1. One difference between Bluebeard, and The Bloody Chamber, is the ending, in which the narrator is saved. In Bluebeard, her two brothers save her, whereas in The Bloody Chamber, her mother rescues her. I enjoy the idea of the mother being the hero, (how often does that happen?) It adds a feministic empowerment juxtaposing the oppression of the Marquis’ wives.
Another notable difference is the characteristic, ‘bluebeard’ that the husband has in Bluebeard, but lacks in The Bloody Chamber. This fairy-tale quality is left out by Carter’s modernization of the story to a more realist, (could actually happen) style. I think Carter uses the moral of the fairy tale as a basis of her work, but adapts the story so that readers can take the moral of the story and apply it their own lives (in a creepy gothic way).
2. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians and church music. She is said to have followed martyrdom after her husband and brothers. Her executioner attempted to behead her 3 times, before running away. St. Cecilia lived for 3 days after her ‘beheading’.
This intertextual knowledge adds to the reading as a great sense of foreboding. In knowing St. Cecilia’s history, it becomes clear the Marquis has long premeditated everything, even bringing in a picture symbolic of the narrator’s imminent death.
Reading Question:
The narrator sees the mark on her forehead as a “mark of shame,” because it is a constant reminder of her compulsive actions. The mark serves as a symbol of the negative effects of curiosity and giving in to temptation. The narrator was tempted into the luxurious lifestyle of the Marquis so quickly so was blind-sided to the ominous points of her husband’s wolf-like demeanor and personality traits. (I mean really, anyone with a monocle… hits pretty high on my creeper radar.)
Response to Sheena Gardner:
I liked that Sheena compares the Marquis to sphinx. He’s definitely a creeper. (Her pictures are lovely and insightful as well). Another animal-like characteristic of the Marquis is his scent of spiced leather. The narrator can sense his presence even before he makes himself known just by his scent…. And yet she deceives him (and perhaps herself) by acting surprised at his presence.
