Critical extract J- Reading around Angela Carter's 'The Lady of the House of Love'

This critical extract provides a highly feminist interpretation of the story 'The Lady of the House of Love', the reader realises throughout the text that the Countess is challenging typical gender stereotyping by having the idea that there is a possibility that there is more to her than appearance, "(And could love free me from the shadows? Can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song?)", as the Countess is questioning herself and the reader on this she is also questioning the patriarchal system, as the protagonist questions "Can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song?" she is also questioning whether her life has deeper meaning. The extract confirms my interpretation as it shows that women are stuck in this patriarchal system and trapped in this biological essential-ism, this is shown by the interpretation of women not being able to do things that men can do; therefore suggesting that women are weaker and not as important/'useful' as men, furthermore the belief that women are only important for their appearances/beauty "gaping at the countess in her satin finery"- in this quotation it is symbolising men's demeaning opinions of women's individuality and importance by only seeing her beauty and no further. The critical extract adds to my interpretation because it is challenging the stereotypical norms by questioning whether this attitude and behaviour could be changed.

'The Lady of the House of Love'- Presentation of the Male Character and Interpretations

Pages 111-112
How is the young man presented?
The young man is presented in a vulnerable, dangerous state. His virginity, 'He has the special quality of virginity', makes his character appear weak and naive- therefore, being more prone to being targeted to be harmed. He is also presented as special/unique because the Countess feels emotion for this young man "never before has the Countess cast herself a fate involving love"- he is the first man which the Countess has felt compassion for which makes him an admirable, attractive character which also makes him appear as an important character to the story.
Pages 111-112
What is the significance of the bicycle?
The significance of the bicycle is to show how rational the young man is "He has chosen the most rational mode of transport in the world", "he is also rational." It is also significant to foreshadow that the young man is going to be in danger in the near future, with something superstitious "To ride a bicycle is in itself some protection against superstitious fears," also, it could be foreshadowing his protection from the Countess because of her feelings for him.
Page 113
What might be the significance of 'he gratefully washed his feet and hands' in the village foundation?
The significance of the soldier being grateful when he washed his feet and hands in the village fountain could be to show that he isn't an evil character, because he isn't ungrateful and selfish whereas most superior male characters in Angela Carter's narratives are.
Page 114
'Curiouser and curiouser'
What does this suggest about the young man? Which other character/s are you reminded of?
The young man being 'curiouser and curiouser' suggests that his character is brave and courageous, it shows that even though he fears the Countess he is still drawn to her, drawn to his possible death. This is similar to the young girl in the Erl-King, knowing he could do 'grievous harm' yet is still unconditionally attracted to him and drawn to him.
Page 116
The crone is described as bringing the young man to 'Juliet's tomb'. What is the significance of this inter-textual reference?
The significance of the inter-textual reference, 'Juliet's tomb' is to show that there is an element of romance in the relationship between the Solider and the Countess, it could also be foreshadowing the death of the Countess, similar to which in Romeo and Juliet when Juliet dies because of her love for Romeo- as the Countess dies because of her emotions and overwhelming love for the Soldier.
Page 117
'What a grisly picture of a capering skeleton! He covered it up with a happier one- of two young lovers, smiling at one another...'
How is the young man presented here? What might Carter's purposes be?
The young man is presented romantically here, showing his gentle and caring side towards the Countess. It's showing his feelings which he is developing for her and wanting to protect her, by covering it up with a happier picture of two young lovers is suggesting he is hinting at this for him and the Countess. Carter's purposes might be to contradict her other stories by showing this male in a different light to the others- making him the victim in the story and not the woman, currently the victim however as later on the Countess dies due to the Soldier.
Page 119
'Can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song?
One kiss, however, and only one, woke up the Sleeping Beauty'
Carter makes significant use of repetition in this story. Why might this be? What is the significance of the example above, both of which are repeated in the course of the narrative?
Carter makes use of repetition in this story because she is clearly making the moral of her story that people can change, suggesting to the reader that it is possible for them to differ from social norms and be their own individual, this is significant to the story because it is the overall message Carter is trying to present.
Page 123
'And so he puts his mouth to the wound. He will kiss it better for her, as her mother, had she lived, would have done.'
What is the significance of this quotation?
The significance of this quotation is to make him appear similar to a vampire, similar to the Countess, in some way, It is also significant in showing that the young man is willing to become the Countess's lover and take care of her like a parent would due to the love he feels for her- he is wishing to fulfil the role of this for her.
Page 125
'When he returned from the mess that evening, the heavy fragrance of Count Nasferatu's roses drifted down the stone corridor of the barracks to greet him, and his Spartan quarters brimmed with the reeling odour of a glowing, velvet, monstrous flower whose petals had regained all their former bloom and elasticity, their corrupt, brilliant, baleful splendour.
Next day, his regiment embarked for France.'
How might we interpret this ending?
We might interpret this ending as the 'monstrous flower' being the Soldier and him regaining all his former bloom and elasticity, however being corrupt as he has lost his virginity to the Countess which therefore indicates he is no longer the innocent and naive character at the beginning of the story.
Overall, how could you explain Carter's presentation of the lady and the soldier in this narrative?
Carter's presentation of the Lady and the Soldier in this narrative contrasts extremely with the other stories. The Lady is presented as being violent and powerful in the beginning whilst the Solder is presented as gentle and weak. However, in the ending of the story this original presentation of these characters change extremely as the Countess dies after becoming a vulnerable human in love with a man, the character of the Lady then appears weak and is shown as the victim as the Soldier is the reason for her death. Due to this, the Solder then therefore looks powerful and superior as the Lady dies and he carries on with his life as usual-representing the typical careless characteristics of a man after losing their virginity.

