To what extent is gender stereotypes reinforced or challenged in your chosen story from Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’.

Angela Carter deconstructs and transforms the core elements of traditional tales and motifs. She does this by dismantling the long established depictions of women within the fairy tale genre (which are perceived to be ‘frail’ and ‘helpless’). By re-telling the stories of well-known fairy tales in her collection, she exposes ‘societal ideals within the original tales which were used to perpetuate Christian patriarchal concepts as a means of maintaining the gender hierarchy’1- this is an issue which was previously identified by Bettelheim. However, Carter re-shapes these tales by inverting their traditional narrative structure and draws them out of their conventional fairy tale format, separating them from conventional child stories or folk tale, and into a dark, erotic exposure or gender and sexuality. This is made clear through her innovative use of the Gothic, which allows Carter to marginalise the norm and occupy a more central cultural place- this method is used to transgress the limits of what is commonly accepted of a gender. The definition of gender stereotypes is ‘[not] how females (and males) really are, but the way that a given culture or sub-culture sees them, how they are culturally constructed.’2 this definition means that gender identity is determined by a patriarchal society. Carter however aims to deconstruct the traditional structures in order to direct the reader’s attention to contemporary problems, mostly related to her feminist viewpoint.
Gender stereotypes are challenged in The Bloody Chamber (TBC) by the Mother figure, who inverts the typical female Gothic stock character. Originally in the tale of Blue Beard (BB) the story TBC is based upon, it is the brother who saves the protagonist as in traditional Gothic structures, the mother would be presented as a passive figure, but Carter alternatively deconstructs this profile and presents the reader with a ‘complex’3 and ‘forceful’4 feminist vision of an ‘avenging angel’5. This gives her the ability to strip the Marquis of his masculine superiority and make him ‘impotent at last’6. To overcome the Marquis the Mother uses her husbands ‘service revolver’7 to kill him ‘without a moment’s hesitation’8- Carter said she did this to ‘decolonis[e]… our habits of thought’9.  One interpretation of this ending can be seen as Carter showing a synonymous relationship between man and woman, as one cannot overcome an obstacle without the other, or Carter could be presenting the idea that women have the potential to surpass the stereotypical limitations through opportunities that transgress the norm, as once the ‘[Marquis] is vanquished by the mother and daughter [the] victimisation of women is overturned’10. This remodels the outcome of the stereotypical story-as female autonomy becomes the happy ending rather than female subservience to males. On the other hand, another translation may be Carter displaying female emancipation which is only possible through the symbol of male power- the ‘service revolver’11 (used to kill the Marquis) is symbolic of a phallus- this is because in the contextual time period the tale is set, women believed they needed male power to overcome obstacles. However in later tales of Carter’s collection, such as The Erl King (TEK) or The Lady of the House of Love (TLOTHOL), the heroines use their own female power to be liberated from male subservience. This is symbolic as the first story in the collection (TBC) shows females depending on the power of males but the last tale in the collection Wolf Alice (WA), it shows an equilibrium of power between both sexes- therefore Carter’s collection of tales significantly tracks feminism through the ages.
However, gender stereotypes are reinforced in TBC through Carter’s use of Gothic conventions such as: characters, settings and plot developments. An example of Carter’s Gothic conventions can be identified in the heroine, as she embodies the two stereotypical versions of gothic women- the innocent virgin and the seductress. For instance a key moment when the virginal heroine displays characteristics of naivety and innocence, commonly associated with women, is when the heroine is at the opera performance of ‘Tristan’12- used as a device to foreshadow the love triangle which occurs later in the tale. It is there, as she catches herself in the mirror, she sees herself through the eyes of the Marquis who watched her with the ‘assessing eye of a connoisseur’13, a gaze which implies his carnal desire to consume and feed off of her purity. She sees the ‘sinuous shift of white muslin tied with a silk string under the breasts…[,] his wedding gift…a choker of rubies… clasped around [her] throat…[and] sensed in [her]self a potentiality for corruption.’14 This image further foreshadows the Marquis’ wish to decapitate the heroine as the choker previously belonged to his Grandmother who wore it to show she had ‘escaped the guillotine’15 at the time of the French Revolution. Nonetheless, it is not until after he had corrupted her chastity that she came to realise it was her ‘innocence that captivated him’16, Schanoes believed this was Carter ‘highlighting the social construction of female masochism and sexual passivity’17, as the Marquis’ attraction to innocence and naivety could be a reflection of mankind as a collective. This attitude was common in previous times (such as the Victorian era) as women were brought up to be innocent and sexually ignorant- as it could impede on their families honour. Not only does the  predatory Marquis represent the male sex as a collective, but the heroine is representative of the female collection, this can be seen after the heroines lost her ‘virginity’18 in the Marquis’ bedroom she believes that at that moment there are ‘a dozen husbands impal[ing] a dozen brides’19. This insinuates a history of women who have been victims of violent abuse or unhappy marriages which she identifies herself a part of, it is E. B. Manley who argues that 'the mirror scenes establish the protagonist as oscillating between girlhood and womanhood, between a patriarchal view and her own definition of herself'20. Likewise in WA, mirrors play a vital role as it enlightens the protagonist to her own power, once she realises her reflection is her shadow her perspective shifts from animal objectivity to human subjectivity, changing the female stereotype. This may be Carter signifying a universal need to alter the way society understands female sexuality and identity.
Alternatively, the heroine embodies the seductress. After recognising her innocent image was one that had been produced through the social conditioning of a phallocentric culture (which desired the domination over the female object) it helped her to gain female independence-along with her increased knowledge of sexuality and violence, partly due to her experience of the bloody chamber. Carter uses the symbol of bloody chamber within all her tales, as it is through this that her protagonists gain enlightenment which allows them to metamorphosis and escape the binds of their sexual oppression. The heroine almost succeeds in seducing her husband, by using his male desire of innocence against him, ‘If he had come to me in bed, I would have strangled him’21, through the reality of her death after seeing his past wives perversely ‘strung up’22, ‘disembodied’23 and ‘denuded of flesh’24 -which was created through female submission- she is no longer naive. This may be Carter making a feminist statement through her exploration of gender and female sexuality. Carter may have been influenced by the different contested positions feminism had debated such as: pornography, sexuality, violence and the representation of women. These issues intensified in the late 1970’s and 80’s, which may have significantly influenced Carter’s work. Carter uses issues such as pornography to disprove feminist ideas that they reflect ‘a sort of distilled essence of the entrenched binaries of patriarchal gender relations, the conflict revolved around the extent to which pornographic representations could be appropriated’25 Carter instead suggests an alternative that can empower women. This is seen in her other tales such as In the Company of Wolves (ITCOW) where the protagonist refuses to be a victim and when presented with the inevitable rape conforms to her own ideals instead of the conventional.
The concept of gender stereotype is constructed, inverted and transformed in TBC through Carter’s use of deconstruction to the core elements in traditional tales. This may be to force the reader to radically question their beliefs surrounding cultural construction and thus gender stereotype and gender sexuality. This is reinforced through the use of Gothic stock characters, which display the cultural stereotype in which she deconstructs and transforms the characters to present the reader with a different aspect to women in the fairy tale genre and sexuality to encourage change. By deconstructing the fairy tale form, Carter highlights the societal ideals (such as patriarchy) within the original tales, and reveals its corrupt purpose-which is to maintain the gender hierarchy which ensures women remain submissive to a phallocentric culture. In particular she condemns the female characteristic of passivity and nativity. She shows this through the bloody chamber which displays a fatal consequence to previous submissive female characters. This is symbolic of an endless cycle which is caused by a patriarchal society which warrants the objectification and possession of women to a male dominance.
Word Count :1507

