Friday, February 08, 2013

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge

vendredi 8 fevrier Le Petit Chaperon Rouge
 
Trying to spell all those petites in yesterday's post on Joie de Vivre reminded me I'm overdue for a le petit chaperon post at PB I seem to do one at least annually. French little girls get into their red ridding hood outfits from the getgo starting in the pousette.
 
And they never lose their attachment even when they are all grown up and gorgeous.
Of course RRH training continues in grade school at the creche.
 
I saw so many red riding hoods all over town in Paris of all ages.
 
At the annual sales/soldes there were aplenty.
Come rain or come shine (mostly rain) out comes the red coats.
 
Queen Bee of France, Ines de la Fressange has her own shortie version of the RRH look.
And what pray tell do all these French red ridding hoods eat? Gateaux rouge of course.
You might think this Red Riding Hood thing is a figment of my imagination, but you'd be wrong. This is a cultural phenomenon believe me, I kid you not. Wonderful N2 jewelry (with a stand in Galeries Lafayette and else in Paris has a whole series of RRHs plus wolves. With the 50% sales going on I fell victim. (see above) Gawd only knows if I'll ever wear the brooch I bought but it is adorable no?
 
Of course there is a French RRH DOG OF THE DAY.
Lastly I got thinking what would fairy tale expert Bruno Bettelheim have to say about all this.I found an eyeful of the net. Here's a taste to sink your teeth into over the weekend while Nemo rages: Bruno Bettelheim, in The Uses of Enchantment, examines the story of Red Riding Hood's trip as culminating with her loss of virginity...A Charming, "innocent" young girl swallowed by a wolf is an image which impresses itself The threat of being devoured is the central theme of "Little Red Riding Hood," as it is of "Hansel and Gretel." The same basic psychological constellations which recur in every person's development can lead to the most diverse human fates and personalities, depending on what the individual's other experiences are and how he interprets them to himself. Similarly, a limited number of basic themes depict in fairy stories quite different aspects of the human experience; all depends on how such a motif is elaborated and in what context events happen. "Hansel and Gretel" deals with the difficulties and anxieties of the child who is forced to give up his dependent attachment to the mother and free himself of his oral fixation. "Little Red Cap" takes up some crucial problems the school-age girl has to solve if oedipal attachments linger on in the unconscious, which may drive her to expose herself dangerously to the possibility of seduction.
Who knew? Bonne Week-end!

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:35 AM

    Gee, and I thought it was just about a nasty wolf!!! Live and learn :-) I absolutely love the last photo. That dear lady is sort of wolf-like in her furry jacket with "Little Red Riding Yorkie" on the lead.

    Enjoy the snow! (I think you're home now?)
    Nanina

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    1. PB readers are the best!
      Love yr vision of the last photo!
      I am in NYC just foe a bit...visas etc. then right back HOME to Parts.

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    2. Anonymous11:45 AM

      Roal Dahl has a wonderful RRH poem. http://allpoetry.com/poem/8503195-Little_Red_Riding_Hood_and_the_Wolf-by-Roald_Dahl

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    3. Thanks for the Dahl poem link Memem
      Interesting misinformation there since in fact it is Little Red who tells the Wolfe how to get to Grammies...
      Hmmm...

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  2. Anonymous11:43 AM

    I love the REDS! Beautiful.I consider it RED season from early Christmas until Valentine's Day. Good luck in the storm. My Son is in NYC and I sure worry. Stay warm and keep the great pics coming! Also the wonderful at book ideas in your side bar are perfect!!! (helps to pass the winter blahs ...)merci~

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  3. Yes, that's another reason why dogs are so much fun. You can buy little red capes for them. Way too cute.

    I didn't know that Red Riding Hood was such a deep meme in French girlhood. Very interesting.

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  4. Oh so sweet! The little doggie surely counts his blessings, seeing as his owner did not find any pink outfit for him. ;-)

    I am sure glad I heard and love all those Grimm fairytales without having the intellectual whereabouts to fully comprehend the meaning of it all. Heck, I still don't have it. ;-)

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  5. That Ines, She could be Little Color Anything & she'd look gorgeous! That 1st Baby wrapper is so cute...and your pin.. As far as Bettelheim, I remember how fascinated I was when I 1st read those ideas...There's something there about considering psychology of stories, but oh my, doesn't he just go way off the deep end? in my opinion...(did he write in the Freudian or post Freudian age?) PS Carmine, A Little More Red by Melissa Sweet: I love this book!!

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  6. I'll go back and read the post after I scream :"ILOVETHATCHAPERONROUGEPIN."! C'est trop mignon:)


    Ok I have recovered..:)You must feel childlike and happy wearing it..and red is so good on you..the red lipstick etc:)

    Oh I still have photos of my daughter playing Red Riding Hood in a little house Jacques built for them.out back...somewhere in my archives..
    I grew up with le Petit Chaperon Rouge:)I was scared to death of the big bad wolf.

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    1. Whoops I have yet to wear it but who could resist at a mere 14€
      I was happy as a clam :))

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  7. PS..love seeing the color swatches on your aquarelle too:) The movement is all there in all 3 kidlets.My friend has a 5 yr old grandaughter that is exquisitely those kiddies.

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    1. Oh you have such a good eye M! Thank you for noticing!

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  8. What a post! I love how you do this, bringing together images and thoughts from so many different places, until it's so obvious I'm surprised that I hadn't noticed it befor. I'll be disappointed if I don't get to see some little RRH girls or dogs on the next trip- although it will be summer, which will make it more difficult I suspect.

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    1. Anonymous2:25 AM

      Do let me know when you are coming and ill make there are RRHs sprinkled about Louise
      Xcarolg

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  9. I was looking for the pin.. its there in plain sight but your work is so good it blended in. :) You don't have to wear the pin..maybe put a collection of them on a ribbon to hang in your room as a memory keeper. I've done that. I adore that photo of the little girl in red turning looking back. She is really curious in what you are doing. Maybe filing it away for when she grows up. :)

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  10. Carol, this was such a fun post. I love your words and your pictures (painting and photographic) and the way that you gracefully bring them all together.

    Little Red Riding Hood. I am beginning to wonder just how many times I might have had that fairy tale read to me, and if I ever read it myself. Isn't it odd how as adults we do revisit some childhood moments, via adult critiques, etc., and begin to wonder about some of our childhood memories. Without the adult reprise, I wonder if it would all fade into some deep, even forgotten, memories?

    Meanwhile...Paris seems to do rouge tres bien.

    xo

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    1. Anonymous2:17 AM

      Thank you Frances for yr very kind words
      Childhood memories may be much stronger for me than adult ones...in fact I'm sure of it!
      Cheers Carolg

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  11. Haaaa--I was Little Red Ridinghood in our kindergarten play as a kid. My mom made me my outfit. Brings back lots of memories...sweet, Carol--love your sketches on that ongoing calendar!

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  12. Love all the red! I always feel better when I wear red, especially in the gray days of winter. Can't wait to see the pin in person. Hurry back.

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  13. Anonymous3:00 AM

    Re your latest entry: You should know, Bruno Bettleheim has been largely discredited.

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