"The Erl-King is the most innovative and experimental of the narratives." How far does this quotation support the statement?

'The Bloody Chamber' is a collection of short stories with the Gothic and Fairy Tale genre. All of these stories which Angela Carter has wrote challenges patriarchy, because the woman is of higher superiority in the stories than the men. As well as being both Fairy Tale and Gothic genres, the stories are all extremely sexually explicit and have numerous sexually disturbing scenes. The Erl-King is the most innovative due to Angela Carter's use of the unusual technique of using first, second and third person within the whole of the narrative.
Firstly, the story begins with "The woods" and automatically this includes both Fairy Tale and Gothic genres within it as this is a very Gothic yet supernatural setting. Although this setting is not innovative, the first sentence then develops and reads "like a system of Chinese boxes opening on into another" to describe the forest- this is innovative as this is an usual use of description for a forest. Angela Carter uses this description because the character actually Isn't moving anywhere, she is walking herself into nothing and her trap "the imaginary traveller". The narrator says "walking towards an invented distance that perpetually receded before me", meaning that the further into the forest she goes the less she understands it; which represents the story as a whole because the further into the story the reader gets the less they understand as well, this element also makes the narrative the most experimental and innovative as in all of the stories, the more you read the more you understand
Another reason the Erl-King is the most innovative and experimental of the narratives is because of the narrative skills which Angela Carter presents within this story. She uses first, second and third person in order to tell this story to the reader, "perpetually receded before me" (first person), "It is easy to lose yourself in these woods" (second person) and "changed endlessly around the interloper" (third person). This is unusual because it is always the same narrator, Carter uses this technique to show the reader that the narrator is looking within and without herself in the narrative. The narrator is looking back upon herself and her actions, then looking upon her looking at her actions all at the same time, which shows the character's development in the story. This is an highly unusual narrative technique to use within the story which therefore makes the Erl-King the most innovative and extremely experimental out of the narratives.
The Erl-King is presented in a contrast of ways, he is presented as evil however innocent all at the same time. The narrator describes him as being "an excellent housewife" however describes him as having "white, pointed teeth with the spittle gleaming on them" too, describing his teeth in such a way is showing his physically similar traits to a wolf which is then contradicted by the description of him being an "excellent housewife" which makes the character seem innocent and harmless as well. The narrator also comments "in his innocence, he never knew he might be the death of me", this is a different message to the other narratives which Carter wrote as she is presenting the Erl-King in a different light, although he is clearly symbolising men being cruel and evil Carter is also suggesting that sometimes men are innocent in what they are doing as they do not know that it is wrong. This also makes the Erl-King the most innovative because Carter is sending out a different message compared to the other stories.
Additionally, the narrator is also presented in a variety of different ways. Although she is seen as vulnerable and gentle, she is also a violent and brave character "My hands shake. I shall take two handfuls of his rustling hair as he lies half dreaming, half waking, and wind the into ropes, very softly, so he will not wake up, and, softly, with hands as gentle as rain, I shall strange him with them." This makes the narrator's character's appearance so contrastingly different as she is overpoweringly womanly and powerful all at once. She describes herself as "gently" and "softly" murdering the Erl-King, this shows the character's power yet gentle side in the same context which is why this text is so innovative as the woman is both of these contrasting traits in one moment and is shown as giving the Erl-King such an impossible painless death.
Lastly, Angela Carter is aiming at the reader to see themselves differently. Instead of the reader reading The Erl-King and thinking differently upon women or men Carter is attempting to get the reader to view themselves in many different ways- similar to the way the narrator has done within the narrative. Using first, second and third person shows this because she is seeing and talking about herself and her actions in so many ways it shows her looking within and without herself and truly understanding. Carter has changed her purpose in this story, instead of the message being "women are superior/equal to men and men are evil" like all of the other short stories in 'The Bloody Chamber', the purpose is to get the reader, personally, to really look at themselves and develop thoroughly just like the narrator looking back on herself in many different perspectives of what she is and what she isn't- which is why The Erl-King is the most innovative of all of the stories.

