“Little Red Riding Hood” by Anne Sexton: A Critical Analysis

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.