 
Bibliography
1 http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/documents/Vol07x07HappilyEverAfter.pdf
2  The Critical Anthology Article 4
3 Kari E. Lokke ‘Bluebeard and The Bloody Chamber: The Grotesque of Self-Parody and Self-Assertio’
4 Kari E. Lokke ‘Bluebeard and The Bloody Chamber: The Grotesque of Self-Parody and Self-Assertio’
5 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 39
6 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page
7 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 40
8Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 41
9Angela Carter, Feminist Review: Issue 42: Feminist Fictions, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hNWNPSSPnOMC&pg=PT35&dq=%27attempts+to+decolonise+our+habits+of+thought%27&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dqMqVenmAczxaO6qgKgL&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q='attempts%20to%20decolonise%20our%20habits%20of%20thought'&f=false
10 Old Wine in New Bottles (the analysis of cultural constructions of femininity in A.Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber”, Page 123, file:///C:/Users/Elizabeth/Downloads/Mik_2012_15_1_23%20(1).pdf
11 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 40
12 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 3
13 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6
14 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6
15 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6
16 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 16
17 Professor Veronica L Schanoes, Fairy Tales, Myth, and Psychoanalytic Theory: Feminism and Retelling the Tale, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wlqUBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=%E2%80%98highlighting+the+social+construction+of+female+masochism+and+sexual+passivity%E2%80%99&source=bl&ots=Df_XWggpUC&sig=JwXubfJT_VnLuBYhuNUUEYXvm-s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=b7cqVaGMEYfXapelgeAM&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%98highlighting%20the%20social%20construction%20of%20female%20masochism%20and%20sexual%20passivity%E2%80%99&f=false
18 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 14
19 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 14
20Danielle Marie Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega, “Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale”, P87, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mcLy81hgirIC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=%27the+mirror+scenes+establish+the+protagonist+as+oscillating+between+girlhood+and+womanhood,+between+a+patriarchal+view+and+her+own+definition+of+herself%27&source=bl&ots=zyjE1QpYP3&sig=KHM-sOqkvht4Vwj--L7OcchrKEE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YrkqVeecAoP6aJzDgdgK&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q='the%20mirror%20scenes%20establish%20the%20protagonist%20as%20oscillating%20between%20girlhood%20and%20womanhood%2C%20between%20a%20patriarchal%20view%20and%20her%20own%20definition%20of%20herself'&f=false
21 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 34
22 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27
23 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27
24 Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27
25 Danielle Marie Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega, “Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale”, P37, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mcLy81hgirIC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=%E2%80%98reflected+a+sort+of+distilled+essence+of+the+entrenched+binaries+of+patriarchal+gender+relations,+the+conflict+revolved+around+the+extent+to+which+pornographic+representations+could+be+appropriated%E2%80%99&source=bl&ots=zyjE1QnZRc&sig=H7yCb-bwaux4B7v4i02qsVN6qSc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ErIqVY7zOdjnaq_3gYgI&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%98reflected%20a%20sort%20of%20distilled%20essence%20of%20the%20entrenched%20binaries%20of%20patriarchal%20gender%20relations%2C%20the%20conflict%20revolved%20around%20the%20extent%20to%20which%20pornographic%20representations%20could%20be%20appropriated%E2%80%99&f=false

"Compare and contrast the ways Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys have used a range of narrative methods to explore the journey of their protagonists."

Both ‘Jane Eyre’, by Charlotte Bronte, and ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, by Jean Rhys, are written in the genre of bildungsroman, in which the reader follows the journey of their protagonists from childhood to adulthood. Charlotte Bronte structures her novel 'Jane Eyre' in a classical Victorian format as the story moves in a chronological linear time-frame which is narrated by a single character, this story explores an isolated child who develops and thrives in Victorian society through submission and inheritance. However, Jean Rhys uses a post-modernist style which uses multiple narrative voices and a non-chronological structure which appears fragmented, exposing Antoinette’s gradually disintegrating mind due to the effects of the patriarchal society which entraps her. Ultimately both texts use different narrative methods to display a vast difference in the journey’s experienced by their protagonists.

