Language and Gender in the Fairy Tale Tradition

Much research has been done on the social messages conveyed to children reading or listening to fairy tales. In this study, the emphasis shifts from content to linguistic expression. The language and linguistic organization of a dozen versions, old and new, of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story are analysed using a variety of theoretical approaches, including critical discourse analysis, conversational analysis, functional grammar and critical stylistics, to uncover the contribution of fairy tales to the discourse of gender relations over time.