[Carter believed that] the Gothic should be placed and was beginning to be placed, she concluded, in relation to reals in literature ad the visual arts and at the sae time associated with fantasy and the fantastic with the realms of imagination ad desire: novels needn't deal with domestic everyday life experience after all' their truth could lie elsewhere. The genre may have started life with Horace Walpole and neo-medivalism - a haunted castled, giant pieces of armour, an avenging ghost, a disputed inheritance - but the Gothic had since turned into something more pervasive: an aesthetic. This aesthetic had strong links with the realist-sentimental novels of Abbe Prevost, Samuel Richardson and Jean-Jacques Rousseau which preceded it […] but it was beginning to be seen as standing in stark opposition to 'safe' literary realism. Angela Carter was delighted to see, as she put it, that 'fin in this particular siecle was beginning rather earlier than usual. For, as she added, 'we live in gothic times…'
Christopher Frayling, 'Introduction', in The Gothic Reader - A Critical Anthology. (Tate, 2006).
Carter's 'Lady of The House of Love' derives from classic fairy tales Jack and the Beanstalk and also Sleeping Beauty to portray how enlightenment and death are two inseparables for the 'unhealthy beauty' of the Countess. This is evident as one kiss was sufficient to awaken Sleeping Beauty, and we are reminded that the Countess, like the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, is the natural antagonist of mankind. Ultimately, these elements of 'fantasy and the fantastic' with 'realms of imagination' contribute to the gothic convention of 'blurring of reality' as it is difficult to decipher, as the reader, the metaphysical state of the Countess.
Frayling describes how people may dismiss the gothic as it is not representative of the life in which we live - 'novels needn't deal with the domestic life and everyday experience' as the as the fact that the gothic doesn't need to be realistic to communicate a message, which in this story can be said to be true. This is because whilst the story is set in a conventional gothic castle, the story is revenant to todays society, as Carter wished ('we live in Gothic times'), by the incorporation of 'the soldier'.
Nevertheless, the fact that Carter has described 'we live in Gothic times' is evident throughout the collection of stories in 'The Bloody Chamber' as disparity between men and women. 'The Lady of the House of Love' is a prime example of this disparity. The gothic 'entrapment' of the vampire is caused by the Countess' 'unhealthy beauty' and eventually leads to her eternal sadness. Moreover, her eternal sadness is consequential of her 'unhealthy beauty' and the fact that men only objectify her - not fall in love with her.
Wednesday 13 November 2013
Fairy Tales and The Existential Predicament
Bettelheim argues that fairy tales ass new dimensions to a child's imagination, which are unreachable through their own ability, as well as the fact that they provide a structure upon which a child can base their daydreams to 'provide better direction to their life'. He also argues that some parents believe that their children should only be presented with the 'sunny side in life', and to disregard 'nameless anxieties and violent fantisies' as subconsciously, fairytales also offer an element of darkness. In the text, it is suggested that when children are not always good, they prefer not to be, which makes them believe they are a 'monster', meaning that whilst these repressed unconscious thoughts remain unspoken, they are not typically 'bad thoughts' but can be seen as natural.
Bettelheim believes that fairy tales present to a child that life offers 'unavoidable' difficulties and it is part of human exisistence and overcoming these 'hardships' well created a well-rounded character. It is argued that whilst many modern forms of fictional child literature avoids 'death' and 'eternal life', fairy tales confront these issues with the basic 'human predicaments'. Fairy tales offer evil as an omnipresent force, as good and dil are represented by a body in a figure by their actions. This offers the duality life battle of what you should do or what you want to do. The fairy tale characters are not 'ambivalent' being good or bad at the same time as in real life neither are we. Bettelheim argues that whilst polarisation is active inn the child's mind, enabling the child to see the direct opposites between two characters enables the child to distinguish the difference between the two characteristics. A conclusion can be drawn that therefore, the child has to be able to relate to the good character portrayed in a fairy tale.
1. How might Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purpose of fairy tales?
The argument provided by Bettelheim enables the adult mind to understand how a child interprets a fairy tale. The purpose of fairy tales, to Bettelheim, is to present the child with the complexities of life so their subconscious is exposed to both the good and the bad, through the polarisation of two specific character and therefore the child is able to draw its own conclusions between the differences of the 'good' character and the 'bad character', as it is more likely to be able to relate to the 'good' character.
