LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE TRANSITION FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADOLESCENCE: SYMBOLS OF DESIRE, DANGER, AND SEXUALITY

Abstract

The fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most widespread narratives in the Western tradition, spanning centuries and cultures through different versions and interpretations. Far from being merely a children's story about obedience and disobedience, the narrative reveals complex psychological meanings related to human development. From a psychoanalytic perspective, the protagonist’s journey symbolizes the transition from childhood to adolescence, a period marked by the awakening of desire, the discovery of sexuality, the expansion of autonomy, and encounters with both external and internal dangers. Authors such as Bettelheim (2018), Corso and Corso (2006), Von Franz (2005), Darnton (2006), and Zipes (2012) emphasize that fairy tales function as symbolic instruments of psychic elaboration, allowing conflicts associated with growth and maturation to be represented metaphorically. This article analyzes Little Red Riding Hood as a narrative of the passage into adolescence, discussing the symbolic meanings of the girl, the forest, the wolf, the grandmother, and the path traveled by the protagonist. It is concluded that the story represents a journey of psychological transformation in which danger, desire, and sexuality constitute fundamental elements of human maturation.