Feral Children

When I first heard the word 'feral', I thought it meant diseased or something. It doesn't. It actually means 'wild' children. The most notable example of a feral child in today's society is Genie. (I knew English Language would come in handy some day.) Genie was born in 1957 and spent the first 13 years of her life strapped to a potty in her windowless bedroom. She had no socialisation with the outside world, her father forbid Genie's brother and sister to communicate with her and most nights she was strapped into her sleeping back in a metal crib. If Genie attempted to vocalise her father communicated by grunting or making inaudible noises. To this day she can only string together two word sentences and nearly all are negative such as 'stop it' or 'no more'.This is very shocking I know, but unfortunately it happened. When her mother took Genie and escaped from her father they went to a welfare office. Genie was thought to be autistic until her mother explained everything. She was cared for for months in intensive care. her father committed suicide shortly after Genie was found. She underwent much psychotherapy but unfortunately is still unable to comprehend the English language and even struggles to walk properly.

Not sure what this will link to regarding a story from The Bloody Chamber collection though.

The Key Elements of Gothic

In my opinion there are about five main key features of Gothic texts that are prominent and reoccurring.
1. Sex - You really can't escape sex in Gothic literature. Dracula; sexual imagery is in abundance such as Freud's theory about the tree's representing penis's and walking up and down the stairs representing intercourse. Not to mention the brides or the scene in the abbey. In  The Bloody Chamber collection, the idea of sex is very prominent; the mirrors 'twelve husbands impaling twelve brides'. Puss in Boots; 'I gave her the obligatory few thrusts'. The Snow Child; 'he thrust his virile member' need I go on?

2. Punishment - Dracula; Lucy is punished for being a little bit on the flirty side, Harker is punished (by the visits from the brides and by becoming trapped in the castle) for sleeping somewhere else in the castle besides his bedroom. Dr Faustus; quite obviously, Faustus is ultimately punished by the Devil for selling his soul in the first place. The Bloody Chamber; The Marquise gets punished for going into the Marquis' room by nearly being decapitated.

3. Death - Probably on a parr with sex in Gothic literature. Dracula; people have to die in order for the vampires to live. Lucy dies twice. In Faustus, the doctor dies in the end, but he also has a flare for necromancy with the whole bringing Helen of Troy temporarily back to life. And in The Bloody Chamber, it's everywhere. The Marquis' museum of wives, The Lady of The House of Love has plenty of death- lads die for her to live.

Other Gothic elements such as the corruption of religion are also prominent but not as obvious as those above.

Endings in The Bloody Chamber collection

The Bloody Chamber

The ending of The Bloody Chamber shows a role reversal in characters. It is down to female intuition that the protagonist is saved. The mother hears down the phone that her daughter feels unsettled, therefore acts upon it by riding right over there with a gun. The Marquis gets shot by the mother, another example of role reversal and female power, and on a metaphorical level, the gun could represent modern times; the Marquis lives in a very old castle, his weapons are medieval and his weapon of choice for killing his latest wife is a sword, therefore the gun could represent modern times conquering the old days.
We know that the story is set in retrospect; "I remember how..." so the reader understands that the ending to the story is what transforms her into a much wiser person. The marriage between her and the blind piano tuner represents unity, which before there was none regarding the marriage of the daughter and the Marquis. And their donations to charities and opening of a music school shows their good will, kindness and development - they have taken something terrible; their marriage, the deaths etc, and made it into something beautiful.

The Courtship of Mr Lyon

Role reversal is another great theme in this story, as it is in The Bloody Chamber. The ending of the story shows the woman to be the saviour. She breaks her promise to Mr Lyon and vanity takes over her life. But when she finally goes back to Mr Lyon, it is almost too late, but she does indeed save his life. Mr Lyon goes through a metamorphosis, although it is pretty ambiguous. But nevertheless he is then considered to be 'human' and they live ''happily ever after''; which fits into the fairy-tale theme which runs through the story.

