A loss of innocence?

Out of all the fairytale imagery that could have been chosen to show to the class, I found it rather ironic that Professor Leeper decided to show the song, "Hello, Little Girl" from Into the Woods. One, because it is one of several numbers that will be performed in the theatre department's show during homecoming; two, because of the song's foreshadowing of a loss of innocence. Now I won't dispute that the song and the whole Red Ridinghood/Wolf thing is a sexual allegory, but that's not all that can be taken away from it.

Later in Into the Woods, both Granny and Red are swallowed by the Wolf, which eventually gets slaughtered and the two are then rescued. Red recognizes that she should have heeded her mother's advice, "...not to delay or be misled." It's hard to blame the mother for giving this advice; what kind of parent would want their child to fall into danger? But Red also realizes that the experience wasn't entirely a loss for her. She knows much more than she did before; although that knowledge came at a price, she is more ready to face the world than she was before.

Forgive me if this sounds preachy, but we all face a similar situation as storytellers. We may encounter subject matter that can stretch us out of our comfort zones. Is this something to be feared? I'll assume that since you're all enrolled in college, none of you wish to remain stagnant in your personal development. A life of growth is a life of challenge. I'm not saying that you should discard your moral compass and give in to any idea that comes your way; just be prepared to engage the unfamiliar. Something good might come out of it.

To quote one of my favorite childhood TV shows, as Ms. Frizzle would say, "Take chances! Make mistakes! And get messy!"