Task 1 - Definitions-
Leonine- of or resembling a lion or lions.Fugue- a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts. (Music)
-a loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy. (Psychiatry)
Rococo- denoting furniture or architecture characterized by an elaborately ornamental late baroque style of decoration prevalent in 18th-century continental Europe, with asymmetrical patterns involving motifs and scrollwork.
-the rococo style of art, decoration, or architecture.
Minimalist- a person who advocates or practises minimalism
-a person advocating moderate reform in politics.
-relating to minimalism.
-advocating moderate political reform.
Chamber music- instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one player to a part, the most important form being the string quartet
Florid-having a red or flushed complexion.
-excessively intricate or elaborate.
Task 2 - Angela Carter-
- During which years was she alive?-Born: May 7, 1940, Eastbourne-Died: February 16, 1992, London
- Where has she lived?– Eastbourne, evacuated to Yorkshire, South London, Bristol, Tokyo, United States, Asia, Europe,
- How is Carter linked to Jane Eyre?– Wanted to write a sequel, only wrote a synopsis before dying. Also was the author of the Introduction for the Virago Press edition of Jane Eyre.
- What genres has she written in?- Fairy tales-Romance-Gothic-Erotica-Feminism-Thriller
- In a list of 50 great writers since 1945, where did The Times rank Carter?-10th
- Name some of Carter’s influences.
- Surrealism
- Situationist cultural activism of the 1960s
Task 3 - Charles Perrault And Grimm Fairy Tales-
- During what years was Perrault alive?-Born: January 12, 1628, Paris, France-Died: May 16, 1703, Paris, France
- What is Perrault famous for inventing?- Made up new and unique words.
- What was his most famous book called?- Stories or Tales from Times Past, with Morals/ Tales of Mother Goose.
- When and where was this published?- 1697 in Paris
- What did he use as the basis for his tales?- Scholars don’t know if they are original literary fairy tales modified from commonly known stories, or based on stories written by earlier medieval writers such as Boccaccio.
- How many tales did Perrault publish within this book?-8
- When and where were the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales published?-1812, Germany
- How many tales did they publish?-170
- Where did the Brothers Grimm draw their influence from?-Political-Personal-Professional
- During which years was he alive?- Born: April 9, 1821, Paris, France-Died: August 31, 1867, Paris, France
- Where did he live and work?-Paris
- How is he unlike his poetic Romantic predecessors?-‘Scandalous’ sexual information, which was described as an ‘insult to public decency.’
- How is he like the Romantic poets?-Disassociates art from morality.-Judging the aesthetic movement.
- What is his most famous poetry collection called and when was it published?-‘Les Fleurs du mal’ (The flowers of evil/suffering)
- What are the themes of this collection which has been called both ‘putrid’ (by Habas) and ‘unyielding as marble’ (by Flaubert)?- human nature-death- good and evil-boredom-destiny and artistry.
- Find out two more interesting facts about Baudelaire.
- When his father died it gave him a close intimate period with his mother who he felt madly in love with, then was betrayed when she re-married.
- Had an affair with a woman named Jeanne Duval who was his ‘black Venus’ and inspired some of his most beautiful and most despairing poems.
- What books did he write?-The crimes of love-Juliette- The 120 Days of Sodom/the School of Libertinism-Justine
- What were his views on sexual preference?-Sexual abuse-perverse-only on prostitutes- Sadomasochism
Bluebeard is the villain in a European folktale made famous by Charles Perrault in his tale Barbe bleue. According to the story, Bluebeard married several women, one after the other, and murdered each of them. He threw their bodies in a special room inside his castle. He married yet again and gave his new bride the keys to the castle, telling her that she might go anywhere in the castle except for that one room. While Bluebeard was away, however, his young wife's curiosity got the better of her and she opened the door to the forbidden room. There she discovered the remains of Bluebeard's previous wives. When Bluebeard returned, he realized that his wife had found out his secret and told her that she must prepare to die.
The story has several different endings. In one version, the young wife killed Bluebeard with his own sword. In another, her brothers came to her rescue and killed him. The theme of the story of Bluebeard—the penalty for being too curious—appears in the folktales of many countries.
Mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated from Genesis 4 where God declared that Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, be cursed for murdering his brother Abel. A mark was put upon him to warn others that killing Cain would provoke the vengeance of God, that if someone did something to harm Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physical mark, whereas other see the "mark" as a sign, and not as a physical marking on Cain himself.
Mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated from Genesis 4 where God declared that Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, be cursed for murdering his brother Abel. A mark was put upon him to warn others that killing Cain would provoke the vengeance of God, that if someone did something to harm Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physical mark, whereas other see the "mark" as a sign, and not as a physical marking on Cain himself.
Catherine De Medici
Catherine De Medici was an oprhaned child who married a king. Her husband had a mistress for 25 years in which she was sidelined till she had children. When her husband died her children took the throne in which she had to council them. She tried to resolve war by marriage, and when she eventually died she was buried next to her husband.
Catherine De Medici was an oprhaned child who married a king. Her husband had a mistress for 25 years in which she was sidelined till she had children. When her husband died her children took the throne in which she had to council them. She tried to resolve war by marriage, and when she eventually died she was buried next to her husband.