The Tiger's Bride

This story is very similar to 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' in a way that at the ending of the story, there is another transformation; but this time it is of the woman - she transforms into a beast. The fact that they are now both beasts, and both equal, shows a unity between them. It could also show that they have become humans in their most natural state, the woman has embraced her beastial side. The ending of the story also shows that the woman has learned a lesson. Before in the story she is told that ''a lamb must learn to run with the lion'', meaning that she shouldn't mock men and have the attitude towards them like she does at the start; (that they are either weak like her father or have a lust for power like the beast). She has dropped her arrogant facade (represented metaphorically by the crumbling of the building) and has learned to ''run with the lion''. She can now be empowered. The diamond earrings return back to their natural state which symbolises forgiveness, and also ties in with the idea that everything has returned to its natural state- even the house has crumbled down so they can live in the outdoors; in nature. In a way, the ending of this story is a bit like the Romantic ideals; that everything to do with nature and naturalness is sacred.

'The Green Man'

The Green Man is usually a sculpture of a masculine face which is covered with leaves or vegetation. He is known as the symbol of rebirth or the cycle of life. he usually comes in one of three forms;
1. The Foliated Head - completely covered in greenery
2. The Disgorging Head - spews vegetation from mouth
3. The Bloodsucker Head - vegetation comes out of every orifice.

Although argued as a symbol from Paganism, some suggest it was brought to Europe. Some of the earliest examples have been found in Jerusalem c. 2nd century, and also examples in Borneo, Nepal and India c. 8th century.

In Paganism, The Green Man is a sign of the fertility of the man of the woods. The earliest examples of him have him sprutting vegetation from every orifice, like The Bloodsucker Head, but with a face completely covered in foliage. A sculpture has been found to be dated from c.400AD. The Pagan's apparently found The Green Man eerie and mysterious. Wicca suggest he is linked with magical powers. In Neo-Paganism, he is considered a horned God or a syncretic deity, linking back to fertility then. If his face begins to sprout leaves or foliage, it is a symbol of 'becoming one with nature'.

Other cultural references include a Green Man called 'Khidir' in Islam, in which he symbolises the dismembering and re-birth of Khidir. There are many prophecy's concerning him and the end of time. It is also noted that he is known for his tireless enthusiasm.
In Egypt, he is known as 'Osiris', he is a corn deity and also represents vegetation, re-birth and resurrection.

However in modern culture, he is mostly decorative. We've got one on our shed. His sculpture went through many rises of popularity, especially in the Gothic revival. It is also suggested that the character of Robin Hood is linked some how to the Green Man, as they are both men of woods, I assume.

The Character of Puss

The story of Puss In Boots presents us with the first male narrator in Angela Carter's collection. He is very different to the characters of the female narrators, and is even quite unlike any of the male characters in the other stories. Portrayed as the 'Brighella', Puss is the servant of a soldier, helping him to seduce women and acquire food. From the start, the reader is aware that the cat is sexually promiscuous; "...can slip into my lady's chamber". Even his linguistic prowess suggests his obsession for sex; "Merrrrrrci!".

Puss uses his wit and manipulative charm in order to gain, be it food or information. Although it is written that they are poverished; "[we] never go hungry." But it does connotate prostitution, Puss's run-in with the Tabby suggests he uses sex to gain things. Though, he seems to be mature and experienced. His language which is predominantly long sentences with many pauses allows the readers internal monologue to create a sophisticated yet knowledgeable voice. However the reader is reminded of the fairy-tale-like aspect to the story; he is after all, a talking cat.

Finally the reader is aware that Puss dislikes the idea of love. He feels it is a dangerous conquest. This could be his animalistic qualities setting in; as animals do not fall in love, or it could be part of his 'Brighella' character. We know that the Brighella is a loyal servant, but wants the company of his master to himself, he is scheming and often devious, which indeed, Puss is; "Then Master and his Puss will soon be solvent once again." It could also be argued that Puss is slightly homo-erotic; for he is trying to lead his master out of love, and; "...if he doesn't like me to knead his nipples, which, out of the purest affection and desire...".

But, one thing that makes him similar to a male Gothic character? His love for corrupting women; "then what other valet could slip into a young girl's sacred privacy and deliver her a billet-doux at the very moment when she's reading her prayerbook with her sainted mother?" Classic. I expect we will see Puss scheme up a plan to rouse his Master out of love, it could go wrong or not.

Commedia Dell'arte

The Commedia Dell'arte is a type of theatre which has been characterised by the masks the characters wear. It began in Italy in the late 16th century and spawned improvised performances based on stories, scenarios and sketches. The closest translation of Commedia dell'arte is 'comedy of the craft of improvisation'. This type of theatre was known for its elaborate settings, many props and colourful costumes. They often performed in the streets with temporary settings so that everyone could watch the performances free of charge, but after growing wildly popular, they often performed in front of nobility.

