The Bloody Chamber Research Essay

Angela Carter and Gender Norms in "The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories"

Angela Carter uses an extended human framework to portray the roles played by male and female characters in her collection of short stories, The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, and how those roles relate to gender norms. In the tales, male and female characters adopt various roles and ways of acting, based on the situation, such as being cruel, kind, loving, possessive, victimized, and bold in their choices. Carter develops a series of narratives within her stories based on the human structure. These stories center on different gender-normative identities and roles as well as the social construction of gender identities and expectations. At the same time, Carter deploys various themes such as violence, love, relationships, marriage, objection by women, and virginity to express her ideas on gender norms. Essentially, Carter does not seem to either challenge or reinscribe gender roles oppressive gender norms in her stories. Rather, she emphasizes on bringing out various gender identities and stereotypes constructed by the society through norms associated with men and women. By focusing on 'The Bloody Chamber,' 'The Tiger’s Bride,' and 'The Snow Child,' this essay aims at analyzing Carter’s view on reinscribing and challenging oppressive gender norms in society using her work and assertions.

The Bloody Chamber

This story revolves around gender and sexual identities as well as gender roles and stereotypes attached to the characters. In the story, the narrator appears to be inferior as compared to the Marquis. In the first place, she appears excited as she prepares to enter into her marriage. However, she does not feel contented by how her humble and poor background compels her to get married for financial security. As she discusses the experiences of the narrator, Carter depicts her as a wife and a domestic caretaker of her husband’s house and property. "And he displayed the ring of keys I'd dropped outside my husband's office door, the ring from which one key was missing. I took them from him, looked around for a place to stow them, fixed on the piano stool as if to hide them would protect me" (Carter 19). As her husband goes to work, the narrator remains in the house to take care of everything in her husband’s absence (Benson 26). Carter also shows how the narrator appears inferior even though she is the only woman for her husband. By using the symbol of the mirror in the bridal chamber, Carter shows how one woman does not feel enough for the narrator’s husband. As the narrator looks at the mirrors, she feels that her husband was undressing his twelve young women (Carter 23). All through the story, the narrator seems to question her actions towards her husband and her life. In her thoughts, she does not feel sufficient for her husband who objectifies her as a sexual object. After discovering about the 'bloody chamber' where the Marquis kills and stores his wives’ corpses, the narrator seems to have unlocked the secret to her death (Polášková). As the Marquis asks for the key from her, he tells her that the key will bring in more fiancées for the same fate. "'It will serve me for a dozen more fiancées,' he said." (Carter 24). Thus, this shows how the narrator’s husband assumes the superior masculine role by taking the lives of some women.

On the other hand, Carter also outlines a situation where gender roles take a different toll. Jean-Yves presents an epitome of masculinity associated with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and care. His actions are opposed to the Marquis who depicts cruelty, superiority, deviance, and extremism through his treatment towards his wives. Jean-Yves shows his love for the narrator through his will to die or do anything to keep her happy and comfortable. Through his presence, the narrator can feel real love and commission. "My lover kissed me, he took my hand. He would come with me if I would lead him." (Carter 24). At the end of the story, the Marquis demands that the narrator should take the key to him in a place where he designated to take her life. Although Jean-Yves is unable to save her, the narrator’s mother comes confidently and kills the Marquis to save her daughter (Brooke 71). Therefore, in the story, Carter does not seem to portray her challenge or support for the oppressive gender norms. Instead, she aims at showcasing how different individuals break or maintain the constructed gender norms to rescue or sustain themselves in certain situations in life.

The Tiger’s Bride

The story also revolves around the life of a female narrator. It also revolves around the theme in the objectification of women through outlining how her father gambled with her and eventually lost her to the Beast at the cards. In the first place, through involving her daughter in his gambling activities, the narrator’s father seems to have mistaken her for a 'possession' in the family. The story also depicts her as an object which can be used, sold, possessed, and even used to confirm transactions. Many individuals in the society outlined in the storyline view women as objects and as animals which are known to be soulless (Carter 63). Her beauty is an advantage to use in the gambling transactions and to provide pleasure to her owner. Through her depiction of the narrator, Carter showcases the society and its view of women (Polášková). Women forcefully take maid chores and other domestic chores. At the same time, women assume the roles that should guarantee men a simple life such as ensuring that their clothes are clean and in good condition and also keeping them happy through their sexual abilities (Benson 37). Furthermore, through taking women as possessions, the society limits their potential by linking their abilities with the support of men. When the narrator’s father decides to put her in the gamble at cards, the Beast happily takes her, and its valet addresses her as an object (treasure). "My master says: If you are so careless of your treasures, you should expect them to be taken from you'" (Carter 35). Also, after losing her daughter, the narrator’s father cries out calling referring to her as a 'pearl.' "I have lost my pearl, my pearl beyond price" (Carter 35). This objectification limits the women’s ability through associating them with men in all their lives. It shows that the society does not expect women to be able to act or even to think for themselves. Furthermore, the symbols indicate that women do not know their worth as men do.

