The Big Bad Wolf

This engraving of the final scene of Little Red Riding Hood is one of Gustave Doré's illustrations for the Tales of Perrault which have left their mark on our memories: in this version, let us remember, the tale ends with the wolf, who has very large teeth, devouring the child. The cohabitation in the sheets of the beast, a little ridiculous in his night cap, and the wide-eyed girl, both frightened and curious as she clutches the blanket, produces a distinctly disturbing effect. Perrault’s explicit allegation of sexual predation in Little Red Riding Hood has been the subject of countless rewrites and variations, for the youngest as well as for an informed public.