...Transformation is a central concern when studying 'The Bloody Chamber' and 'The World's Wife'. How far would you agree with this observation? Transformation is a prominent theme in the 'The Bloody Chamber' and 'The World's Wife', with the transforming beast, the changing of man’s ideal of perfection and finally physical transformation occurring throughout both volumes. These 'transformations' are brought about via the chains of a patriarchal society which are imposed upon the female protagonists which causes them to have to leave their assumed role in society and assume a more independent and masculine role. Both authors use revisionism throughout their tales so as to allow both their feministic values to be expressed and to allow the female narrative voice to be heard and thus emphasise the sense of female empowerment and independence which permeates both volumes. As Sarah Gamble writes, both writers use the fairy tale as a vehicle for the perpetuation of female oppression in culture.[1] Transformation is a traditional theme of the fairy-tale with it being a key aspect of Carter's 'Cat tales.' In 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon', the love of Beauty is a catalyst for the metamorphosis of Mr Lyon which causes a transformation from his strong bestial qualities with his “unkempt” looks and his “rough, hot, stiff stubble” into the stereotype of the gentleman who walks calmly in the garden with his wife. Her enduring love for Mr Lyon develops him from the “leonine apparition” into...
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...Maladjustment is a secondary burden that further reduces quality of life of the blind. Adjustment is often personalized and depends on nature and quality of prevailing psychosocial support and rehabilitation opportunities (Ayinmode, Mosunmola, Akande, and Dupe, 2011). The onset of vision loss can challenge relationships. The change affects not only the person experiencing vision loss, but friends, family and colleagues as well. Communication and understanding are vital. Blindness is clearly an illness that causes the individual to misinterpret information. It is also an illness that deprives the individual at hand from the full and complete truth. Both Carter and Zadie demonstrate loneliness through the blindness of two character. In the The Bloody Chamber Carter demonstrates isolation through Jean-Yves’, the piano tuner’s, blindness. The protagonist suffers from her husband’s horror and trauma carrying it with her all her life through the mark on her forehead. She struggles with the fact that “no paint nor powder, no matter how thick or white, can mask that red mark on my forehead; [she is] glad he cannot see it--not for fear of his revulsion, since [she] know[s] he sees me clearly with his heart but, because it spares [her] shame” (Black, 974). Carter demonstrates the repressed emotional shame that the protagonist suffers from through the mark on her forehead. After the protagonist almost lost her life because she was seeking out true love and happiness she can never be her full self...
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...‘She smiled at herself in the mirror too often these days.’ What do you think is the significance of mirrors in the Bloody Chamber? Mirrors are used in The Bloody Chamber, The Courtship of Mr Lyon and The Tiger’s Bride as a very effective plot device. The way that they are used differs between the three stories but all have a slight magical quality in keeping with the fairy tale theme. Within all three short stories there is an existing theme of metamorphosis. The first mention of mirrors within The Bloody Chamber is within the intimate scene between the Marquis and the heroine of the story. The bed chamber is surrounded by mirrors, amplifying all of the intense emotions of the scene. This is because the mirrors repeat the scene 12 times over ‘a dozen husbands impaled a dozen wives’ the violent and emotive language used makes the reader feel uncomfortable and highlights the connection between sexuality and violence throughout the book. In the use of the mirrors throughout this scene Carter succeeds in heightening the horrific nature of the scene through the addition of more reflected couples to the scene. The mirrors also create a pornographic element to the scene, making it appear as though the Marquis and the girl are being observed by onlookers. In using mirrors throughout this scene some of the Marquis perverse sexual desires are revealed to the readers, helping to foreshadow what is to come later on in the story. As the protagonist has discovered the books that the...
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...It is certainly possible to argue that Angela Carter presents a large number of family relationships in a sinister and distorted manner. Many, though not all, of her stories feature family structures lacking any of the traditional bonds and affections which typically accompany a family. In stories such as the titular Bloody Chamber, The Werewolf and Wolf Alice, Carter presents a wide variety of distorted family relationships. “There was a bloody stump where her right hand should have been, festering already.”- These lines are what reveal Carter’s truly horrific distortion of a family relationship. This is where it is revealed that the grandmother who Red is visiting has attempted to kill her, and the lack of emotional language is what truly reveals this to be true. Not only does Red allow the villagers to “pelt her [grandmother] with stones until she fell down dead” but she also moves into the home of her grandmother and “prospered.” The stark words of the final statement, ending with “prospered” allows a reader to see that there was no love between these two members of the family, as Red is willing to ignore the memory of her grandmother to not only survive in the place where she struggled to survive, but also to live well there. By doing this, Carter not only suggests that it is impossible for generations of women to do well without destroying one another, as society isn’t able to accept the changing perceptions women have of the world, and so younger women learn to exploit...
