Developed Questions

On page 14, is the description of their first sexual encounter pleasurable, erotic, disgusting, uncomfortable, pornographic or something else? Explain your answer with well-chosen quotations.

The narrator takes a very blunt tone about the first sexual encounter. There is no romantic language involved and seems more violent, the act was likened to 'fighting' and a 'one sided struggle'. This suggests that it is not as romantic or as fluid as perceived but awkward and raw. The 'one sided struggle' emphasizes the power and control he has over her. The negative mood of the description shows that now the narrator has lost some of her power to him by submitting to his will and admits to feeling 'disheveled' by the loss of virginity as well as comparing it to being 'impaled' showing that for her it was not a pleasurable experience. 

On pages 16 and 17, what can you say about the language used to describe the discovered painting  – and what does that painting symbolise?
The painting is named the Sacrificial victim as is described as quite erotic with 'lace-like chains' and 'robed herself involuntarily in a blush' this related back to the narrator who blushed when derobed. The mention of 'chains' has a gothic connection to entrapment and the Marquis need to control her but also has connotations of De Sade and sadism. The painting symbolizes that the Marquis will turn the narrator into a sacrificial victim when he later tries to behead her. 

On page 17, jot down all the colours used by Carter and summarise their effect.

- Red- The colour of the blush which is a sign of innocence but also of the fire which is passion.
- White- Pale colour which was very fashionable for women at the time but suggests purity and innocence.
- Opal- an opulent and bright colour to show wealth.
- Green- Connotations of jealousy and illness, for example she feels 'giddy' with love for him.

On page 13, the husband wants to make love in the bright light of day and says, ‘All the better to see you’. Where does this phrase come from and why is it used here?

Carter has deliberately referenced red riding hood to relate back to the fairy tale world she is recreating but to also make out the Marquis as the antagonist by making him repeat he part of the wolf. This suggests the animalistic and predatory nature of the Marquis which is already suggested through his 'leonine head' and 'mane'. It could also foreshadows how he tricks the narrator later on. 

What is your opinion on the effect of Carter’s intertextuality and florid prose? 
Carter's use of intertexuality is a very subtle way of connecting to the different contexts within the story. She relates the stories directly back to original fairy tales; 'all the better to see you with' and 'Bluebeard', in order to keep to the gothic fairy tale genre and to expose the more sinister aspects. While fairy tales are meant for children some inter-textual references connect to the more adult reader as well as specific classes such as the opera 'Tristan and Isodole' or the paintings and the music. From a Marxist perspective this could suggest a certain cultural capital expressed by Carter. The florid prose used also suggests the narrator herself is of more middle stature as she has the ability and education to express herself.