Both protagonists experience isolated childhoods, which influence the way in which they develop to adulthood. Jane is an alienated and lonely child at Gateshead which is caused by the rejection she receives by the Reed’s. Through the language device of pathetic fallacy, Bronte has reflected her ‘saddened’1 heart through the weather. The words used to describe the weather are harsh and blunt; the wind is ‘cold’2, the clouds ‘sombre’3 and the rain ‘penetrating’4 exposing Jane’s emotional feelings of confinement. Furthermore the pronouns ‘I’5 and ‘me’6 are used to highlight the emotional barriers between herself and the other characters. However, Jane’s detachment is not enough to stop her poor treatment, as she is continually bullied by Mrs Reed’s ‘darlings’7- especially by John Reed, who is determined to ‘punish’8 Jane for being a ‘dependent’9 calling her vicious names such as a ‘rat’10. Furthermore, a feminist critic would observe the injustice of Jane's treatment by the ‘Master’11 of the house as in the 19th Century, Victorian society was patriarchal-a structure which ensured women were submissive to men due to their lack of legal rights.

Similarly, the protagonist Antoinette experiences rejection and isolation. Jean Rhys used the background of the Post Emancipation Act which created an atmosphere of mistrust and violence in society. This symbolised through Antoinette’s garden that is as ‘large and beautiful as that garden in the bible’12 (The Garden of Eden) which becomes ‘wild’13 with ‘snaky looking’14 objects. The snake is a motif used throughout to symbolise evil and corruption. This is to show the racial tension which is first presented at the start of the book with the use of pronouns and battle jargon- ‘They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did.’15 Which shows how the creoles can be ‘accepted neither by the negro community nor by the representatives of the colonial centre.’16 Because of this, Antoinette is seen as ‘nothing’17 to either race. This ultimately made Antoinette feel threatened (due to her mother’s horse being ‘poisoned’18 –at the start of the story- by the angry ex-slaves) so she tries to seek feelings of safety and comfort within her mother, but is rejected by Annette who tells her daughter ‘oh let me alone’19. This is a significant moment in Antoinette’s life as she becomes ‘useless’20 to her mother. This ultimately fuels her desperation for emotional acceptance by Rochester to the point of self-destruction.

But both protagonists deal with their obstacles in different ways. Jane is undeterred by her lonely childhood she still has lessons to learn which will help her to overcome the obstacles she will encounter in the future. The first main lesson Jane must learn, is that her fiery ‘passion’21 must be tamed; this lesson is learnt in the ‘red room’22 which she is entrapped within by Mrs Reed, and would only be ‘liberated’23 on the condition of ‘perfect submission and stillness’24. A feminist critic would understand the vital lesson of submission. This was a lesson every Victorian woman had to learn if they wanted to be successful, as they had no rights in a marriage. 18th Century English jurist William Blackstone described a woman’s legal status within marriage as ‘in law a husband and wife are one person, and the husband is that person’25. In addition, a post-colonial critic would observe the description given to Mrs Reed- ‘skin was dark’26- which gives her a distinct un-English quality. The original readership would understand that this was only reserved for villainous characters. This reflects the attitude of mistrust towards foreigners in a 19th Century England that had little experience of other cultures. Additionally, the strength of Jane’s character is continually tested through various experiences Jane encounters, for example whilst at Lowood she challenges the hypocrisy of organised religion which through Bronte’s structural use of journalism, for example stating it was ’five o’clock’27 on the ‘19th of January’28. With this, in addition to the genre of ‘The Conditions of England’, it presents the immoral events as fact. An example of this is when Mr Brocklehurst, who claimed he was strict Anglican, removed the donated money, intended for the orphaned children, to pay for his family who ‘were splendidly attired in velvet, silk and furs’29. The incongruity is taken further when Brocklehurst insists on cutting the curls off one of the orphaned girls to then have his wife and children parade around the institution with a ‘false front of French curls’30.

Alternatively, unlike Jane, Antoinette is unable to overcome her problems in childhood which is evident when she gradually dismantles which is shown through the texts structure as it becomes more frequent in its fragmentation. Rhys shows Antoinette’s inability to act on the issues which ultimately entrap her. This is foreshadowed through Annette’s parrot Coco who had his wings ‘clipped’31 by Mr Mason before Coulibri was set aflame by the ex-slaves. Coco makes an ‘effort to fly down’32 however his ‘clipped wings fail him’33. From a feminist’s perspective, the death of Coco may be seen as an allegory for the danger of male power in a patriarchal society, due to its symbolisation of Antoinette’s death who had her wings clipped when she was locked in the attic of Thornfield. The argument of Antoinette being entrapped by patriarchal society is furthered when Antoinette takes ‘refuge’34 in a matriarchal convent where she felt ‘bolder, happier, and free’35 but is removed by Mr Mason causing her fear as she knows she cannot thrive ‘outside’36. Antoinette is continually displayed as a passive character that will not shape her own fate. This is exampled the morning she found the ‘dead horse’37 displaying the attitude of denial (‘it may not be true’38). Yet it is this attitude that contributes to her lack of power around men. She is continually given the opportunity to walk away, for example -a psychological critic would observe that after her marriage had disintegrated with Rochester she turned to Sandi to for emotional stability. However when she is given the opportunity to be happy with another person, she declines. Even though she is ‘unhappy’39 she continues to be dictated to by patriarchal ideals.