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...“Although terrifying, many of the stories are also darkly comic.” Consider at least two of the stories from The Bloody Chamber in the light of this comment. * candidates must consider at least two stories here – they may consider more * exploration of the ways in which the stories may be considered terrifying, an aspect of the gothic – likely reference to the numerous instances of horrific violence, sexual depravity, supernatural powers, psychological fear etc * exploration of the ways in which some of the stories may be considered comic – “Puss-in-Boots” is obviously comic – other stories have moments of sardonic humour, often created by surprise or defiance of our expectations * Response to the word “darkly” in the question and its implications of black comedy – laughing at things which are not normally considered funny – expect some personal response here – sense of humour is very individual! * some candidates may discuss Carter’s language – her intermingling of the poetic and literary with the bluntly crude may be seen as a source of dark humour, equally her choice of structure may make her writing darkly comic – her use of juxtaposition – some readers have seen the absurd brevity of “The Snow Child” as comic and it is unquestionably “dark” Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’ certainly embeds an element of terror within the collection. However, despite claims of horror apparent in the Marquis from the very start, it is also reasonable to argue that...
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...In the bloody chamber to what extent is violence attractive? (42 marks) . One could argue that to a certain extent the violent and vulgar Marquis is something that the female narrator to whom is unnamed is portrayed by Carter as being pathetically in love with, and the violent sexual nature that he exudes is something too enticing to let go. Moreover, some critics have said that the relationship between the Marquis and the narrator is much more exciting due to the violence, whereas others have argued the romance between the blind piano tuner and herself is much more endearing and essentially what she is attracted to. Giving its name to the book as well as the first story, "The bloody chamber" is something in which Carter uses as a symbolic purpose to emphasise it being a room where in which violence and pleasure occurs simultaneously. It could be argued that erotic sexual acts and violent desires are inextricably linked and where Carter presents the Marquis as a corrupt individual who turns his wives from pornographic displays into elaborately displayed corpses. One could argue that the act of violence throughout the 'bloody chamber' is solely through sexual intercourse. Something which supposed to be personal and lustful is what Carter portrays as animalistic and almost savage. The loss of virginity is greatly emphasised within the bloody chamber from the narrator herself; the initial language on the train journey "ceaselessly thrusting" " burning cheek" and ecstasy of...
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...“The role of women in the gothic genre is as victims, always subject to male authority.” Compare and contrast the extent to which this interpretation is relevant to your three chosen texts. “The wolf consumes red riding hood – what else can you expect if you talk to strange men, comments Perrault briskly. Let’s not bother our heads with the mysteries of sadomasochistic attraction” Angela Carter; Foreword to Perrault’s Short Stories. In much of today’s feminist writings, the Gothic era is frequently defined as a period in which the oppression of females was at its most intense. In response to fin de siècle anxieties of a social revolution in which gender stereotypes could be overhauled, gothic writers, it is claimed, sought to reassert cultural and gender norms – a reassertion which inevitably resulted in the oppression of women. In view of such contemporary analysis, it is thus all too tempting to offer a sweeping judgement of gothic literature as victimising, oppressive and misogynistic; Dracula’s “victims” are all “unambiguously women[1]”, Poe victimises through an “idealised and dehumanising image of women[2]”, while Carter is a “pseudo feminist” who merely “reinforces patriarchal views” with her “pornographic” writing[3]. Yet such views are largely artificial, and are primarily based on potted summaries of the above works, rather than a closer textual analysis. If one takes the definition of a victim as a being who is subject to the successful predatory actions of...
