The Bloody Chamber

"The Bloody Chamber" is representing a woman's womb. Carter has used this title because it's a symbol to what women have become, the view that women are only 'useful' for having children and sexual pleasure.
Characters in the story:
The Heroine- A 17 year old pianist who marries a Marquis, she isn't a wealthy person. She is the narrator to the story and is retelling it years later.
The Marquis- A French nobleman who murders his wives. Takes pleasure in challenging his wives to disobey him and then murders them if they do so. His favourite room is his "Bloody chamber" the room where he keeps the corpses of his previous wives in a disturbing museum fashion.
Yean-Yves- Piano tuner who helps the heroine escape the Marquis and in time marries her.
Heroine's mother- She is a brave woman who grew up in Indo-China and married a man who was poorer than her. Her husband had died at war which left her and her daughter alone and penniless.
The opera singer- This is the Marquis' first wife who was strangled to death. Her body lies on a catafalque in the forbidden room.
Evening star walking on the rim of the night- This is the second wife who hangs suspended by cords in the forbidden room.
Romanian Countess- This is the latest wife before the Heroine, she is murdered with the weapon of an Iron Maiden. The Narrator (Heroine) drops the key to the chamber in her blood.
Major Themes:
Bloody Chambers- The room where the violence occurs simultaneously, it is also a room which changes the heroine irrevocably.
Virginity- The Heroine's virginity is a sign of weakness an an invitation to corruption in the eyes of the Marquis. Also an invitation to violence because by taking a girls virginity a man spills her blood. When the Marquis rapes the heroine he is said to "impale" her.
Pornographic image- Picture by Rops of a clothed man sizing up a naked woman as if she is a "lamb chop". Heroine calls this "most pornographic of all confrontations". The Marquis later on then recreates this pornographic image with the Heroine, he does this by undressing her whilst he remains unclothed.
Objectification of Women- The Marquis makes the heroine into a pornographic image and indicates she always wears her collar of rubies like a dog as if he completely owns her. In more extremes, he plans to make her a literal object, a corpse, a decoration almost, in his bloody chamber next to the disturbing display of the other corpses.
Mirrors- The Heroine sees herself as a pornographic image which disturbingly arouses her, realising her complicity in her own destruction.