Another significant factor in the journey of both protagonists is their experiences with Rochester. In part two of ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ he tells the story through his perspective after taking the narrative voice away from Antoinette- this was after they had married which is symbolic for Antoinette’s loss of power due to patriarchy -which left a woman with no voice.  Rochester’s relationship to Antoinette is vastly different to his relationship with Jane as it is based upon money and lust. This is highlighted through the epistolary technique which is used to the reveal psychological truths about Rochester. This evident after Rochester’s arrival in Granbois when he takes ‘refuge’40 in Mr Mason’s old English study, writing a letter to his father. A psychological critic would detect the anger in the line ‘All is well and has gone according to your plans and wishes.’41 as his resentment stems from being controlled by his father. There is an intentional emphasis on ‘your’42 to stress marrying Antoinette was not what he wanted but an arrangement by his father and brother so as to provide for him without having to divide the family estate. Furthermore, a psychological critic would decode Rochester’s feelings of Antoinette through the tentative language he uses to describe Granbois- ‘I suppose’43 highlights Rochester doesn’t understand where he is neither does he try to. This is further shown through the repetition of the word ‘alien’44 to create an outsider effect.  Moreover, Rochester furthers Antoinette’s feelings of entrapment which have been consistent since childhood by calling her ‘Bertha’45. By doing this he is not only ‘denying her true self’46 but he is also placing the power of the relationship in his own hands, in this way he can deny Antoinette her identity and ensure she surrenders into his idea of what a woman is. This has the effect of descending her into madness, highlighting Rochester’s role in the oppression of Antoinette.

Jane’s journey ends in a classical Victorian format, with the novels structure ensuring all problems are resolved at the end-leaving the protagonist with a happy ending. This is shown in the last chapter which is entitled ‘Conclusion’47; this is symbolic as it implies Jane’s story has been completed due to her successful Victorian marriage which resulted in motherhood. The original reader would appreciate this ending when compared to a modern feminist as a successful marriage was the aim of every Victorian woman, due to its financial security, therefore Jane achieved the best outcome possible. Moreover, it is apparent to the reader that Jane is delighted in her family life as she addresses the reader directly-‘Reader, I married him’48. This is a motif Bronte uses to show Jane’s moments of heightened emotion. This adds to the sense that Jane has completed her journey and emphasises her happiness.

In contrast to Jane’s journey, is Antoinette’s death in the destruction of Thornfield. The fire of Thornfield was structurally foreshadowed in part three due to the frequent use of the colour ‘red’49, symbolising the fire that will destroy Thornfield. However the colour red also connotes Antoinette’s home- as it is a warm vibrant colour that represents Jamaica. Hence why Antoinette recalls her memory of Tia at ‘the pool at Coulibri’50, which ‘beckoned’51 her to return home, making the cyclical structure evident. A psychological reading would suggest that Antoinette’s final act of reaching out to Tia and ‘the sky so red’52 in her last moments shows a psychological regression. However, the line ‘Now at last I know why I was brought here and what I have to do’53 suggests a moment of clear rationality, displaying a different side to Antoinette then the continuously displayed passive character that always reacted to men. By actively setting fire to Thornfield and committing suicide, Antoinette is gaining the power that always evaded her by deciding her own fate. This is symbolic of Antoinette breaking free of the binds that were enforced upon her, by society, ever since she was a child.

In conclusion, Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys use lots of methods to display the significant difference in the journeys of their protagonists. The reason for the difference in their journey is based on ‘the difference in the way they accept their roles as women in a patriarchal society.’ Jane’s journey of an isolated child transforming into the perfect stereotypical Victorian woman is suited to the classical Victorian structure as the events are chronological and allow a resolution at the end due to all questions being answered. Whereas, Rhys displays Antoinette’s mental disintegration gradually- through the style of a modernist text, which is fragmented due to its lack of chronological order and use of different perspectives. This emphasises Antoinette’s lack of power due to society’s patriarchal structure which ensured women had no voice.
The difference in the narrative methods used by Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys, display the extensive difference in journey’s experienced by their protagonists.



Word Count: 1963























Bibliography

1 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
2 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
3 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
4 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
5 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
6 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
7 Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
8 Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
9 Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
10 Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
11 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
12 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
13 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
14 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
15 Page 5, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
16 http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/carib/sargasso.htm
17http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/carib/sargasso.htm
18 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
19 Page 7, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
20 Page 7, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
21 Page 7, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
22 Page 7, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
23 Page 12, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
24 Page 12, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
25 Lady Geraldine’s Courtship, ‘The Degradation of Married Women in the Victorian Era’, http://loki.stockton.edu/~kinsellt/projects/courtship/storyReader$3.html
26 Page 28, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
27 Page 33, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
28 Page 33, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
29 Page 55, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
30 Page 55, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
31 Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
32 Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
33 Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
34 Page 31, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
35 Page 32, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
36 Page 34, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
37 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
38 Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
39 Page 120, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
40 Page 45, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
41 Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
42 Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
43 Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
44 Page 55, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
45 Page 71, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
46 Richard Griffiths, ‘Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea- Other Voices’,  http://apsenglishlanglit.edublogs.org/files/2011/01/JE-and-WSS-Other-Voices-2atqgu1.doc
47 Page 397, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
48 Page 397, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992
49 Page 120, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
50 Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
51 Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
52 Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997
53 Page 124, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

"Compare and contrast the ways Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys have used a range of narrative methods to explore the journey of their protagonists."

Both ‘Jane Eyre’, by Charlotte Bronte, and ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, by Jean Rhys, are written in the genre of bildungsroman, in which the reader follows the journey of their protagonists from childhood to adulthood. Charlotte Bronte structures her novel 'Jane Eyre' in a classical Victorian format as the story moves in a chronological linear time-frame which is narrated by a single character, this story explores an isolated child who develops and thrives in Victorian society through submission and inheritance. However, Jean Rhys uses a post-modernist style which uses multiple narrative voices and a non-chronological structure which appears fragmented, exposing Antoinette’s gradually disintegrating mind due to the effects of the patriarchal society which entraps her. Ultimately both texts use different narrative methods to display a vast difference in the journey’s experienced by their protagonists.

