The speaker is correlating the fairy tale to the real world. “Wine and cake” (94) are fun, celebratory items. In real life, a rational person wouldn’t take “wine and cake” (94) to her ill grandmother which is why the poetic speaker questions the food. In this stanza the poetic speaker questions the motives of Red Riding Hood whereas in the previous stanzas Sexton does not question her character’s motives. Sexton is questioning Red Riding Hood as a rational person because if she is not rational then she must be irrational. The poetic speaker is implying that Red Riding Hood is not a clever person or not "all there" because taking "Wine and cake" (94) to your grandmother isn't a rational motive. The “wine and cake” (94) can only be taken to a ill grandmother in a fairy tale even though such food is only reserved for happier situations in the real world.
by Erika
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Comments (1)
Tonya Howe said
at 1:47 pm on Mar 29, 2010
Remember not to use "RRH" in formal prose! I think your point about the motivations and the speaker's questioning of them is fascinating, as is the comparison you're highlighting. What *is* the speaker questioning, though, if not the motivations of the various "deceivers" (1)? The motivations in this poem seem to emerge as either arbitrary or dependent on the stories we tell ourselves/each other--how might a more nuanced sense of motivation help flesh out your reading?
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