Fairy Tales and the Existential Predicament- Questions

Questions

1.How might Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purposes of fairy tales?

Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purposes of Fairy Tales because it is explaining that the stories are meant to teacher moral lessons, the good and bad lessons to children. It's also suggesting that all people have certain "bad" thoughts, but Bettelheim's saying that everyone has good and bad in them but as long as people do the right thing it's acceptable, as long as you're not acting upon these negative thoughts.

2. How do Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purpose of Gothic?

Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purpose of the Gothic because it expands on the idea of having evil thoughts doesn't particularly make you evil- as long as they are only thoughts and not actions. This is also teaching the audience moral messages. The Gothic is basically "grown up" Fairy Tale's, in a more extreme and detailed way. The character's in Gothic are often quite difficult to categorize into good and evil because the characters contrast of both good and bad in most stories. They contrast in being good and bad, for example, because a character may be evil and dangerous but at the same time be irresistibly attractive to the reader and other characters for traits such as wealth, attractiveness power e.t.c. 

3. Why do you think Angela Carter mixes the Fairy Tale and the Gothic genres in 'The Bloody Chamber'?

Angela Carter mixes the genres of Fairy Tale and Gothic in 'The Bloody Chamber' because they are very similar genres. They are the same in the message they give to the reader, that all women need men in order to be happy and content- they do not need power, wealth or intelligence to be successful or happy, the only thing that a woman requires for their happiness is a man. They are also similar due to the repeated setting both of the genre's use, the woods. It's a Gothic setting due to it's gloominess and isolated atmosphere but in contrast at the same time the woods, in a Fairy Tale genre, can be a mysterious and enchanting, supernatural setting. 

Choose one setting Carter uses and discuss how it is significant in the telling of the story.