Both protagonists experience isolated childhoods, which influence the way in which they develop to adulthood. Jane is an alienated and lonely child at Gateshead which is caused by the rejection she receives by the Reed’s. Through the language device of pathetic fallacy, Bronte has reflected her ‘saddened’¹ heart through the weather. The words used to describe the weather are harsh and blunt; the wind is ‘cold’², the clouds ‘sombre’³ and the rain ‘penetrating’⁴ exposing Jane’s emotional feelings of confinement. Furthermore the pronouns ‘I’⁵ and ‘me’⁶ are used to highlight the emotional barriers between herself and the other characters. However, Jane’s detachment is not enough to stop her poor treatment, as she is continually bullied by Mrs Reed’s ‘darlings’⁷- especially by John Reed, who is determined to ‘punish’⁸ Jane for being a ‘dependent’⁹ calling her vicious names such as a ‘rat’¹⁰. Furthermore, a feminist critic would observe the injustice of Jane's treatment by the ‘Master’¹¹ of the house as in the 19th Century, Victorian society was patriarchal-a structure which ensured women were submissive to men due to their lack of legal rights.

Similarly, the protagonist Antoinette experiences rejection and isolation. Jean Rhys used the background of the Post Emancipation Act which created an atmosphere of mistrust and violence in society. This symbolised through Antoinette’s garden that is as ‘large and beautiful as that garden in the bible’¹² (The Garden of Eden) which becomes ‘wild’¹³ with ‘snaky looking’¹⁴ objects. The snake is a motif used throughout to symbolise evil and corruption. This is to show the racial tension which is first presented at the start of the book with the use of pronouns and battle jargon- ‘They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did.’¹⁵ Which shows how the creoles can be ‘accepted neither by the negro community nor by the representatives of the colonial centre.’¹⁶ Because of this, Antoinette is seen as ‘nothing’¹⁷ to either race. This ultimately made Antoinette feel threatened (due to her mother’s horse being ‘poisoned’¹⁸ –at the start of the story- by the angry ex-slaves) so she tries to seek feelings of safety and comfort within her mother, but is rejected by Annette who tells her daughter ‘oh let me alone’¹⁹. This is a significant moment in Antoinette’s life as she becomes ‘useless’²⁰ to her mother. This ultimately fuels her desperation for emotional acceptance by Rochester to the point of self-destruction.

But both protagonists deal with their obstacles in different ways. Jane is undeterred by her lonely childhood she still has lessons to learn which will help her to overcome the obstacles she will encounter in the future. The first main lesson Jane must learn, is that her fiery ‘passion’²¹ must be tamed; this lesson is learnt in the ‘red room’²² which she is entrapped within by Mrs Reed, and would only be ‘liberated’²³ on the condition of ‘perfect submission and stillness’^24. A feminist critic would understand the vital lesson of submission. This was a lesson every Victorian woman had to learn if they wanted to be successful, as they had no rights in a marriage. 18^th Century English jurist William Blackstone described a woman’s legal status within marriage as ‘in law a husband and wife are one person, and the husband is that person’²⁵. In addition, a post-colonial critic would observe the description given to Mrs Reed- ‘skin was dark’²⁶- which gives her a distinct un-English quality. The original readership would understand that this was only reserved for villainous characters. This reflects the attitude of mistrust towards foreigners in a 19th Century England that had little experience of other cultures. Additionally, the strength of Jane’s character is continually tested through various experiences Jane encounters, for example whilst at Lowood she challenges the hypocrisy of organised religion which through Bronte’s structural use of journalism, for example stating it was ’five o’clock’²⁷ on the ‘19^th of January’²⁸. With this, in addition to the genre of ‘The Conditions of England’, it presents the immoral events as fact. An example of this is when Mr Brocklehurst, who claimed he was strict Anglican, removed the donated money, intended for the orphaned children, to pay for his family who ‘were splendidly attired in velvet, silk and furs’²⁹. The incongruity is taken further when Brocklehurst insists on cutting the curls off one of the orphaned girls to then have his wife and children parade around the institution with a ‘false front of French curls’³⁰.

Alternatively, unlike Jane, Antoinette is unable to overcome her problems in childhood which is evident when she gradually dismantles which is shown through the texts structure as it becomes more frequent in its fragmentation. Rhys shows Antoinette’s inability to act on the issues which ultimately entrap her. This is foreshadowed through Annette’s parrot Coco who had his wings ‘clipped’³¹ by Mr Mason before Coulibri was set aflame by the ex-slaves. Coco makes an ‘effort to fly down’³² however his ‘clipped wings fail him’³³. From a feminist’s perspective, the death of Coco may be seen as an allegory for the danger of male power in a patriarchal society, due to its symbolisation of Antoinette’s death who had her wings clipped when she was locked in the attic of Thornfield. The argument of Antoinette being entrapped by patriarchal society is furthered when Antoinette takes ‘refuge’³⁴ in a matriarchal convent where she felt ‘bolder, happier, and free’³⁵ but is removed by Mr Mason causing her fear as she knows she cannot thrive ‘outside’³⁶. Antoinette is continually displayed as a passive character that will not shape her own fate. This is exampled the morning she found the ‘dead horse’³⁷ displaying the attitude of denial (‘it may not be true’³⁸). Yet it is this attitude that contributes to her lack of power around men. She is continually given the opportunity to walk away, for example -a psychological critic would observe that after her marriage had disintegrated with Rochester she turned to Sandi to for emotional stability. However when she is given the opportunity to be happy with another person, she declines. Even though she is ‘unhappy’³⁹ she continues to be dictated to by patriarchal ideals.

