The Snow Child

Key Term:
Allegory- a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or a political one.
Defiled- overly amorous with a corpse.
How is a feminist message contained within the "Snow Child"?
The Count creates his 'perfect woman' out of snow, and the woman/girl is naked and his daughter. His ideal woman is represented as being a young, pretty and clothe-less girl. Every time the mother of the Snow Child tries to harm her she results in being more clothed and protected, "boots leapt off the Countesses feet"- because the Countess is trying to harm the girl it is showing that she is jealous of her, it also has an element of a mixture of fantasy and reality. The Father sleeps with the Snow Child after she dies, which then adds to the feminist view of men objectifying women as simply sexual objects and possessions. A feminist called also interpret the fact that the reason the Snow Child doesn't have a voice within the story is because she isn't married like the Countess is as she has a voice. Lastly, the creator the child is the Count and not the Countess which enhances the difference between male and female roles and the presentation of men being more "powerful".
Form:
The Snow Child is the shortest of the stories and is written as a vignette, the shortness of which makes it poignant and increases it's impact to disturb the reader.
The Snow Child is very similar, almost a re-making of the fairytale "Snow White", it is similar because:

• A Prince Charming comes and kisses her on her death bed (Count defiles her as she dies)
• The Snow Child's pale skin and dark black hair, similar to the description of Snow White.

Context:

The stories are linked to feminist's wider messages.

• Angela Carter was a feminist herself
• Metamorphoses in the stories also seem to be criticising society's imposition of gender roles through patriarchy

Setting:

• "Midwinter" creating a Gothic setting as it is cold, darker and gloomy. (Exaggerating weather)
• "Invincible, immaculate" this makes it uneasy as the story is the completely the opposite to the pure and innocent beginning. (Exaggerating weather)
• "This hole is filled with blood" blood is a strong Gothic element as people only bleed whilst in pain and discomfort. 
• "Hold of blood", from a feminist's perspective this could be interpreted as the place where 'children come from'. An imperfection of a blank canvas, sexual maturity,  the menstrual cycle being seen as an imperfection. 
• The snow falling on snow symbolises generations of women as purity, being covered up by the next generation when they are no longer pure and worthy. 

Feminist theory:

This is a criticism to the feminist view as only taking into account the white middle class women. 

Feminist interpretation:

• The Snow Child is born, used for sex, then dies- this represents women's general role in society in the view of a man.
• The Countess never buys any of her belonging (e.g the clothing she loses trying to harm the child). The dependency she has on the Count represents the patriarchal system in society. 
• The Countess wanted to get rid of the Snow Child because the Count's money and attention would be spent on her instead.