Metaphors of Female Sexuality in Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Little Mermaid” use metaphors and symbolic elements – such as the journey into the woods and the ocean, respectively – to explore themes of sexuality by portraying the consequences of desire.

“Little Red Riding Hood,” originally told by Charles Perrault, is a story about a girl who on her way to visit her grandmother must go through the woods, there she meets a wolf who tricks her into telling him where she is going, just to get there first and eat her. This tale is widely recognized as a warning to young girls about the risks and consequences that come with disobedience, but if we look at it in a more critical way, we can draw the conclusion that its actually about the perils of sexual curiosity and loss of innocence.

Her encounter with the wolf serves as a metaphor of the risks that come with interacting with predatory males, as James Gracey stated in “50 Shades of Red: Sexuality and Loss of Innocence “the tale reinforces the idea that women who deviate from societal expectations will face consequences. Her straying from the path can be interpreted as a metaphor for sexual transgression, with the wolf’s devouring of her as a punishment for her curiosity and disobedience.

In fairy tales, the color red is often used as a metaphor to express danger. desire and sexual awakening. Some examples of this can be seen in the red apple in “Snow White,” which relays to Eve giving into temptation in the bible, the fall of the last rose pedal in “Beauty and The Beast,” and the first drop of blood in “Sleeping Beauty” (McWilliams). In “Little Red Riding Hood” the red hood not only represents menstruation by marking her transition from childhood to womanhood, but it also symbolizes her vulnerability to the predatory wolf; a figure that represents male sexual aggression.

Cristina Bacchilega supports this interpretation by emphasizing how the story reflects patriarchal values towards female sexuality, in her book “Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies” she portrays Little Red Riding Hood as passive and naïve, reinforcing the idea that women must remain pure and chaste to avoid falling victim to male predators (p. 58). Meanwhile, Jack Zipes in his essay “A Second Gaze at Little Red Riding Hood’s Trials and Tribulations” explores how the tales has historically been used to instill fear around sexual awakening by presenting Little Red’s downfall as a direct result of her disobedience.

In contrast with the violence portrayed in “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen explores female sexuality through a different lens. The tale shows the mermaid’s desire to go to the human world to meet her one true love, however, this love requires sacrifice, leading her to lose her voice, and later, her life, in order to fulfill her desires. The voice is a symbol of autonomy, reinforcing the patriarchal expectations that a woman should give up her true self and her autonomy for love.

Seungyeon Lee’s analysis of “The Little Mermaid” draws attention to the metaphors used in the tale as a symbol of the suffering women endure in their search for romantic and sexual fulfillment. The tale suggests that female sexuality and sexual desire are something painful and dangerous, and Anderssen’s writing in which the mermaid turns into seafoam instead of winning her true love, reinforces this theme. The unstainable love the mermaid seeks reflect the cultural belief that women, particularly those who seek independence and sexual autonomy, are destined to miserable and unfulfilled lives.

The tale also highlights voicelessness in sexual relationships, the mermaid’s inability to speak after her transformation emphasizes the suppression of female voices and desires in patriarchal societies. McWilliams expands on this theme by arguing that fairy tales like “The Little Mermaid” make younger girls believe that love and sexual fulfillment require them to be submissive.

Despite the differences in plot and tone, both “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Little Mermaid” act as moral tales that reflect and reinforce patriarchal values and societal views on female sexuality, using nature to explore desire and its consequences. In “Little Red Riding Hood,” the woods serve as a metaphor for the unknown, where innocence meets danger, reflecting the risks of sexual awakening. Similarly, in “The Little Mermaid,” the ocean becomes a symbol of deep desire, leading to personal sacrifice and loss.

These narratives present sexuality as something that should be feared, controlled, and punished. In “Little Red Riding Hood” female desire is presented as an external threat, with Red’s disobedience and curiosity being directly linked to her downfall. The story portrays women as passive victims who must protect their innocence to avoid being consumed by the dangers of sexual temptation. This shows how Perrault’s patriarchal values are very much present throughout the whole tale, basically implying that whatever happens to a woman is her fault for showing signs of autonomy or sexual desires.

In contrast, “The Little Mermaid” presents female desire as an internal struggle. The mermaid’s longing for the prince and her sacrifice displays the complex emotions surrounding female sexuality. Unlike male character in fairy tales who often end up victorious after their quests, the mermaid ends in tragedy, reinforcing the idea that women must be careful with what they wish for, using the mermaid’s death as a demonstration of the consequences of pursuing her desires.

Both stories highlight the limitations placed on female autonomy in patriarchal environments, suggesting that women must conform to avoid punishment. However, feminist scholars and writers have worked to challenge these traditional tales, using fairy tales as a way to explore female sexuality from a more empowering point of view. By analyzing these tales through feminist lenses, we gain deeper understanding of how cultural narratives shape and affect our understanding of gender roles, power, and desire.

The metaphors of female sexuality in “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Little Mermaid” emphasize the significant role of patriarchal value in shaping depictions of women’s sexual identities. Examining these metaphors reveals how fairy tales have long been tools to reinforce societal expectations that regulate and suppress female desire. These stories provide insight into how cultural anxieties about female sexuality have influenced narratives and the messages they communicate about gender and authority.

Works Cited

Andersen, H. C. (Hans Christian), and M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James. “The Little Mermaid.” Illustrated by Josef Paleček, Faber and Faber, 1981.

Bacchilega, Cristina. “Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies,” University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999, pp. 50-70. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ccny-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3441398.

Gracey, James. “50 Shades of Red: Sexuality and Loss of Innocence in Little Red Riding Hood.” Folklore Thursday, 3 Aug. 2017, folklorethursday.com/folktales/50-shades-red-sexuality-loss-innocence-little-red-riding-hood.

Lee, Seungyeon. “The Lightness of the Sexual Being: A Short Reflection on Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid.’” Societies, vol. 8, no. 4, Nov. 2018, p. 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc8040116.

McWilliam, Jess. “Fairy tales and the Fear of Female Sexuality” Medium, 6 Jan. 2022, medium.com/@jess.mcwilliam91/fairy-tales-and-the-fear-of-female-sexuality-f995cfa04470.

Perrault, Charles, and Charles Perrault. Perrault’s Fairy Tales. Translated by A. E. (Alfred Edwin) Johnson, llustrated by Gustave Doré, Dover Publications, 1969.

Zipes, Jack. “A Second Gaze at Little Red Riding Hood’s Trials and Tribulations.” The Lion and the Unicorn, vol. 7, 1983, p. 78-109. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/uni.0.0105.