Another significant factor in the journey of both protagonists is their experiences with Rochester. In part two of ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ he tells the story through his perspective after taking the narrative voice away from Antoinette- this was after they had married which is symbolic for Antoinette’s loss of power due to patriarchy -which left a woman with no voice.  Rochester’s relationship to Antoinette is vastly different to his relationship with Jane as it is based upon money and lust. This is highlighted through the epistolary technique which is used to the reveal psychological truths about Rochester. This evident after Rochester’s arrival in Granbois when he takes ‘refuge’⁴⁰ in Mr Mason’s old English study, writing a letter to his father. A psychological critic would detect the anger in the line ‘All is well and has gone according to your plans and wishes.’⁴¹ as his resentment stems from being controlled by his father. There is an intentional emphasis on ‘your’⁴² to stress marrying Antoinette was not what he wanted but an arrangement by his father and brother so as to provide for him without having to divide the family estate. Furthermore, a psychological critic would decode Rochester’s feelings of Antoinette through the tentative language he uses to describe Granbois- ‘I suppose’⁴³ highlights Rochester doesn’t understand where he is neither does he try to. This is further shown through the repetition of the word ‘alien’⁴⁴ to create an outsider effect.  Moreover, Rochester furthers Antoinette’s feelings of entrapment which have been consistent since childhood by calling her ‘Bertha’⁴⁵. By doing this he is not only ‘denying her true self’⁴⁶ but he is also placing the power of the relationship in his own hands, in this way he can deny Antoinette her identity and ensure she surrenders into his idea of what a woman is. This has the effect of descending her into madness, highlighting Rochester’s role in the oppression of Antoinette.

Jane’s journey ends in a classical Victorian format, with the novels structure ensuring all problems are resolved at the end-leaving the protagonist with a happy ending. This is shown in the last chapter which is entitled ‘Conclusion’⁴⁷; this is symbolic as it implies Jane’s story has been completed due to her successful Victorian marriage which resulted in motherhood. The original reader would appreciate this ending when compared to a modern feminist as a successful marriage was the aim of every Victorian woman, due to its financial security, therefore Jane achieved the best outcome possible. Moreover, it is apparent to the reader that Jane is delighted in her family life as she addresses the reader directly-‘Reader, I married him’⁴⁸. This is a motif Bronte uses to show Jane’s moments of heightened emotion. This adds to the sense that Jane has completed her journey and emphasises her happiness.

In contrast to Jane’s journey, is Antoinette’s death in the destruction of Thornfield. The fire of Thornfield was structurally foreshadowed in part three due to the frequent use of the colour ‘red’⁴⁹, symbolising the fire that will destroy Thornfield. However the colour red also connotes Antoinette’s home- as it is a warm vibrant colour that represents Jamaica. Hence why Antoinette recalls her memory of Tia at ‘the pool at Coulibri’⁵⁰, which ‘beckoned’⁵¹ her to return home, making the cyclical structure evident. A psychological reading would suggest that Antoinette’s final act of reaching out to Tia and ‘the sky so red’⁵² in her last moments shows a psychological regression. However, the line ‘Now at last I know why I was brought here and what I have to do’⁵³ suggests a moment of clear rationality, displaying a different side to Antoinette then the continuously displayed passive character that always reacted to men. By actively setting fire to Thornfield and committing suicide, Antoinette is gaining the power that always evaded her by deciding her own fate. This is symbolic of Antoinette breaking free of the binds that were enforced upon her, by society, ever since she was a child.

In conclusion, Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys use lots of methods to display the significant difference in the journeys of their protagonists. The reason for the difference in their journey is based on ‘the difference in the way they accept their roles as women in a patriarchal society.’ Jane’s journey of an isolated child transforming into the perfect stereotypical Victorian woman is suited to the classical Victorian structure as the events are chronological and allow a resolution at the end due to all questions being answered. Whereas, Rhys displays Antoinette’s mental disintegration gradually- through the style of a modernist text, which is fragmented due to its lack of chronological order and use of different perspectives. This emphasises Antoinette’s lack of power due to society’s patriarchal structure which ensured women had no voice.

The difference in the narrative methods used by Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys, display the extensive difference in journey’s experienced by their protagonists.

Word Count: 1963

Bibliography

¹ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

² Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

³ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁴ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁵ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁶ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁷ Page 3, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁸ Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁹ Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

¹⁰ Page 6, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

¹¹ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹² Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹³ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹⁴ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹⁵ Page 5, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹⁶ http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/carib/sargasso.htm

¹⁷http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/carib/sargasso.htm

¹⁸ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

¹⁹ Page 7, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

²⁰ Page 7, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

²¹ Page 7, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²² Page 7, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²³ Page 12, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²⁴ Page 12, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²⁵ Lady Geraldine’s Courtship, ‘The Degradation of Married Women in the Victorian Era’, http://loki.stockton.edu/~kinsellt/projects/courtship/storyReader$3.html

²⁶ Page 28, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²⁷ Page 33, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²⁸ Page 33, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

²⁹ Page 55, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

³⁰ Page 55, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

³¹ Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³² Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³³ Page 23, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁴ Page 31, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁵ Page 32, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁶ Page 34, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁷ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁸ Page 6, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

³⁹ Page 120, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴⁰ Page 45, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴¹ Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴² Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴³ Page 46, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴⁴ Page 55, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴⁵ Page 71, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁴⁶ Richard Griffiths, ‘Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea- Other Voices’,  http://apsenglishlanglit.edublogs.org/files/2011/01/JE-and-WSS-Other-Voices-2atqgu1.doc

⁴⁷ Page 397, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁴⁸ Page 397, ‘Jane Eyre’, Charlotte Bronte, Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1992

⁴⁹ Page 120, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁵⁰ Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁵¹ Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁵² Page 123, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

⁵³ Page 124, ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Jean Rhys, Penguin, 1997

To what extent is gender stereotypes reinforced or challenged in your chosen story from Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’.

