23 Student Writing Sample: Multimodal Rhetorical Analysis
Eva Lafontan
ENG 1013
Dr. Mendez
December 6, 2024
Hello, Little Girl
“Hello, Little Girl”, is a song used in a part of the musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim, which offers a reinterpretation of the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, mixing humor and unease to criticize predatory behavior. Unlike traditional versions, such as the one of Charles Perrault, where the tale ends tragically to emphasize the moral, or that of the Brothers Grimm, who adds a saving ending with the intervention of a hunter, Sondheim complicates the story by humanizing the Wolf while keeping his role as a predator. In this scene, the wolf uses charm and persuasion for Red Riding Hood to get out of her way. With its clever lyrics and music that matches its words, the song engages the audience. This scene is designed with a dual audience: for children, it remains a warning against the dangers of life, Little Red Riding Hood is presented as innocent and naive, which shows the children the idea of caution when dealing with strangers. however, this scene contains more mature ideas, which will appeal more to adults and parents. The lyrics and tone of the Wolf’s song contain temptation and danger.
The song “Hello, Little Girl” uses a mix of lyrical manipulation, musical tension and over-the-top performance to critique predatory behavior and explore the relationship between innocence and danger. By combining humor and discomfort, the text overturns the codes of traditional fairy tales to deliver a moral message that entertains and destabilizes its audience. In Stephen Sondheim’s song “Hello, Little Girl,” the Wolf uses persuasion strategies based on ethos, logos, and pathos to manipulate Little Red Riding Hood. These techniques show his predatory nature while adding emotion that will serve to captivate the audience.
The Wolf begins by establishing false credibility (ethos), presenting himself as benevolent. For example, when he says, “Hello, little girl, what’s your rush?”, he adopts a friendly tone to appear kind and harmless to the little girl. This behavior is intended to reassure the little girl and make her believe that she can trust him. Then, he adds, “You’re missing all the flowers,” pretending to be worried about her and emphasizing the incredible experience she could miss by following her initial path. This reinforces the idea that he cares for her, however, we understand that his intentions are contrary. Finally, he uses seductive words, such as in “Think of those crisp, crunchy woods,” to present himself as someone who understands the beauty of nature. Through this strategy, he seeks to convince Little Red Riding Hood that he is reliable and trustworthy, reinforcing his credibility in order to better manipulate her. The Wolf continues with a flawed reasoning (logos) to convince Little Red Riding Hood to deviate from his path. For example, he states: “The sun won’t set for hours”, using a logical argument that seems totally coherent to make her believe that she has all the time she needs to explore this forest and that she will have time to find her way back later. This sentence encourages her to abandon her initial goal: not to deviate from her path and go to her grandmother’s. Then, he explains: “There’s no possible way to see all the flowers if you keep going so fast”, implying that walking so fast prevents her from fully enjoying her surroundings. By presenting this idea as logical, he makes her believe that slowing down would only allow her to admire the landscape without causing her any problems since she has time in front of her and she is safe with the wolf. Finally, he concludes with: “You’re missing so much by rushing,” reinforcing the idea that she should stop and enjoy more. These arguments seem logical, but their real purpose is to distract the girl so that he can manipulate her. Finally, the Wolf plays on emotions (pathos) to arouse Little Red Riding Hood’s curiosity and amusement, and by provoking concern in the audience. For example, when he says, “What a delectable, sweet little thing,” his words flatter the little girl while letting the audience perceive his predatory intentions. This creates unease in the viewer, who understands the threat. Furthermore, he adds, “And when you’re older, bigger, stronger…” This phrase reinforces the audience’s empathy for her while emphasizing the danger. Finally, when he says, “Isn’t it nice to know a lot? And a little bit…not,” he plays with the contrast between innocence and experience, arousing Little Red Riding Hood’s curiosity while adding drama for the audience. Thus, through ethos, logos and pathos, the Wolf constructs a credible personality, to seduce and trap Little Red Riding Hood.