One setting which Carter uses in the story "The Bloody Chamber" is the Castle, which is the main setting throughout the whole story, this is significant in the telling of story because it is often used to represent the home of the rich and powerful, most commonly owned by a male who has numerous servants. In Carter's story the castle also is a symbol to imprisonment. Imprisonment because it is a place where women can be held captive and unable to escape. It is a significant setting in the tale of The Bloody Chamber because it represents the secrets of the story; the secret chambers, towers, tunnels, corpses etc. These are sexual metaphors, which is suggesting the relevance to the male and female sexual organs- this was done on purpose by Carter and purposely not hidden to enhance the atmosphere she is going for in her stories.

It is also significant because it is the place where justice is given to the Heroine and where she begins her life, and her life of shame, properly. She finds her true love (The Piano Tuner) at the castle and this love which is shared between these two characters is purely there for the reader to recognize the dramatic difference between this love and the Marquis' love for the Heroine.

The castle is an extremely important setting in the story because it shows women in a superior light as the Heroine's mother rescues her daughter from the Marquis. She travels to the castle in aid of her daughter, and with the intention to free her from the possession of her husband.

The Courtship of Mr Lyon

This is a mainly Marxist story which slight elements of feminism within it, it is the most modernized text within "The Bloody Chamber". Carter has wrote this based on the tale of Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland and other various fairy tales. The story has an extremely masculine narrative voice which links to the story being mainly based on a Marxist perspective. Unlike Carter's other stories it presents the male character as sweet and innocent as Mr Lyon has a nervous and caring nature, even though he is animalistic. It is also odd for this short story to be part of a collection in The Bloody Chamber because the men are always portrayed as being cruel, superior and incapable of truly loving someone, however in The Courtship of Mr Lyon the male character has his weakness shown within the text- this is shown by Mr Lyon being unable to carry on living without Beauty with him. Also, the woman in this story, Beauty, loses her natural beauty as the wealth corrupts her as she transforms, in contrast to this Beast transforms into a sweet and loving man; this is odd for a woman in Angela Carter's not to be presented as a victim. In the short story Beauty only ever saw herself in the Beast's eyes which suggests to the reader that she is a vain character and cruel as she never saw Beast as a person purely because of his physical traits- which makes Beauty's character appear shallow by concentrating to firmly on looks and wealth.

The Erl-King

Source 1:
This is an adaptation of a European tale.
The characters depicted in a number of German tales/poems and ballads as a malevolent creature who haunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths.
Character is most famous as an antagonist
Similar stories in numerous ballads in Scandinavia.
Source 2:
Christina Rossetti- Goblin market, Laura and Lizzie dangers of goblins and power of sisterly love.
Source 3:
Little Red Riding Hood
Source 4:
The Green Man motif has many variations
Pagan symbol
Source 5:
Shakespeare's Othello "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

The Erl-King is presented by numerous descriptions. He is presented as dangerous "Erl-King will do you grievous harm". His eyes are described like "quite green, as if from too much looking at the wood" which enhances the fact of this characters wild and inhumanly nature.

The narrator is presented as a young girl who is naive and fragile "my girlish and delicious loneliness had been made into a sound", because she is alone the reader naturally assumes she is at risk, firmly because she is a woman. However in the ending of this short story the narrator has matured and became braver, by challenging the Erl-King and then murdering him and setting the other birds free which therefore shows the character's development from childish typical naive traits to a independent, strong woman.

One of Carter's symbols in this story is the birds in the cages "birdsong from cage upon cage of singing birds" the birds represent the numerous of women he has captured and imprisoned- therefore this element of the story is a clear showing, in a feminist's perspective, of a men's treatment of women in society, how they lure them in and seduce them into committing to them and then the women are forever trapped within this commitment with no longer any control over their own lives, because with this commitment they have given themselves to the man- the woman naturally and uncontrollably becomes the man's possession and property.

Carter creates allusion and uses it by linking her story to Dracula the vampire, she does this by the Erl- King biting the women "each with the crimson imprint of his love bite on their throats", as he bites the women it creates a vampire effect within this story. With Carter linking this in this increases the Gothic form within the story, and also a Fairytale form, as vampire's are fantasy creatures and violent which therefore links to the Gothic features Carter is trying to create.