From Little Red Riding Hood to Hard Candy: A Grey Area in a Black and White World Angela Gao 12th Grade

In the movie Hard Candy, the director transfigured and subverted the three conventions of the Grimm's version of The Little Red Riding Hood to critique both the social issue of sexism and pedophelia. The subversion of Little Red Riding Hood as the dominant figure, who represents both the victims of child-predators and executor of justice, criticizes the inefficiency of the current justice system as well as the stereotype of vulnerable girls. Additionally, the subversion of the wolf character as the defenseless villain who has a certain degree of moral standards also reveals that when people let loose of their id, a supposedly good person can be transformed into a monster. In essence, these subversions connote that the world is not black and white; the current society’s perception is too narrow that it often categorizes people as “either or”, when in reality, grey areas exist.

Throughout the movie Hard Candy, the main character Hayley transitions between the role of Little Red Riding Hood and the Woodcutter. This subversion of Hayley embodying the qualities of both victim and savior critiques the stereotype of girls being gullible and vulnerable. For instance, when Hayley first appears in the movie, her image was a young girl...