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...waste too. The heart The heart is a hard working organ that is said to be roughly the same size as your fist. It pumps bloody around the body, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, it also helps remove carbon dioxide and other wastes. It is important the tissue gets a constant supply of nutrients because it keeps it active otherwise they will die. There are four main chambers to the heart, two that are the upper chambers and the other two are the lower ones these are called the atria and the ventricles. The left atrium and the left ventricle make up the left side of the heart and the same goes for the right side, these are separated by a wall of muscle also known as the septum. The heart is covered by a double-walled sac called the pericardium, this protects the heart. There are two pathways in which the blood travels to different organs depending on what pathway it is. The pulmonary circuit the blood leaves the right ventricle of the heart and travels to the lungs, this then returns as oxygenated blood to the left atrium pf the heart, this all happens via the pulmonary vein. The second pathway is the systemic circuit, this leaves the left ventricle to the aorta, this enters the arteries and capillaries, and this supplies the tissue with oxygen. The blood returns via the veins and back into the heart’s right atrium. The arteries carry the bloody away from the heart, these are always oxygenated apart from the pulmonary artery, if any of these arteries were to get...
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...Questions- It is ironic that the beasts are often more humane than the humans. Two stories that will be use: The Erl-King, The Courtship of Mr. Lyon and The Lady of the House of Love. (With some reference to The Bloody Chamber). Introduction- Talk about how beasts are often more human than humans. Give the Courtship of Mr. Lyon for example. Explain briefly but thoroughly. Explain the other opposite points in which emphasized on how humans act like beast in the Erl-King and The Lady of the House of Love. Also include the meaning of beast in the intro and the paragraphs. Also for humane and formal. Paragraph one- Talk about the Courtship of Mr. Lyon in more detail as on how the story show beasts acting more humane than humans. Give examples of him being a gentlemen, opposing to the Marquis in the Bloody Chamber. Talk about the differences that create juxtaposition by Angela to show men’s primal side while human have the human’s side. Paragraph two- Talk about The Erl-King in more detail on how the story show human acting more like beasts, incorporating the agreement to beasts acting like humans. Incorporate ideas of the Erl-King being more of a beast than human by the description of his setting. Incorporate quotes “has grown a pelt of yellow lichen”. The quote represents human being induced with nature that they’re acting like animals instead of human. Paragraph three- Talk about The Lady of the House in more detail as on how the story shows human being more animalistic. The...
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...“The role of women in the gothic genre is as victims, always subject to male authority.” By comparing the presentation of women in your three chosen texts, say how far you would agree with this view.” Women are central to the narrative of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and within Christina Rossetti’s poetry. All three texts were written during significant times in history: Rossetti and Stoker’s works during the infamous reign of Queen Victoria, and Carter’s collection during the year Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of Britain. As a genre, the gothic is often regarded as being dominated by men, with women featuring in the role of victim subject to patriarchy. Many early gothic texts feature women in the role of victim under the authority of predatory men, perhaps most notably in Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto and Matthew Lewis’ The Monk. However, Stoker, Rossetti and Carter all at times break with this convention by characterising some of their females as strong, independent and liberated. As writers, they experiment with the characteristic features of the gothic genre, particularly Carter and Rossetti who challenge the traditional conceptions by presenting many of their female characters in dominant, authoritative roles which break convention. There are occasions in all three texts when the passivity traditionally associated with femininity in the gothic genre can be perceived to be a direct result of oppression...
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...train that bore me through the night, away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother's apartment, into the unguessable country of marriage.” The only doubt the modern character, the seventeen year old has is the total lack of emotions in the Marquis, she consoles herself with the logic that he was recently widowed and so was in mourning. Yet she was observant in her recollections that she likened him to both an animal and a plant. He was plant like because he resembled a lily, and animal like because he appeared as ferocious as a lion. This hints at him being bipolar which is more deadly form of psychosis than being psychotic. The teenager’s recollection of her bridal chamber bore the resemblance of a funeral, an embalming chamber with white lilies surrounding the room. There are various signs that signal at her impending fate. The gift the husband presents is a very telling symbol of his plans, his grandmother’s thick double stranded ruby choker, which she had purchased to celebrate her own escape from the guillotine. The portrait of the martyred Saint Cecelia who was decapitated, is another very telling symbol, of her inevitable fate. Though we know that Carter’s character is recollecting past events and so she has survived the tragedy. The concept of curiosity is another key feature as to how Bluebeard makes the excuse to travel away on business, to give his wife control over the castle and handing her the bundle of keys and then...
