.

Literary Works Similar to “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

1. “Gretel in Darkness” by Louise Glück – Like Sexton’s poem, this piece reimagines a fairy tale (Hansel and Gretel) from a psychological and feminist perspective, emphasizing trauma and survival.
2. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” by Anne Sexton – Another poem from Transformations, this work similarly deconstructs a classic fairy tale, exposing its dark undertones and critiquing traditional gender roles.
3. “The Witch’s Life” by Anne Sexton – This poem also explores themes of power, deception, and female identity, drawing connections between fairy tale archetypes and real-life struggles.
4. “Cinderella” by Sylvia Plath – Like Sexton, Plath reinterprets a well-known fairy tale through an ironic and unsettling lens, critiquing the illusion of happily-ever-after endings.
5. “The Brothers Grimm” by Lisel Mueller – This poem reflects on the darker themes underlying fairy tales, much like Sexton’s work, using vivid imagery to challenge idealized childhood narratives.

Representative Quotations of “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Many are the deceivers…”	The poem begins by highlighting deception in everyday life, from suburban matrons to scam artists, suggesting that appearances can be misleading.	Postmodernism – Challenges the notion of a singular, stable truth by exposing the artificiality of societal roles.
“Not all knives are for stabbing the exposed belly.”	The poem contrasts literal violence with metaphorical deception, implying that harm can be inflicted through manipulation rather than physical force.	Deconstruction – Questions traditional binary oppositions (violence vs. non-violence, honesty vs. deception).
“The standup comic… slits his wrist the next morning.”	The poem presents the tragic irony of performers who bring joy to others but suffer internally, leading to self-destruction.	Psychoanalysis – Explores the split between public personas and private despair, aligning with Freudian concepts of repression and the death drive.
“And I. I too. Quite collected at cocktail parties, meanwhile in my head I’m undergoing open-heart surgery.”	The speaker reveals her own struggle with internal pain masked by outward composure.	Confessional Poetry – A hallmark of Sexton’s style, revealing personal trauma and existential angst.
“Long ago there was a strange deception: a wolf dressed in frills, a kind of transvestite.”	Sexton’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood casts the wolf as a transgressor of gender norms, emphasizing the theme of disguise.	Queer Theory – Highlights gender fluidity and challenges heteronormative interpretations of fairy tales.
“Good day, Mr. Wolf, she said, thinking him no more dangerous than a streetcar or a panhandler.”	Red Riding Hood’s naïve perception of the wolf critiques societal conditioning that downplays danger in familiar settings.	Feminist Criticism – Examines the socialization of women to be polite and trusting, even in dangerous situations.
“A deceptive fellow.”	A succinct description of the wolf, reinforcing the theme of deception woven throughout the poem.	Structuralism – Identifies the wolf as a recurring archetype of the trickster across folklore.
“So he took a knife and began cutting open the sleeping wolf, a kind of caesarian section.”	The huntsman’s act of slicing open the wolf to retrieve the swallowed women is compared to childbirth, adding an unsettling layer of imagery.	Feminist Psychoanalysis – Aligns with Kristeva’s concept of the abject, where birth and death merge in grotesque ways.
“He was as heavy as a cemetery and when he woke up and tried to run off he fell over dead.”	The wolf’s death by his own weight symbolizes how deception and excess lead to downfall.	Moral Criticism – Reinforces the idea that deception ultimately collapses under its own weight.
“Those two remembering nothing naked and brutal from that little death, that little birth, from their going down and their lifting up.”	The survivors do not fully acknowledge the violence and transformation they have endured, suggesting a cycle of forgetfulness.	Existentialism – Implies that individuals avoid confronting the absurdity and brutality of life.

Suggested Readings: “Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton

1. Sexton, Anne. “Red Riding Hood (1971).” The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. Routledge, 2017. 241-245.
2. OSTRIKER, ALICIA. “That Story: Anne Sexton And Her Transformations.” The American Poetry Review, vol. 11, no. 4, 1982, pp. 11–16. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27776967. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
3. Bernheimer, Kate. “This Rapturous Form.” Marvels & Tales, vol. 20, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41388776. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
4. Haase, Donald. “Feminist Fairy-Tale Scholarship: A Critical Survey and Bibliography.” Marvels & Tales, vol. 14, no. 1, 2000, pp. 15–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41380741. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.