Angela Carter deconstructs and transforms the core elements of traditional tales and motifs. She does this by dismantling the long established depictions of women within the fairy tale genre (which are perceived to be ‘frail’ and ‘helpless’). By re-telling the stories of well-known fairy tales in her collection, she exposes ‘societal ideals within the original tales which were used to perpetuate Christian patriarchal concepts as a means of maintaining the gender hierarchy’¹- this is an issue which was previously identified by Bettelheim. However, Carter re-shapes these tales by inverting their traditional narrative structure and draws them out of their conventional fairy tale format, separating them from conventional child stories or folk tale, and into a dark, erotic exposure or gender and sexuality. This is made clear through her innovative use of the Gothic, which allows Carter to marginalise the norm and occupy a more central cultural place- this method is used to transgress the limits of what is commonly accepted of a gender. The definition of gender stereotypes is ‘[not] how females (and males) really are, but the way that a given culture or sub-culture sees them, how they are culturally constructed.’² this definition means that gender identity is determined by a patriarchal society. Carter however aims to deconstruct the traditional structures in order to direct the reader’s attention to contemporary problems, mostly related to her feminist viewpoint.

Gender stereotypes are challenged in The Bloody Chamber (TBC) by the Mother figure, who inverts the typical female Gothic stock character. Originally in the tale of Blue Beard (BB) the story TBC is based upon, it is the brother who saves the protagonist as in traditional Gothic structures, the mother would be presented as a passive figure, but Carter alternatively deconstructs this profile and presents the reader with a ‘complex’³ and ‘forceful’⁴ feminist vision of an ‘avenging angel’⁵. This gives her the ability to strip the Marquis of his masculine superiority and make him ‘impotent at last’⁶. To overcome the Marquis the Mother uses her husbands ‘service revolver’⁷ to kill him ‘without a moment’s hesitation’⁸- Carter said she did this to ‘decolonis[e]… our habits of thought’⁹.  One interpretation of this ending can be seen as Carter showing a synonymous relationship between man and woman, as one cannot overcome an obstacle without the other, or Carter could be presenting the idea that women have the potential to surpass the stereotypical limitations through opportunities that transgress the norm, as once the ‘[Marquis] is vanquished by the mother and daughter [the] victimisation of women is overturned’¹⁰. This remodels the outcome of the stereotypical story-as female autonomy becomes the happy ending rather than female subservience to males. On the other hand, another translation may be Carter displaying female emancipation which is only possible through the symbol of male power- the ‘service revolver’¹¹ (used to kill the Marquis) is symbolic of a phallus- this is because in the contextual time period the tale is set, women believed they needed male power to overcome obstacles. However in later tales of Carter’s collection, such as The Erl King (TEK) or The Lady of the House of Love (TLOTHOL), the heroines use their own female power to be liberated from male subservience. This is symbolic as the first story in the collection (TBC) shows females depending on the power of males but the last tale in the collection Wolf Alice (WA), it shows an equilibrium of power between both sexes- therefore Carter’s collection of tales significantly tracks feminism through the ages.

However, gender stereotypes are reinforced in TBC through Carter’s use of Gothic conventions such as: characters, settings and plot developments. An example of Carter’s Gothic conventions can be identified in the heroine, as she embodies the two stereotypical versions of gothic women- the innocent virgin and the seductress. For instance a key moment when the virginal heroine displays characteristics of naivety and innocence, commonly associated with women, is when the heroine is at the opera performance of ‘Tristan’¹²- used as a device to foreshadow the love triangle which occurs later in the tale. It is there, as she catches herself in the mirror, she sees herself through the eyes of the Marquis who watched her with the ‘assessing eye of a connoisseur’¹³, a gaze which implies his carnal desire to consume and feed off of her purity. She sees the ‘sinuous shift of white muslin tied with a silk string under the breasts…[,] his wedding gift…a choker of rubies… clasped around [her] throat…[and] sensed in [her]self a potentiality for corruption.’¹⁴ This image further foreshadows the Marquis’ wish to decapitate the heroine as the choker previously belonged to his Grandmother who wore it to show she had ‘escaped the guillotine’¹⁵ at the time of the French Revolution. Nonetheless, it is not until after he had corrupted her chastity that she came to realise it was her ‘innocence that captivated him’¹⁶, Schanoes believed this was Carter ‘highlighting the social construction of female masochism and sexual passivity’¹⁷, as the Marquis’ attraction to innocence and naivety could be a reflection of mankind as a collective. This attitude was common in previous times (such as the Victorian era) as women were brought up to be innocent and sexually ignorant- as it could impede on their families honour. Not only does the  predatory Marquis represent the male sex as a collective, but the heroine is representative of the female collection, this can be seen after the heroines lost her ‘virginity’¹⁸ in the Marquis’ bedroom she believes that at that moment there are ‘a dozen husbands impal[ing] a dozen brides’¹⁹. This insinuates a history of women who have been victims of violent abuse or unhappy marriages which she identifies herself a part of, it is E. B. Manley who argues that 'the mirror scenes establish the protagonist as oscillating between girlhood and womanhood, between a patriarchal view and her own definition of herself'²⁰. Likewise in WA, mirrors play a vital role as it enlightens the protagonist to her own power, once she realises her reflection is her shadow her perspective shifts from animal objectivity to human subjectivity, changing the female stereotype. This may be Carter signifying a universal need to alter the way society understands female sexuality and identity.