Croesus
Croesus was king of Lydia (Modern day turkey), Croesus was incredibily wealthy and it is saidthat his wealth came from the sands of the River Pactolus. This is the story of where King Midas washed his hands to rid himself of the 'Midas Touch' and from this, everything he laid hands on into gold. Legend says King Midas, made the sands of the river rich with gold. Croesus met a man named Solon, and he was so happy to meet a vistor that he could show his wealth to. He asked Solon is he was the happiest man he had encountered on his travels, Solon's answer was no as Solon believed the happiest person was a man named Tellus who had lived well and happily, had a beautiful family, and had died gloriously for Athens in battle. Croesus was displeased with the replies Solon answered and asked why Solon so easily dismissed Croesus' happiness. Solons answer was "I count no man happy until his death, for no man can know what the gods may have in store for him. He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is in my judgment entitled to bear the name of 'happy."Soon after Solon's departure, tragedy befalls Croesus. His oldest son is killed in a hunting accident, and then Emperor Cyrus invades. Cyrus' army is triumphant, and Croesus' kingdom is ravaged and Croesus himself is captured and ordered to be executed. As Croesus is about to be burned on a pyre, he cries out Solon's name. Cyrus stops the pyre to hear what Croesus has to say. Croesus relates Solon's story to Cyrus, and Cyrus is moved by the notion that Fate can bring misery to a rich man and happiness to a poor man. Croesus is freed and the emperor and the king become good friends.
More definitions-
-Aesthete- a person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty.
-Aigrette- a headdress consisting of a white egret's feather or other decoration such as a spray of gems
-Avarice- extreme greed for wealth or material gain
-Baroque- the baroque style or period.
-Bier- a movable frame on which a coffin or a corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which they are carried to the grave.
-Billets-doux- a love letter
-Carillon- a set of bells played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism similar to a piano roll.
-Carnal- relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities
-Catafalque- a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state
-Chthonic- relating to or inhabiting the underworld.
-Dolorous- feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress.
-Eldritch- weird and sinister or ghostly.
-Enfer (translate the French)- hell
-Gourmand- a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much.
-Immolated- kill or offer as a sacrifice, especially by burning.
-Importunate- persistent, especially to the point of annoyance.
-Interdiction- a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area.
-Jinn- an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans
-Lisle- a fine, smooth cotton thread used especially for stockings
-Loge- a private box or enclosure in a theatre.
-Loquacity- the quality of talking a great deal; talkativeness.
-Lustratory- purge of government officials once affiliated with the Communist system in Central and Eastern Europe
-Missal- a book containing the texts used in the Catholic Mass throughout the year.
-Nacreous- consisting of or resembling mother-of-pearl
-Parure- a set of jewels intended to be worn together
-Rictus- a fixed grimace or grin.
-Sacerdotal- relating to priests or the priesthood; priestly.
-Sadomasochistic- the giving or receiving of pleasure (sometimes sexual) from acts involving the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation.
-Sardonic- grimly mocking or cynical.
-Trousseau- the clothes, linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage.
-Vellum- fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf.
-Vicuna- a wild relative of the llama, inhabiting mountainous regions of South America and valued for its fine silky wool
-Viscera- the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines.
-Voluptuary-a person devoted to luxury and sensual pleasure.
-Aigrette- a headdress consisting of a white egret's feather or other decoration such as a spray of gems
-Avarice- extreme greed for wealth or material gain
-Baroque- the baroque style or period.
-Bier- a movable frame on which a coffin or a corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which they are carried to the grave.
-Billets-doux- a love letter
-Carillon- a set of bells played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism similar to a piano roll.
-Carnal- relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities
-Catafalque- a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state
-Chthonic- relating to or inhabiting the underworld.
-Dolorous- feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress.
-Eldritch- weird and sinister or ghostly.
-Enfer (translate the French)- hell
-Gourmand- a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much.
-Immolated- kill or offer as a sacrifice, especially by burning.
-Importunate- persistent, especially to the point of annoyance.
-Interdiction- a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area.
-Jinn- an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans
-Lisle- a fine, smooth cotton thread used especially for stockings
-Loge- a private box or enclosure in a theatre.
-Loquacity- the quality of talking a great deal; talkativeness.
-Lustratory- purge of government officials once affiliated with the Communist system in Central and Eastern Europe
-Missal- a book containing the texts used in the Catholic Mass throughout the year.
-Nacreous- consisting of or resembling mother-of-pearl
-Parure- a set of jewels intended to be worn together
-Rictus- a fixed grimace or grin.
-Sacerdotal- relating to priests or the priesthood; priestly.
-Sadomasochistic- the giving or receiving of pleasure (sometimes sexual) from acts involving the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation.
-Sardonic- grimly mocking or cynical.
-Trousseau- the clothes, linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage.
-Vellum- fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf.
-Vicuna- a wild relative of the llama, inhabiting mountainous regions of South America and valued for its fine silky wool
-Viscera- the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines.