2.How do Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purposes of the gothic?
Bettelheim's ideas can be transferred to the gothic through the fact that the gothic further exposes the polarisation between the typical female as a demure, 'damsel in distress' and a strong byronic, perhaps in some ways evil dominant male character. Also as an adult reading the gothic genre, a character like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights is an archetypal 'bad' character yet, we are drawn to him as character through his immediate dark appearance and our ability to like him is questioned. Therefore, in fairy tales it can be said that the bad character is there to be disliked, yet in the the gothic, the bad character can be arguably 'liked' as we are able to decipher what makes them bad in comparison to an essentially 'good character'.
3. Why do you think Carter mixes the fairy tale and gothic genres in 'The Bloody Chamber'?
This may be because it challenges the 'safe' fairytales we know as a child and exposes the subliminal messages involved through the gothic. As well as this, the mix of gothic and fairy tales means that the more 'subliminal' messages involved with the fairy tale as expose much more explicitly in the the dramatic genre of the gothic, and therefore as an adult make it more interesting to read. Furthermore, the mix of gothic and fairy tale means Carter is able to challenge the perception created in fairy tales through the gothic, and significantly, the portrayal of women.
Bettelheim believes that fairy tales present to a child that life offers 'unavoidable' difficulties and it is part of human exisistence and overcoming these 'hardships' well created a well-rounded character. It is argued that whilst many modern forms of fictional child literature avoids 'death' and 'eternal life', fairy tales confront these issues with the basic 'human predicaments'. Fairy tales offer evil as an omnipresent force, as good and dil are represented by a body in a figure by their actions. This offers the duality life battle of what you should do or what you want to do. The fairy tale characters are not 'ambivalent' being good or bad at the same time as in real life neither are we. Bettelheim argues that whilst polarisation is active inn the child's mind, enabling the child to see the direct opposites between two characters enables the child to distinguish the difference between the two characteristics. A conclusion can be drawn that therefore, the child has to be able to relate to the good character portrayed in a fairy tale.
1. How might Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purpose of fairy tales?
The argument provided by Bettelheim enables the adult mind to understand how a child interprets a fairy tale. The purpose of fairy tales, to Bettelheim, is to present the child with the complexities of life so their subconscious is exposed to both the good and the bad, through the polarisation of two specific character and therefore the child is able to draw its own conclusions between the differences of the 'good' character and the 'bad character', as it is more likely to be able to relate to the 'good' character.
2.How do Bettelheim's ideas help us to understand the purposes of the gothic?
Bettelheim's ideas can be transferred to the gothic through the fact that the gothic further exposes the polarisation between the typical female as a demure, 'damsel in distress' and a strong byronic, perhaps in some ways evil dominant male character. Also as an adult reading the gothic genre, a character like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights is an archetypal 'bad' character yet, we are drawn to him as character through his immediate dark appearance and our ability to like him is questioned. Therefore, in fairy tales it can be said that the bad character is there to be disliked, yet in the the gothic, the bad character can be arguably 'liked' as we are able to decipher what makes them bad in comparison to an essentially 'good character'.
3. Why do you think Carter mixes the fairy tale and gothic genres in 'The Bloody Chamber'?
This may be because it challenges the 'safe' fairytales we know as a child and exposes the subliminal messages involved through the gothic. As well as this, the mix of gothic and fairy tales means that the more 'subliminal' messages involved with the fairy tale as expose much more explicitly in the the dramatic genre of the gothic, and therefore as an adult make it more interesting to read. Furthermore, the mix of gothic and fairy tale means Carter is able to challenge the perception created in fairy tales through the gothic, and significantly, the portrayal of women.