Alternatively, the heroine embodies the seductress. After recognising her innocent image was one that had been produced through the social conditioning of a phallocentric culture (which desired the domination over the female object) it helped her to gain female independence-along with her increased knowledge of sexuality and violence, partly due to her experience of the bloody chamber. Carter uses the symbol of bloody chamber within all her tales, as it is through this that her protagonists gain enlightenment which allows them to metamorphosis and escape the binds of their sexual oppression. The heroine almost succeeds in seducing her husband, by using his male desire of innocence against him, ‘If he had come to me in bed, I would have strangled him’²¹, through the reality of her death after seeing his past wives perversely ‘strung up’²², ‘disembodied’²³ and ‘denuded of flesh’²⁴ -which was created through female submission- she is no longer naive. This may be Carter making a feminist statement through her exploration of gender and female sexuality. Carter may have been influenced by the different contested positions feminism had debated such as: pornography, sexuality, violence and the representation of women. These issues intensified in the late 1970’s and 80’s, which may have significantly influenced Carter’s work. Carter uses issues such as pornography to disprove feminist ideas that they reflect ‘a sort of distilled essence of the entrenched binaries of patriarchal gender relations, the conflict revolved around the extent to which pornographic representations could be appropriated’²⁵ Carter instead suggests an alternative that can empower women. This is seen in her other tales such as In the Company of Wolves (ITCOW) where the protagonist refuses to be a victim and when presented with the inevitable rape conforms to her own ideals instead of the conventional.

The concept of gender stereotype is constructed, inverted and transformed in TBC through Carter’s use of deconstruction to the core elements in traditional tales. This may be to force the reader to radically question their beliefs surrounding cultural construction and thus gender stereotype and gender sexuality. This is reinforced through the use of Gothic stock characters, which display the cultural stereotype in which she deconstructs and transforms the characters to present the reader with a different aspect to women in the fairy tale genre and sexuality to encourage change. By deconstructing the fairy tale form, Carter highlights the societal ideals (such as patriarchy) within the original tales, and reveals its corrupt purpose-which is to maintain the gender hierarchy which ensures women remain submissive to a phallocentric culture. In particular she condemns the female characteristic of passivity and nativity. She shows this through the bloody chamber which displays a fatal consequence to previous submissive female characters. This is symbolic of an endless cycle which is caused by a patriarchal society which warrants the objectification and possession of women to a male dominance.

Word Count :1507

Bibliography

¹ http://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/documents/Vol07x07HappilyEverAfter.pdf

²  The Critical Anthology Article 4

³ Kari E. Lokke ‘Bluebeard and The Bloody Chamber: The Grotesque of Self-Parody and Self-Assertio’

⁴ Kari E. Lokke ‘Bluebeard and The Bloody Chamber: The Grotesque of Self-Parody and Self-Assertio’

⁵ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 39

⁶ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page

⁷ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 40

⁸Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 41

9Angela Carter, Feminist Review: Issue 42: Feminist Fictions, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hNWNPSSPnOMC&pg=PT35&dq=%27attempts+to+decolonise+our+habits+of+thought%27&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dqMqVenmAczxaO6qgKgL&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q='attempts%20to%20decolonise%20our%20habits%20of%20thought'&f=false

¹⁰ Old Wine in New Bottles (the analysis of cultural constructions of femininity in A.Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber”, Page 123, file:///C:/Users/Elizabeth/Downloads/Mik_2012_15_1_23%20(1).pdf

¹¹ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 40

¹² Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 3

¹³ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6

¹⁴ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6

¹⁵ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 6

¹⁶ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 16

¹⁷ Professor Veronica L Schanoes, Fairy Tales, Myth, and Psychoanalytic Theory: Feminism and Retelling the Tale, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wlqUBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=%E2%80%98highlighting+the+social+construction+of+female+masochism+and+sexual+passivity%E2%80%99&source=bl&ots=Df_XWggpUC&sig=JwXubfJT_VnLuBYhuNUUEYXvm-s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=b7cqVaGMEYfXapelgeAM&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%98highlighting%20the%20social%20construction%20of%20female%20masochism%20and%20sexual%20passivity%E2%80%99&f=false

¹⁸ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 14

¹⁹ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 14

²⁰Danielle Marie Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega, “Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale”, P87, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mcLy81hgirIC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=%27the+mirror+scenes+establish+the+protagonist+as+oscillating+between+girlhood+and+womanhood,+between+a+patriarchal+view+and+her+own+definition+of+herself%27&source=bl&ots=zyjE1QpYP3&sig=KHM-sOqkvht4Vwj--L7OcchrKEE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YrkqVeecAoP6aJzDgdgK&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q='the%20mirror%20scenes%20establish%20the%20protagonist%20as%20oscillating%20between%20girlhood%20and%20womanhood%2C%20between%20a%20patriarchal%20view%20and%20her%20own%20definition%20of%20herself'&f=false

²¹ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 34

²² Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27

²³ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27

²⁴ Angela Carter, The Bloody Chamber, Vintage 2012, Page 27

²⁵ Danielle Marie Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega, “Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale”, P37, https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mcLy81hgirIC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=%E2%80%98reflected+a+sort+of+distilled+essence+of+the+entrenched+binaries+of+patriarchal+gender+relations,+the+conflict+revolved+around+the+extent+to+which+pornographic+representations+could+be+appropriated%E2%80%99&source=bl&ots=zyjE1QnZRc&sig=H7yCb-bwaux4B7v4i02qsVN6qSc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ErIqVY7zOdjnaq_3gYgI&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%98reflected%20a%20sort%20of%20distilled%20essence%20of%20the%20entrenched%20binaries%20of%20patriarchal%20gender%20relations%2C%20the%20conflict%20revolved%20around%20the%20extent%20to%20which%20pornographic%20representations%20could%20be%20appropriated%E2%80%99&f=false