Perspectives

Literary perspective

The short story “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter has several characteristics that make it a postmodern piece of fiction. The first and most important trait is intertextuality, or the way in which a text’s meaning is shaped and influenced by another text. In this case, “The Werewolf” is clearly influenced by the European fairy-tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. Carter’s story reimagines the fate of Little Red Riding Hood. She is no longer a defenseless victim, but a heroine or, depending on how you choose to look at the story, a villain. Carter’s story becomes, then, a sort of postmodern fable which explores concepts such as feminism, superstitions, and morality in a twisted way. Also, the fact that the short story is a reimagined fairy-tale, but, unlike traditional fairy-tales, it has no clear message, point to a...