In this song, the melody varies between light and dark tones, creating an atmosphere that is both seductive and threatening. These variations reflect the dual behavior of the Wolf’s character, of deceptive charm and the danger he represents. Tempo plays an important role in this dual personality. For example, in the 2014 film adaptation, the song was rearranged with a more jazzy style, accentuating the seductive and manipulative character of the Wolf.
According to a study, the tempo of a piece of music directly influences the audience’s attention and emotion. “Tempo helps form the overall mood of a piece of music,” explains an article in Frontiers in Psychology. Fast music evokes positive emotions such as joy, while slower music evokes negative emotions such as sadness (Gagnon and Peretz, 2003). In the context of the song, the tempo variations allow to manipulate the emotions of the audience, like the wolf manipulates the young girl. The fast and rhythmic passages represent the wolf trying to charm Little Red Riding Hood but also the audience! Conversely, the slower and darker moments bring unease, embodying the threat that the wolf represents. These melodic contrasts influence the audience’s reactions. As the study points out: “Fast-tempo music evokes positively valenced emotions, while slower music triggers negative emotions” (Frontiers in Psychology). This alternation of tempos draws the audience’s attention, with different emotional responses. It manipulates the mood and expectations of the audience as the wolf does with the little girl.
For the visual aspect of this scene, lighting and color play a very important role in setting the mood for the audience. Before the song begins, Little Red Riding Hood is walking through a sunny forest, surrounded by warm and comforting colors. However, as the first notes of the music begin, she enters a dark and sacry part of the forest. This change marks the entrance of the Wolf, marking the contrast between the girl’s innocence and the danger that the wolf represents. As the music progresses and the Wolf seduces the girl, the forest lights up, showing the hold that the wolf has over her throughout the scene. This play of lighting is essential in transmitting emotions to the audience. As an article from C&I Studios explains: “The choices made here can significantly affect the audience’s perception of a scene. For example, warm lighting can make a scene feel intimate and comfortable, while a cooler color temperature can create a sense of detachment or alienation” (The Role of Cinematography in Color Manipulation). In this scene, dark colors symbolize threat and distrust, for example. We also notice that the image where Little Red Riding Hood enters the dark forest takes the shape of an eye. which can be interpreted as the domination of the Wolf, who observes the little girl from the forest, waiting for the moment to act.
In this scene, the actors’ behavior is also very important. The Wolf uses slow and precise gestures, perfectly embodying his role as a manipulative predator. His seductive body language reinforces his intention to trap Little Red Riding Hood. In contrast, the little girl plays the role of an innocent and uses hesitant gestures and clumsy body language, showing her naivety in the face of danger. As Backstage explains: “The relationship between the performer and the audience is a dynamic communication. The actors connect with the audience through their interpretation, including their tone of voice, body language and facial expressions” (Performer-Audience Relationship). This connection allows the audience to feel the emotions of the scene, while remaining immersed in the story.
In conclusion, the analysis of the song “Hello, Little Girl” in Into the Woods shows the association of three main elements to captivate the audience. The light and colors create a dramatic tension, going from innocence to a dark and threatening atmosphere, marking the seduction and the danger. The music supports this duality, alternating between joyful and disturbing tones to emphasize the link between innocence and threat. Finally, the acting, with the calculated gestures of the Wolf and the innocent hesitation of Little Red Riding Hood, transmits a lot of emotion to the audience.
As a spectator, this scene made me think about how classic tales are not only made to entertain but also to convey messages, such as the power of seduction and the danger of predators. It also allowed me to perceive how all the elements of a film are linked to each other and each play a very important role in capturing the attention of the audience.
Works cited
C&I Studios. “The Psychology of Colors in Film: Influencing Mood and Perception.”
Gagnon, L., and Peretz, I. “Mode and Tempo Relative Contributions to Emotional Judgments in Music.” Frontiers in Psychology.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9713244/
Backstage. “Performer-Audience Relationship: How Performers Connect with the Audience.” https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/performer-audience-relationship-76151/
Sondheim, Stephen. “Into the Woods”. Directed by Rob Marshall, performances by Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford. Walt Disney Pictures, 2014.
