Item 3: Building an essay on “Little Red Riding Hood”
Build your essay by choosing from the pre-written statements or by adding your own (see pages 57 to 60).
The essay question
Many folktales have simple but effective narrative structures. Describe the narrative structure of “Little Red Riding Hood” and explain how the structure helps to convey the moral of the story.
Essay planner
Introduction
Restatement: The narrative structure of “Little Red Riding Hood” is ______.
Or “Little Red Riding Hood” uses a ______structure.
The structure conveys the moral that ______.
The simple structure, typical of a ______tale,
– enables a very clear lesson to be taught?
– allows readers to draw a clear lesson from events?
– makes the connection between actions and consequences obvious?
– warns readers of the consequences of silly actions?
Explanation: Little Red Riding Hood moves from ______, representing ______, through the ______where she meets ______and disobeys ______. This introduces ______which is overthrown by the intervention of the ______who restores ______.
Argument: The narrative structure of “Little Red Riding Hood” is simple and effective, because
– there is just enough detail to entertain while teaching a lesson?
– the story is easy to follow and it allows a wide range of readings?
Middle paragraphs
Paragraph 1
Statement: The story of “Little Red Riding Hood” best known to Western readers originated in early Europe ______.
Detail 1: “Little Red Riding Hood” is about ______.
Detail 2: In this version of the story, Little Red Riding Hood is rescued by ______.
Paragraph 2
Statement: The narrative structure moves from order to disorder, and then to a restored order.
Explanation:
Examples:
Paragraph 3
Statement: The elements in the story can be read as representing different values and aspects of society.
Explanation:
Examples:
Paragraph 4
Statement: The story’s moral is made clear by the simplicity of the structure, which hinges on the main character’s actions.
Explanation:
Examples:
Conclusion
Restatement:
Argument:
Quotations
Folktales play “an important role in the social organisation of pre-literate cultures”
(Richmond 12).
“‘Little Red Riding Hood’ is among the most popular and well known of the Early European folktales” (Zipes 34).
Folktales are about “survival, human duplicity, morality, and the fickleness of the natural world” (Richmond 12).
Possible opening paragraphs
In modern society, folktales like “Hansel and Gretel” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” are regarded as children’s entertainments. But for people of earlier times they were much more than this. Fran Richmond argues that folktales played “an important role in the social organisation of pre-literate cultures” (12). They served this purpose by using simple and effective narrative structures to help convey a moral or lesson. This can be seen in “Little Red Riding Hood,” which has …
OR
The world of folktales is a strange and confusing one. It is a world where boys climb giant beanstalks and where children push witches into ovens. Beneath all this confusion, however, lies a surprising simplicity. Many folktales use simple and effective narrative structures to convey clear and simple lessons. This is certainly the case in …
OR
What is it about folktales that fascinates us? Despite having heard the stories many times over, we can always fall under the spell of “Hansel and Gretel” or “Rapunzel” one more time. Part of the lure may be their uncomplicated storytelling techniques. Many folktales have simple but effective narrative structures that concentrate the mind on the moral or lesson they offer. This is certainly the case in …
Published in Australia by Chalkface Press.
© 2001 Chalkface Press, Bronwyn Mellor, Brian Moon.
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ISBN 1 875136 27 4. (book) 1 875136 29 0 (CD ROM).