On the other hand, Carter highlights a couple of events showcasing the ability of the female members of the society and a contrary approach to the male-dominated gender norms. In the search for the narrator’s love and compassion, the Beast persuades her for a long time to stay at his home. At the same time, the Beast does not find it hard to unmask and reveal its natural look to the narrator unlike the other members of the society. With the mask off, the narrator’s fear of the beast seems to have significantly reduced. Thus, this comes out as a symbol of confidence after exploration (Brooke 80). The mask seemed to be less beastly compared to the Beast himself. With the masking cover, the narrator feared to stay with the Beast unlike when he revealed his face to her. Thus, this shows that through a thorough exploration and practice of their full potential, women can overcome the gender norms restricting them in the shadows of men in society. At the same time, through persuasion and unmasking, the Beast showed how the culture had constructed a set of gender norms and roles which do not substantially represent the characters and the ability and the inability of men and women respectively. Without the mask, the Beast did not seem to be unfriendly and dangerous as before.

Similarly, in The Tiger’s Bride, Carter focuses on repressive gender roles and norms, especially those limiting women to their full potential in society. In the same case, Carter aims at challenging and instilling gender norms through her expression of how different genders represent themselves in various situations hampered by both oppressive and partly dominant gender norms. The Beast and the narrator’s father appear to assume male-dominant gender roles in the society in the first place in the story. This situation seems by how the two characters treat women as objects for use in transactions, gambling, and for the provision of pleasure. However, towards the end, both repress to assume minor roles. The narrator’s father seems to regret his decision to gamble with his daughter. Also, the Beast persuades the narrator to stay with him while even accepting to reveal his face by unmasking. On the other hand, the valet and the narrator appear deprived of their freedom and the exercise of their potential in society through being associated with men as objects in life. However, in the end, the power feminine appears by how the narrator makes her father regret losing her and how she compels the Beast to reveal himself and persuade her to stay.

The Snow Child

The story revolves around the life of a Count and Countess who engage in conflict based on the wishes of the Count. As the two ride on horses, the Count wishes to have a girl with certain qualities. Later on their journey, the girl with the desired conditions appears on their way. However, she becomes the center of conflict between the Count and the Countess until the time of her death (Carter 62). In the story, Carter adopts the idea of wishes on a child from the version deployed by the Grimm Brothers. Through this approach, Carter was able to depict the masculine say and power in dictating and controlling the female identity. The appearance of the Snow Child during the journey portrayed the fulfillment of the Count (Carter 62). The Count did not only get a child, as according to his wishes, but he got a child with physical qualities that he desired. Through developing a list of the dreams that he wanted, the Count depicted the desired girl-child as nothing but a sex object. The qualities of the girl that the Count seems to want only paint the child as an object for sex and pleasure. At the same time, these characteristics showcase women as not capable of determining what they should want or how they should look like in society. The Snow Child appears weak and confused. She looks helpless and even unable to control her fate (Benson 46). As a result, the Count takes her and places her on his horse. Carter uses this act to show how women seem to be controlled by men helplessly in society. After the Count found the girl on the roadside, he does not even think about where the girl was coming from or going. Instead, he just took possession of her and seemed to have controlled her entire destiny. Unlike the girl or his wife, the Count appears to be superior (Carter 63). His wife and the girl cannot control his actions. As a way to control her husband, the Countess tried various means to get rid of the girl. In the end, the Count rapes the Snow Child’s corpse after she dies in front of his wife.

The entire story revolves around gender norms and the superiority and inferiority of men and women, respectively. The actions of the Count towards his wife and Snow Child depict him as superior to them. Neither of them appears to question what the Count does even if it is wrong. At the same time, the two female characters seem to accept their destinies as associated with the Count and his desires. Thus, both of them take every decision or wish that he makes without posing any question to him. After the Count develops interest and compassion for the Snow Child, his wife cannot make an independent decision to quit the relationship. Instead, she aims at eliminating the girl so that she can remain with her husband.

Conclusion

Throughout her fairy tales, Carter depicts gender norms in various ways. Primarily, she aims at both challenging and reinscribing the norms through showing how male and female characters thrive or perish in multiple situations. In the stories, Carter is quick to demonstrate cases where both male and female dominance enhances actors to break from the societal oppression instilled by gender norms. However, unlike the stories 'The Bloody Chamber' and 'The Tiger’s Bride,' Carter appears opposed to gender norms in the story 'The Snow Child' through depicting the adverse consequences that result from male domination in society. This story portrays superiority as associated with men while women appear inferior in society. In this story, women take the role of vulnerability and submissiveness while men assume roles of strength and dominance. Nonetheless, Carter’s overall focus seems to take a two-dimensional view of gender norms by placing both male and female characters on both ends regarding gender influences.

Works Cited

Benson, Stephen. "Angela Carter and the Literary Märchen: A Review Essay." Marvels & Tales (1998): 23-51.

Brooke, Patricia. "Lyons and Tigers and Wolves-Oh My! Revisionary Fairy Tales in the Work of Angela Carter." Critical Survey 16.1 (2004): 67-88.

Carter, Angela. The bloody chamber and other stories. Random House, 2012.

Polášková, Klára. "Female Desire in the Works of Angela Carter." (2017).