Task eleven: final task, form of The Bloody Chamber

Magical realism: magical realism is a genre in which magic elements are natural within the mundane world, which is otherwise realistic. It is often used in fairy tales.

Task ten: more complex

The appearance of clothing within this text is important. Carter describes the Marquis dressing the narrator up in rich clothes, ‘sinuous shift of white muslin tied with a silk string under the breasts’. This description shows how the narrator has been taught to please her husband, as she focuses on areas of her body that appeal to men. In addition to this, the narrator also describes the ruby choker in lots of detail, ‘two inches wide, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat’. The choker represents the control the Marquis initially has over her, as well as foreshadowing the way in which he tries to kill her at the end of the story.

Appearance is also important in the way in which characters look. For example, Jean-Yves is described as looking both ‘young’ and ‘innocent’, traits that the narrator herself has. However, unlike the narrator, Jean-Yves is blind and therefore cannot hold the power of the male gaze over the narrator, thus allowing her to hold the power in their relationship.

Task nine: developed questions

11)      Carter’s description of their first sexual encounter is thoroughly unpleasent. The word ‘impaled’ implies pain rather than pleasure. It also has connotations of force rather than willingness. Furthermore, the narrator adopts a third person tone, showing that she is telling a retrospective tale.

22)      Carter uses language with connotations of entrapment, ‘chains’, in order to show the control and power the Marquis holds over his wives. This theme of entrapment is also recurrent in the gothic genre. The painting symbolises the Marquis’  greed for material possessions as well as his desire for control.

33)                             – ‘reddenned’, shows the embarrassment of the wife, told from the Marquis’ perspective                         so it is used to sexualise the woman, also a very sexualised description of her, shows he                       had power over her

-          ‘brown girl’, gives the impression that the girl is plain, from a Marxist persepctive makes the narrator seem harsh, lower class than the narrator and Marquis

-          ‘thin white face’, gothic, mirrors the skull in the bloody chamber

-          ‘green flame’, seems supernatural, another gothic feature, green for jealousy over other wives

-          ‘red firelight’ , sounds initially romantic, could also be hellish fire, foreshadowing the bloody chamber itself

44)      The phrase ‘all the better to see you’ comes from the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Carter uses it here to emphasise the fairy tale genre of the story, and also to reflect how predatory the Marquis is. It also reflects the innosence of the narrator.

55)      Carter’s use of florid prose emphasises the fact that the narrator, whilst of a lower class than the Marquis, is not quit working class. From a Marxist perspective this would be a reason why she can have power of Jean-Yves, as she is of a higher social status. Furthermore, the use of florid prose makes the structure of the story flow more. Her use of intertextual references adds another dimension to the story, and allows the reader to draw the meaning from what Carter is saying more easily.

Task eight: basic questions

11)      Carter describes the ruby choker as being ‘like an extraordinarily precious slit throat’, foreshadowing the way in which the Marquis tries to kill her later on in the story. The fact that it is a ‘ruby’ necklace shows how rich the Marquis is. From a marxist perspective he gives her a choker made of rubies because it is a way in which he can control her, as she is of a lower class than he is. In addition to this, Carter also describes the choker as a ‘cruel necklace’, which shows how the narrator acknowledges the control he has over her.

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22)      Through the narrator’s description of herself as an ‘exile’ in marriage suggests that she is reluctant to become married, as exile is forced. From a feminist perspective, the narrator would be unhappy about marriage because it is a social expectation for a woman to get married, whether she wants to or not. Furthermore, from this the reader can infer that she is not marrying the Marquis for love, but rather for social position.

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33)      The girl gains power and confidence from the Marquis’ ‘chaffing’. However, this confidence could simply be a show, as she would be expected to act in such a way by the Marquis. The girl also gains this confidence from the presence of the key, as it symbolises the forbidden knowledge she will find within the bloody chamber.

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44)      The usual hero structure is altered during this scene because Jean-Yves, who the reader would expect to be the hero, is passive, simply stating the obvious, ‘you have no more time’. However, the narrator is the active one, ‘I dealt with the keys’, therefore inverting the usual stereotypes of a hero.

