Much research has been done on the social messages conveyed to children reading or listening to fairy tales. In this highly original 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 their contribution to the discourse of gender relations over time.Language and Gender in the Fairy Tale Tradition is the first attempt to investigate gender difference and gender roles through a comparison of the linguistic texture of a well-known fairy tale, 'Little Red Riding Hood', across centuries. In addition to the classical versions by Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, it discusses works by contemporary writers who have contributed re-tellings which all bring the male-dominated arrangement of the traditional tale into question. This book is for all those who are interested in understanding the interrelationship between ideology and the language in and by which a text is formulated.