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...Angela Carter – ‘The Bloody Chamber’ – ‘The Erl-King’. Sources ‘The Erl-King’ is an adaptation of a European tale which draws heavily on folkloric traditions of the Green Man. The Erl-King is the personification of nature, as traditions embark this in the Green Man, ‘when he combs his hair that is the colour of dead leaves’, emphasising as though he is a tree. Therefore this can be linked to Emily Bronte’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ as it too is associated with nature, in the sense of the wild and desolate moors, representing the wilderness and the isolation of nature. The folkloric traditions of the Green Man perceive him as peaceful as he does no harm, embodying him as the protector of nature, a Celtic symbol of creative fertility of nature. ‘He comes alive from the desires of the woods’ further relate the Erl-king and the Green Man as they’re both considered as a symbol of the woods. The perception of ‘The Erl-King’ as peaceful is represented in his lack of disruption to the forest, as the only wood he would chop was ‘the dead branches’. Angela Carter however emphasis the negatives of what the Green Man represents in ‘The Erl-King’ as being a reincarnation of the devil. This is shown through his desire to entrap young girls through the enchantment of the forest, which he abuses in his favour as the protector of nature. Erl-king is perceived as a serial rapist as the birds in cages represent the young girls he raped before and once they grew to love him he would then turn them into...
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...Conventional Gothic gender roles are challenged by Carter through the tongue in cheek nature of some of the stories in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ most notably, Puss in Boots in which the supposed ‘innocent’ and ‘naïve’ female wants to kill her husband in order for new love. Not only this, Carter also uses the theme of feminism to challenge stereotypical female roles in stories which inadvertently also happens to challenge the roles of women in Gothic literature. Her use of feminism seems to be a result of her upbringing where she was heavily influenced by the first and second wave of feminism that achieved gains in gender equality giving way to more sexual liberation and freedom for women. One of the stories where conventional gothic gender roles are most notably challenged is ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ where the female, the daughter of a man who gambled her away to a beast, is the protagonist of the story and seemingly in charge of her fate, whether it be sexual or in loyalty. This mirrors ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, where Katherina is initially in charge of her fate and her sexual fate before she is “tamed” by Petruchio, the story also juxtaposes ‘The shrew’ as it is her who is tamed, while in ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ the protagonist is the one who tames the beast by choosing him over her own father. The contrast in storylines emphasises how gender roles in general have been severely challenged by Carter, giving the effect of female empowerment especially contrasting the male empowerment in ‘Taming...
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...having a unique ability to reveal truth about a character in every realm. In this tragedy, blood is used to show change in the character Macbeth from a great war hero, an outstanding leader, and a man worthy of respect and honor, to him becoming nothing more than a tyrannical, evil, hollow shell of a human being. This morbid transformation occurs swiftly from beginning to end, and shines a holy, vivid light on the dark and stormy heart of Macbeth each step of the way. Initially, blood is used to represent Macbeth’s deceit and literal back stabbing of the guards of King Duncan, as well as his craving for power and control. The beginning of the end of any goodness in Macbeth occurs, “When we have marked with blood those sleepy two of his own chamber and used their very daggers, that they have done’t” (Mac. I.v.36-38). The conscious choice of Macbeth to kill innocent King Duncan and frame his guards, whom he also murdered in cold blood, is absolutely monstrous in every possible way. It is even further revealed that this monstrous act originates from a craving for power that is deep seeded within Macbeth’s very soul and nature. That idea is exposed in his soliloquy in act two where Macbeth utters the cold words, “I see thee still, and, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, which was not so before” (Mac.II.v.57-59). Arguably, this soliloquy reveals in Macbeth’s heart a major dilemma. He craves blood and power, but at this point still has a sliver of a conscious; yet his guilt will...
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...The disease known as the "red death" devastates and kills several people throughout the country. Nothing has been so hideous, fatal, and bloody. It is so horrid that Prince Prospero creates a new civilization in his Abby to escape the gruesome fate of the dying outside world. A figure appears at the prince's masquerade ball in shrouds, a mask resembling a corpse, and venture dabbed in blood. It is said to be sprinkled in red horror. The Prince attempts to seize the figure by running through all seven of his chambers until he gets too close and dies. This is the red death personified, and it kills all those living inside the abbey. Vivid descriptions of important items are shown. The prince's abbey is detailed as "an extensive and magnificent structure." It has soft, lofty walls with strong gates of iron. Its interior and chambers are described with having great beauty. The chambers each have gothic, stained glass windows that match the room's color of blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, or black. The black chamber, however has scarlet windows with blood tinted panes. It is recounted as so ghastly and extreme that only the brave dare to enter. No candle or light is present in any of the rooms. There is a fire behind the window which projects throughout the entire room. The ebony clock also has an important value...
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