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55)      The Marquis views women simply as objects. This is evident through the bloody chamber itself, and the way in which he displays the bodies of his dead wives, ‘ he had embalmed her’. This shows that, even after they die, the Marquis feels the need to control them and to have power over them. 

Task seven: more definitions

Aesthete- A person who appreciates arts and beauty.

Aigrette- A headdress made of white Egret feathers and elaborately decorated, usually with jewels

Avarice- Extreme greed for material possessions and wealth

Baroque- A detailed movement in art, music and decoration during the 17^th and 18^th century following Mannerism, most recognisable for the intricate scrollwork

Bier- A movable frame on which a coffin sits in before burial to be carried to the grave.

Billets-doux- Love Letters

Carillon- Bells playing on an automatic mechanism attached to a keyboard

Carnal- physical, usually sexual, needs and desires

Catafalque- Wooden framework decorating or supporting the coffin of a distinguished person

Chthonic- An inhabitant of or someone related to the underworld

Dolorous- feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress

Eldritch- Weird, sinister or ghostly

Enfer- French for ‘Hell’

Gourmand- Someone who is gluttonous, French for greedy

Immolated- Sacrificed or killed, specifically by burning

Importunate- persistent to the point of being annoying

Interdiction- the military act of delaying, disrupting or destroying enemy forces/supplies en route to the battlefield

Jinn- An Arab or Muslim spirit believed to possess humans and appear in human or animal form. They are intelligent but lower form of angels

Lisle- black cotton thread used in stockings

Loge- A private enclosure or box in the theatre

Loquacity- Quality of talking a lot

Lustratory- relating to the ceremony of purification

missal- A book containing the Catholic mass texts used in church

nacreous- iridescent, luminous and changing colour

parure- A collection of jewels intended to be worn as a set

rictus- A fixed grimace or grin

sacerdotal- relating or priests or the doctrine the empowers priests

sadomasochistic- deriving pleasure from the physical or mental pain of oneself or other people

sardonic- Grinning in a mocking or cynical way

trousseau-  clothes and linen collected by a bride for her marriage

vellum- paper made from the skin of a lamb or calf

vicuna- a species of llama in South America known for its silky wool

viscera- Internal organs

voluptuary- A person dedicated to luxury or sensual pleasure

Task six: intertextual references 

Mark of Cain: the mark of protection God put on Cain after he killed Abel. The mark made it so that no man could harm Cain without feeling the same effects multiplied

Catherine de Medici: daughter of Lorenzo de Medici II, Italian noblewoman, queen of France, also ruled as regent of France for one of her sons, was mother of three kings of France, essentially kept the family in power due to all the civil wars in France at the time

Croesus: an extremely rich ancient king, one of the first kingdoms to mint coins, said to have gotten his wealth from King Midas who, in Greek mythology, could turn things into solid gold with one touch, lost his kingdom to the Persians after misinterpreting something the oracle said to him

Tristan and Isolde (opera): the tragic story of two lovers, Tristan a knight and Isolde a princess, who fall in love and ultimately die

Felicien Rops (artist): a Belgian artist, best known for his printmaking. Hiw work mainly features sex, death and satanic imageray

La-Bas (novel) : a book by the French writer Joris-Karl Huysmans. The title translated as Down there or The Damned. The plot centres around a writer called Durtal who is dusgusted by the vulgar nature of modern society, and so turns to studying the Middle Ages. Through this research he discovers that satanism is still alive in France and, with his lover, begin to investigate. The story ends with a black mass.

Grand Guignol: a theatre in Paris, France that specialised in horror shows

Rape of Sabines: an event in ancient Roman history where the first generation of Roman men kidnapped women from neighbouring Sabine families to take as wives.

St Cecilia: the patron saint of musicians. Her name means ‘blind’. She became a martyr after being struck three times on the neck by a sword and then living for three days afterwards

Pandora’s box: a box was given to Pandora that contained all the evils of the world. Despite having been told not to open it, she does open it and releases all the evils. However, hope had also been put into the box.

