Themes

Feminism

Angela Carter’s twisted fairy-tale “The Werewolf” contains a strong feminist theme. This theme is explored through the character of the little girl, who detaches herself from the defenseless image that Little Red Riding Hood has in the traditional fairy-tale. While Little Red Riding Hood is defenseless and becomes the victim of the wolf, the little girl in Carter’s story does the opposite. 

She is described as strong (l. 61), unafraid (l. 34), and prepared for the worst: “she must always be on her guard” (ll. 34-35). She also knows how to use a hunting knife and she displays courage when she attacks the wolf herself and cuts off its paw. Unlike the traditional fairy-tale, the little girl is not eaten by the wolf and afterward saved by a hunter. In fact, she proves that she is as skillful as a hunter and that she can easily defend herself. In the end, the girl becomes independent, as she decides to live on her own in her grandmother’s house.

The feminist theme is also explored with the help of the wolf, which might be a symbo...