Tuesday 12 November 2013
'Wolf-Alice' Questions
1. Make a note of two/three of the most striking pieces of description.
- 'she cannot speak'
- 'her panting tongue hangs out; her red lips are thick and fresh'
- 'she always runs on all fours'
- 'in the mirror, she saw how this white dress made her shine'
2. From the description, what sort of a character does Carter create? Does the girl seem realistic to you, or not?
From the selected quotations above, it can be described that the character creates is indefinitely both wolf and human. Throughout Carter's stories the main 'heroines' transform to embrace their bestial/lustful natures such as in 'The Tigers Bride' were she is recast as a beast. However, Wolf Alice sees the opposite of this take place. Initially Wolf Alice is described with animalistic features such as 'her panting tongue' and 'she always runs on all fours' suggesting she is intact a wolf, although this can be doubted since she is also described with human features 'red lips'. However, ultimately Carter portrays through her other stories in 'The Bloody Chamber' that there are several identifiable signs that distinguishes humans from animals which see a knowledge of morality, shame or a desire to wear clothing and a belief that we are more significant than our surrounding; all of which can be described as latent in Wolf Alice. Although, these 'identifiable characteristics' become more evident in Wolf Alice as she encounters human belongings such as the mirror and the wedding dress - 'in the mirror, she saw how this white dress made her shine', reminding the reader that we are mere beasts without a culture. From this, an inconclusive judgment can be made that Wolf Alice is neither realistic or unrealistic as whilst she posses human traits such as menstruation and a 'desire to be clothed', she also fundamentally has an animalistic, feral nature. This is because by the end of the tale, she is still recognised by her name Wolf Alice, whereas in Carter's other tale's a transformation into the realism is signified by a name change, for example, Mr Lyons.
3. Look at the name given to the character. What are the two elements with which it is made up?
The name Wolf Alice holds connotations of both human and beast. Wolf Alice together sees the character portrayed as a wolf with human qualities, due to the personification of the wolf by the human name Alice which, as reader can make the character seem unrelatable as they are simply, not human. However, it may also be argued that the name Wolf Alice creates a connection with the reader as they are drawn to the fact that the name suggests both human and beast. In addition to this, if the name was simply to be Alice or Wolf, it would alter the story completely as it would not connect with Wolf Alice's human/beast and animalistic/feral nature.
4. Which other stories in this collection may be linked to this one because of the mixture of human and animal?
Perhaps, most significantly, 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' can be said to be compared to this tale. The heroine in the tale of Mr Lyon transforms the half-beast by her kindness, whilst Wolf Alice pities the Duke as she sees him as imperfect, like she was as the wolves pitied her for being a human and a 'flawed-wolf'. Although, comparably, the beast in 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' is transferred to a human which is also represented by his changed name to Mr Lyon, whereas in the tale of Wolf Alice, whilst she takes pity on the Duke, ambiguously the story is left with the mirror reflecting 'the face of the Duke' leaving the reader unsure as to whether he has changed to a human, half beast or remains the same.
5. How do you feel towards Wolf Alice? Do you empathise with her at all? Do you like her or not?
For a time, Wolf-Alice thinks she is another creature, whose presence is reassuring to her. She gradually becomes more restrained and therefore more human because menstruating causes her to experience both the human qualities of time and shame. Wolf-Alice's encounter with the mirror can be seen as a turning point for the character as it enables her to experience her human powers. Once she sees that her reflection is her 'shadow', she understands that she controls it. Her perspective shifts from animal objectivity to human subjectivity. Once she is human on the inside, she is inspired to look human on the outside by the wedding dress 'tucked behind the mirror'. This allows empathy for Wolf Alice as the reader can feel an almost bildungsroman form as the character of Wolf Alice learns of herself at the same time that the reader does.
6. What is the function of the Duke? What does he contribute to the plot, and what would be missing if his character was not in the story?
Both Wolf Alice and the Duke can be seen as liminal characters which the mirror brings to fruition. The Duke can be seen as half being in two ways; firstly that he is half beast half wolf and secondly that he is trapped between the physical and metaphysical worlds. This is most apparent as he can be seen as 'real' enough to eat and kill people, but 'not real enough' to cast a reflection in the mirror, making him appear as if dead. As the mirror witnesses Wolf Alice transform from beast into human, we also see the Duke transforming after he is shot, and is barely able to remain in the metaphysical world.