The characters were based on 'stock characters', based on stereotypes, such as foolish men or devious servants.

4 Characters

Arlecchino (The Harlequin)

While the Arlecchino was primarily perceived as being stupid and often gluttonous, he was also there for his nimble, physical ability and performed the acrobatics the audiences expected to see. Typically, he is cast as the servant to the master. Interestingly, he often has a love interest, and is only deterred from her by the fear of his master or by food. By the late 18th century, he was viewed more as a hopeless romantic.

Brighella

A comic of the Commedia, due to his outfit/costume, he was generally viewed for his preternatural lust and greed. Often portrayed as a servant, or a member of the middle class, such as a tavern owner. He is a masterful liar, and can make up things on the spot. A good schemer, if he is playing the part of a servant, he is either very loyal to his master or is looking for any opportunity to ruin him. He spends money like it's going out of fashion on things like food and drink, so he is a gluttonous character. Although he's a bit of a villain, he is an accomplished musician and dancer and is often very witty on stage.

Scaramuccia (Scaramouche)

(I picked this one because it's in Bohemian Rhapsody yeah). Quite an interesting character, he always wears black and a black mask. He is a clown and entertains the audiences. He is usually portrayed as a boastful clown or a buffoon. He is often beaten by the Harlequin for being boastful or for his cowardice.

Innamorati

'The Lovers' are over dramatic in every way with every emotion they express. They complain when they're together, but when they finally meet, (get your sick buckets ready), they can't express themselves in awe at their partner. They usually need help from a lesser person (a servant) to help express their feelings about seeing their lover again. They throw tantrums like a child, they stomp feet, cry and pout. Both are selfish and self centered. As well as being in love with themselves and apparently each other, they are in love with the idea of LOVE itself and what love is.They are in the play to be in love, nothing more. They are often young people, the female wearing expensive silk and jewellery whilst the male wears solider like attire. They both wear extravagant wigs and change various times between costumes during the length of the play.

Final Thoughts On 'The Bloody Chamber'

Nice creepy little picture there.

So, we have finished The Bloody Chamber, so here are my thoughts about it overall, and my thoughts about then ending of the short story.

First of all; the ending. I thought that when the Marquise was told that she was going to be punished through decapitation, she was very calm about it. She is a very passive character, she doesn't protest against him, and when she's waiting, she doesn't try to escape. This could be for many reasons, she may find the attempt fruitless, because she knows how cunning her husband can be, or she herself may feel like she needs to be punished, though she;s not actually done anything incredibly wrong, so she just accepts her head needs to come off.

I do believe in female intuition, but I think that the whole thing about her mother knowing to come and save her daughter is a little far fetched.

Major themes in The Bloody Chamber

Punishment

These Gothics and their punishment. The Marquis thinks that she is the one that's done wrong by him disobeying his 'rule'. By her disobeying him, it allows him to justify his own sin, it's a bit of a vicious circle, because as the wife disobeys, she dies then the next wife will disobey, then she dies etc. I watched a film once (I think it was a film) about this guy, his motive behind murder was that he was banishing sinful women from the world. A bit like 'doing God's work' only it wasn't gods work, he just did it for the lols I assume.

Sexual Connotations

What's a Gothic tale without a bit of sex. There's plenty of it in The Bloody Chamber. At the very beginning she's on a train, which according to Freud, the train is a phallic symbol and the movement of the train (it's rhythmic...thing) symbolises sex. It continues like this; "12 husbands penetrating 12 brides" etc.

Power and The Male Gaze

As I mentioned above, the mirrors for the Marquis represent power, the more he sees himself doing stuff (like the 12 husbands/12 brides thing) the more powerful he is. Hopefully not too many of you have read American Psycho by Bret Ellison because it is a VILE book, but it's the same story there, he likes to look at himself in a mirror whilst having sex because a) he's a psycho and b) he likes to feel powerful. Moving onto the male gaze, what's interesting is that the blind piano tuner, because he is blind, has no male gaze, which could be why she falls in love with him, or it could be because then he doesn't conform to male gender stereotypes which is another major theme of the novella.

VERY quick overview of the story I know.