-Voluptuary-a person devoted to luxury and sensual pleasure.
Basic Questions, Developed Questions-
Carter presents the ruby choker as a violent tool, that ‘clasps’ and ‘chokes’ the narrator’s neck. She also goes on to say how the ‘two inches wide’ of ‘rubies’ is a ‘precious slit’ around her throat, making it sound to the reader as though it is cutting into her neck and killing her. Carter has specifically used a choker, as it foreshadows the end plot for the narrator, as the choker belonged to the Marquis’ surviving aristocrat grandmother. The aristocrats wore the choker to symbolise they had survived the beheading of the French revolution, to mock those below them; this could be carter re-using this chocker to tell the reader that the narrator too will survive her planned beheading. The choker could also detonate a collar as in the context of the book, society was a patriarchal system and by marrying the Marquis the narrator will become his property. This could be Carter showing that women in general (as the narrator symbolises all women) are in danger of men (the Marquis) as once they marry them they belong to them and will have whatever fate they choose for them.
Carter presents the ruby choker as a violent tool, that ‘clasps’ and ‘chokes’ the narrator’s neck. She also goes on to say how the ‘two inches wide’ of ‘rubies’ is a ‘precious slit’ around her throat, making it sound to the reader as though it is cutting into her neck and killing her. Carter has specifically used a choker, as it foreshadows the end plot for the narrator, as the choker belonged to the Marquis’ surviving aristocrat grandmother. The aristocrats wore the choker to symbolise they had survived the beheading of the French revolution, to mock those below them; this could be carter re-using this chocker to tell the reader that the narrator too will survive her planned beheading. The choker could also detonate a collar as in the context of the book, society was a patriarchal system and by marrying the Marquis the narrator will become his property. This could be Carter showing that women in general (as the narrator symbolises all women) are in danger of men (the Marquis) as once they marry them they belong to them and will have whatever fate they choose for them.
The narrator only gains confidence through the help of a man Jean-Yves, when her heart belongs to him (as she calls him her ‘lover’) she is no longer owned by the Marquis but by another man. This gives her the confidence to disobey the Marquis and his plans. It seems Carter shows that women are only free when they are not owned by a man; an example of this is when the Mother saved her daughter. As she was not married she was free to make her own decisions and do her own actions. Carter alters the original form of the hero (a woman instead of a man) to show that women can be equal to men, though the Mother could only win through her husband’s gun which is a phallic symbol, therefore she had to masculinise herself to achieve her end goal.
The Duke's view of women is purely sexual and perverse. He sadistically presents the dead and gruesome bodies, 'denuded...of flesh', of his past wives in a secret torture chamber in the castle for his own disgusting enjoyment, moreover the narrator's first sexual experience with the marquis can example his view of women, as they are mere sexual objects to him that he can do as he wishes. Firstly the experience can be quite uncomfortable for a modern day reader (or any reader at any period in time) as firstly they have sex on the bed he himself had been 'conceived', it's just unnatural and odd to have sex on the bed your parents did. Secondly, when the narrator protests and uses the excuse of 'it is broad daylight' he replies back 'all the better to see you with' which runs parallel the fairy tale little red-riding hood. This gives the impression to the reader that he is an animal like perverse hunter who preys on the young, weak and innocent. Carter makes the reader feel uncomfortable as the story is a journey that we take with the narrator in the first person narrative, which means that the reader will feel what the narrator feels, so that the audience cannot escape the questions she raises.
Carter uses a sexual teasing style of language to describe the painting of the Marquis first wife the 'Sacrificial Victim', where the painting depicts a woman taking off her clothes in front of a man for the 'first time' causing her to 'blush' from her embarrassment caused by her virginal innocence. This encounter runs parallel to the narrator's first time with the Marquis, as she too was an innocent virgin. This painting makes her question her own feelings towards the Marquis (as she thought she was in love with him, and maybe she once was as she has a hint of jealousy when questioning if her experience, was the same with all his wives) and furthermore herself.
Appearance is an important theme in the book, as it reveals another deeper theme of the objectification of women that Carter uses to evoke questions to both sex's on the issue of gender equality. The narrator's appearance to the reader, is not focused on her face, but her assets that the male sex would focus on, her curves, for example the dress she wore the night she went out to the opera with the Marquis, 'tied with a silk string under the breasts'. Not only did she wear a dress that would emphasise her womanly features (maybe so she would feel more comfortable and look appropriate to be on the arm of an upper class Gentleman) but she also adorned to chocker necklace of 'rubies' that had been his upper class Grandmothers who has 'escaped the blade'. The material use of the chocker is to appear worthy of being at an upper class social situation, but the hidden dark meaning is that the Marquis intends to behead her and takes entertainment from the irony.
Magical Realism
Magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements are blended into a realistic atmosphere in order to access a deeper understanding of reality. These magical elements are explained like normal occurrences that are presented in a straightforward manner which allows the "real" and the "fantastic" to be accepted in the same stream of thought. It has been widely considered a literary and visual art genre; creative fields that exhibit less significant signs of magic realism include film and music.