Paul Poiret: a French fashion designer, best known for ‘freeing women from corsets’

Bluebeard – Charles Perrault:
THERE was a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as to have ablue¹ beard, which made him so frightfully ugly that all the women and girls ran away from him.

One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. They would neither of them have him, and sent him backward and forward from one another, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who had a blue beard,² and what besides gave them disgust and aversion was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody ever knew what became of them.

Bluebeard,³ to engage their affection, took them, with the lady their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighborhood, to one of his country seats,⁴where they stayed a whole week.

There was nothing there to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short, everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to think the master of the house not to have a beard so very blue, and that he was a mighty civil gentleman.

As soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded. About a month afterward, Bluebeard told his wife that he was obliged to take a country journey for six weeks⁵ at least, about affairs of very great consequence, desiring her to divert herself in his absence, to send for her friends and acquaintances, to carry them into the country, if she pleased, and to make good cheer wherever she was.

"Here," said he, "are the keys⁶ of the two great wardrobes,⁷ wherein I have my best furniture; these are of my silver and gold plate, which is not every day in use; these open my strong boxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; these my caskets⁸ of jewels; and this is the master-key to all my apartments.⁹ But for this little one here, it is the key of the closet¹⁰ at the end of the great gallery¹¹ on the ground floor. Open them all; go into all and every one of them, except that little closet, which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, there's nothing but what you may expectfrom my just anger and resentment."¹²

She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; when he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.

Her neighbors and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the new married lady, so great was their impatience to see all the rich furniture of her house, not daring to come while her husband was there, because of his blue beard, which frightened them. They ran through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.

After that they went up into the two great rooms, where was the best and richest furniture; they could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables,and looking-glasses,¹³ in which you might see yourself from head to foot; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent ever were seen.

They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet on the ground floor. She was so much pressed byher curiosity¹⁴ that, without considering that it was very uncivil to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her neck.¹⁵

Coming to the closet-door, she made a stop for some time, thinking upon her husband's orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient;¹⁶ but the temptation¹⁷ was so strong she could not overcome it. She then took the little key, and opened it, trembling, but could not at first see anything plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that the floor was all covered over with clotted blood,¹⁸ on which lay the bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were all the wives whom Bluebeard had married and murdered, one after another.) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key, which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.

After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key, locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover herself; but she could not, she was so much frightened. Having observed that the key of the closet was stained with blood,¹⁹ she tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the blood would not come out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand;²⁰ the blood still remained, for the key was magical²¹ and she could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other.

Bluebeard returned from his journey the same evening, and said he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return.²²

Next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened.

"What!" said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?"

"I must certainly have left it above upon the table," said she.

"Fail not to bring it to me presently," said Bluebeard.

After several goings backward and forward she was forced to bring him the key. Bluebeard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife, "How comes this blood upon the key?"

"I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death.

"You do not know!" replied Bluebeard. "I very well know. You were resolved to go into the closet, were you not? Mighty well, madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there."

Upon this she threw herself at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon with all the signs of true repentance,²³ vowing that she would never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Bluebeard had a heart harder than any rock!²⁴

"You must die, madam," said he, "and that presently."

"Since I must die," answered she (looking upon him with her eyes all bathed in tears), "give me some little time to say my prayers."²⁵

"I give you," replied Bluebeard, "half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more."

When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her:  "Sister Anne"²⁶ (for that was her name), "go up, I beg you, upon the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming over; they promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste."

Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted wife cried out from time to time: "Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?"²⁷

And sister Anne said: "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which looks green."

In the meanwhile Bluebeard, holding a great sabre²⁸ in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife: "Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you."

"One moment longer, if you please," said his wife, and then she cried out very softly, "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see anybody coming?"

And sister Anne answered: "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which is green."

"Come down quickly," cried Bluebeard, "or I will come up to you."

"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried, "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou not see anyone coming?"

"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great dust, which comes on this side here."

"Are they my brothers?"

 "Alas! no,²⁹ my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep."

"Will you not come down?" cried Bluebeard.

"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out: "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?"

"I see," said she, "two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off."