- 'she cannot speak'
- 'her panting tongue hangs out; her red lips are thick and fresh'
- 'she always runs on all fours'
- 'in the mirror, she saw how this white dress made her shine'
2. From the description, what sort of a character does Carter create? Does the girl seem realistic to you, or not?
From the selected quotations above, it can be described that the character creates is indefinitely both wolf and human. Throughout Carter's stories the main 'heroines' transform to embrace their bestial/lustful natures such as in 'The Tigers Bride' were she is recast as a beast. However, Wolf Alice sees the opposite of this take place. Initially Wolf Alice is described with animalistic features such as 'her panting tongue' and 'she always runs on all fours' suggesting she is intact a wolf, although this can be doubted since she is also described with human features 'red lips'. However, ultimately Carter portrays through her other stories in 'The Bloody Chamber' that there are several identifiable signs that distinguishes humans from animals which see a knowledge of morality, shame or a desire to wear clothing and a belief that we are more significant than our surrounding; all of which can be described as latent in Wolf Alice. Although, these 'identifiable characteristics' become more evident in Wolf Alice as she encounters human belongings such as the mirror and the wedding dress - 'in the mirror, she saw how this white dress made her shine', reminding the reader that we are mere beasts without a culture. From this, an inconclusive judgment can be made that Wolf Alice is neither realistic or unrealistic as whilst she posses human traits such as menstruation and a 'desire to be clothed', she also fundamentally has an animalistic, feral nature. This is because by the end of the tale, she is still recognised by her name Wolf Alice, whereas in Carter's other tale's a transformation into the realism is signified by a name change, for example, Mr Lyons.
3. Look at the name given to the character. What are the two elements with which it is made up?
The name Wolf Alice holds connotations of both human and beast. Wolf Alice together sees the character portrayed as a wolf with human qualities, due to the personification of the wolf by the human name Alice which, as reader can make the character seem unrelatable as they are simply, not human. However, it may also be argued that the name Wolf Alice creates a connection with the reader as they are drawn to the fact that the name suggests both human and beast. In addition to this, if the name was simply to be Alice or Wolf, it would alter the story completely as it would not connect with Wolf Alice's human/beast and animalistic/feral nature.
4. Which other stories in this collection may be linked to this one because of the mixture of human and animal?
Perhaps, most significantly, 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' can be said to be compared to this tale. The heroine in the tale of Mr Lyon transforms the half-beast by her kindness, whilst Wolf Alice pities the Duke as she sees him as imperfect, like she was as the wolves pitied her for being a human and a 'flawed-wolf'. Although, comparably, the beast in 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' is transferred to a human which is also represented by his changed name to Mr Lyon, whereas in the tale of Wolf Alice, whilst she takes pity on the Duke, ambiguously the story is left with the mirror reflecting 'the face of the Duke' leaving the reader unsure as to whether he has changed to a human, half beast or remains the same.
5. How do you feel towards Wolf Alice? Do you empathise with her at all? Do you like her or not?
For a time, Wolf-Alice thinks she is another creature, whose presence is reassuring to her. She gradually becomes more restrained and therefore more human because menstruating causes her to experience both the human qualities of time and shame. Wolf-Alice's encounter with the mirror can be seen as a turning point for the character as it enables her to experience her human powers. Once she sees that her reflection is her 'shadow', she understands that she controls it. Her perspective shifts from animal objectivity to human subjectivity. Once she is human on the inside, she is inspired to look human on the outside by the wedding dress 'tucked behind the mirror'. This allows empathy for Wolf Alice as the reader can feel an almost bildungsroman form as the character of Wolf Alice learns of herself at the same time that the reader does.
6. What is the function of the Duke? What does he contribute to the plot, and what would be missing if his character was not in the story?
Both Wolf Alice and the Duke can be seen as liminal characters which the mirror brings to fruition. The Duke can be seen as half being in two ways; firstly that he is half beast half wolf and secondly that he is trapped between the physical and metaphysical worlds. This is most apparent as he can be seen as 'real' enough to eat and kill people, but 'not real enough' to cast a reflection in the mirror, making him appear as if dead. As the mirror witnesses Wolf Alice transform from beast into human, we also see the Duke transforming after he is shot, and is barely able to remain in the metaphysical world.
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