When picking apart Perrault’s Little Red Ridding Hood, I mostly feel a sense of pity, rather than sympathy or empathy, surrounding his main character. The LRRH here is just so one dimensional, so paper thin, that her lack of depth makes it easy to blow away any sort of complex emotional connection with her. She is defined by appearance; she is named after clothes she didn’t pick out and her short build (which is very rude), and is “the prettiest you can imagine”. She is the walking stereotype of pretty and stupid, as all of her actions makes me think oh you “poor child” (CFT 16).
The wolf is a little more complex, only because he is defined not by appearance but rather action. He is given the appearance “big” which conveys a dominating figure and tone, but also is rounded out through instinct, haven “eaten nothing in the last three days”, and is clever (though I would argue that he doesn’t need to try that hard) (CFT 17). He could be seen as the main character, as he is certainly has more of a presence than the girl, and perhaps not even as the villain, if you play the wild predator instinct card.
I had yet to consider the justification of the wolf as acting on basic instinct. However, I wonder if this LLRH is one that is much younger than the others since she had no precaution and is later emphasized as exceptionally young. I definitely agree that the wolf is the main character, intended or not, as we read his inner monologue. I think the end notes: Moral, hone in on the fact that young girls are susceptible to wolves, and wonder if this could allude to tame appearing men as the real predators.