"God be praised," replied the poor wife joyfully; "they are my brothers; I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to make haste."

Then Bluebeard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. The distressed wife came down, and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders.

"This signifies nothing," says Bluebeard; "you must die"; then, taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor lady, turning about to him, and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself.

"No, no," said he, "recommend thyself to God," and was just ready to strike . . .

At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that Bluebeard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and presently entered two horsemen, who, drawing their swords, ran directly to Bluebeard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a dragoon,³⁰the other a musketeer,³¹ so that he ran away immediately to save himself; but the two brothers pursued so close that they overtook him before he could get to the steps of the porch, when they ran their swords through his body and left him dead. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise and welcome her brothers.

Bluebeard had no heirs,³² and so his wife became mistress of all his estate. She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved her a long while;³³ another partto buy captains commissions³⁴ for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had passed with Bluebeard.

Task five: research the Marquis de Sade

Writing: he is best known for his ‘libertine novels’, which take traditional gothic elements and exaggerates them. They also challenge preceptions of issues such as sexuality, religion,law and age. He is also known for his gothic novels, which have been widely descibed as being pornograophic in nature. Some of his best known works are Justine, Juliette  and Philosophy in the Bedroom.

Sexual preferences: he was fairly liberal in his sexaul preferences, sleeping with both men and women

Task four: research Charles Baudelaire

Born 1821, died 1867

He lived and worked in France, mainly Paris

Unlike his romantic predecessors, he criticised romanticism and felt that there was beauty in the modern age

However, he is like the romantic poets because he led a friviolous lifestyle, spending lots of money on drink. He believed in the ‘art for art’s sake’ concept, however he felt personally that too much emphasis was put on art

His first and most famous collection of poems was the book The Flowers of Evil, published in 1857
the two themes that have been most heavily criticised are the themes of sex and death, which both caused a great outrage at the time

In 1841 his stepfather sent him on a sea voyage to Calcutta in India in the hope of stopping his dissolute habits

His poems were banned for over a hundred years due to their shocking content 

Task three: Research Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm

Perrault: born 1628 died 1703, most famous for inventing the modern style/retelling of old traditional tales into modern day fairy tales (although he did not intend his stories to be for children), his most famous book was the Donkeyskin, this was published in 1695 in France, he used traditional stories and folk tales as inspiration for his stories, the story Donkeyskin later appeared in his book Tales of Stories of the Past along with ten others

Brothers Grimm: their first book was published in 1812 in Germany, they wrote over 200 stories that were published however many also went unpublished, they drew their influence from Charles Perrault and German folk stories

Task two: research Angela Carter

Born: 7^th May 1940

Died: 16^th February 1992

Lived in: Eastbourne, Yorkshire, London, Bristol, Tokyo, USA, Asia, Europe, Sheffield and Australia

How is she linked to Jane Eyre?: at the time of her death she was planning to write a sequel to the book, based on the life of the step daughter Adele.

Genres: gothic, fairy tale, magical realism, romance, erotica, non-fiction, children’s stories, journalist, postmodernism, post Freudianism, bildungsroman

Times List of Best Writers Since 1945: she came 10^th

Influences:  surrealism, feminism, Marxism, de Sade, Goethe, Schubert, her mother, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Lawrence, Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge, Mansfield, Woolf, Dickens, Keats, Stoker, Carroll, Bataille, Irigaray, De Beauvoir, Genette, Barthes, Japanese culture and her other travels

Task one: definitions

Leonine – something that resembles a lion

 Fugue – 1) short piece of music in which a melody is introduced by one party, and then successively taken up by others (like singing in a round), 2) a loss of awareness of one’s identity

Rococo – furniture or architecture that is characterised by its elaborately ornamental style of decoration. Popular in the 18^th century

 Minimalist – 1) someone who follows the 1950s minimalist movement, characterised by the use of simple, massive forms, 2) musical movement characterised by the repetition of short phrases, creating a hypnotic effect

Chamber music – instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with only one player to a part, focusing on the string quartet

Florid – 1) having a red or flushed complexion, 2) excessively intricate or elaborate