Presentation of the Male Character and Interpretations
1. How it the young man presented? pages 111-112
The young man is presented as a stereotypical hero and represents a new world which contrasts to the Countesses ancestral ties which he overthrows by setting her free.
Specifically he is...
- Heroic, sterotypical image 'Blond, blue-eyed, heavy-muscled' showing images of strength, fertility and (blonde being a colour associated with fertility also commonly linked with goodness and beauty. It also, in fairy tales and folklore was the hair colour most favoured by the supernatural who were drawn to blond humans.)
- Innocent, he is seemingly unaware of the impact of his adventure or any apparent danger he might be in. 'he saw all the humour of it: 'on two wheels in the land of the vampires''
- Rational, shows a strong mind and the values of the new world which puts rationality at its forefront. 'he had chosen the most rational mode of transport' 'pure reason'.
- A virgin, usually the position reserved for women of the Gothic is it stated here, 'the special quality of virginity' to highlight the fact that while these traits are questioned about women nobody questions a man. But also suggests that there may be some power through it that combines 'unknowingness' and 'glamour'.
The young man is presented as a stereotypical hero and represents a new world which contrasts to the Countesses ancestral ties which he overthrows by setting her free.
Specifically he is...
- Heroic, sterotypical image 'Blond, blue-eyed, heavy-muscled' showing images of strength, fertility and (blonde being a colour associated with fertility also commonly linked with goodness and beauty. It also, in fairy tales and folklore was the hair colour most favoured by the supernatural who were drawn to blond humans.)
- Innocent, he is seemingly unaware of the impact of his adventure or any apparent danger he might be in. 'he saw all the humour of it: 'on two wheels in the land of the vampires''
- Rational, shows a strong mind and the values of the new world which puts rationality at its forefront. 'he had chosen the most rational mode of transport' 'pure reason'.
- A virgin, usually the position reserved for women of the Gothic is it stated here, 'the special quality of virginity' to highlight the fact that while these traits are questioned about women nobody questions a man. But also suggests that there may be some power through it that combines 'unknowingness' and 'glamour'.
- Doomed, he is picked out as part of 'that generation for whom history was already prepared' this suggests a touch of destiny and and being trapped by a fate which is also seen through the Countess. He is to experience his 'fate in the trenches of France'.
2. What is the significance of the Bicycle?
The bicycle for the young man is his protection against superstition as for him it is the 'most rational mode of transport'. Carter has used it to symbolise the rationality of mankind in this new era of 'pubescent years of the present century'. It also is a modern invention that contrast sharply the Countesses aging world and shows a clash between past and present. Lastly it is a phallic symbol, 'two spheres and a straight line' which Carter has used to foreshadow the Countesses downfall at the hands of men.
3. What might be the significance of 'he gratefully washed his feet and hands' in the village fountain?
- Cleansing
- Religious imagery of washing and 'gratefully'
- He is oblivious to any apparent danger and shows his ignorance
4. 'Curiouser and curiouser' What does this suggest about the young man? Which other characters are you reminded of?
- Inter-textual reference to Alice in Wonderland showing his youth and inexperience
- He is inquisitive to the point that he is blind to danger
- The Father in Courtship of Mr Lyons is also lured in to the house.
5. The crone is described as bringing the young man to 'Juliet's tomb'. What is the significance of this inter-textual reference.
The word Juliet shows connotations of doomed lovers which have been forboded throughout with the tarot cards reading; 'Les Amouraux' and 'Le mort' (the lovers and death).
Romeo and Juliet's death however came about just to mistakes and misunderstanding which foreshadows the dropping of the glasses, a mistake on behalf of the Countess who is unable to kill him. This breaks the spell on her and she becomes human and ultimately dies leaving the room as 'juliet's tomb'. This also links in with fate and creates the question of 'star-crossed lovers' and love instead of sex.
6. 'What a grisly picture of a capering skeleton! He covered it up with a happier one, two young lovers, smiling at one another...' How is the young man presented here? What might Carter's purposes be?
Here his innocence tries to hide death and could suggest many things. Firstly that he will prevent death with his love or that he will mask death with love and ultimately bring the Countess to her demise which we find out is what actually happens. At this point however there is still hope that, just like in most fairy tales love conquers all. Carter here appears to make a statement that love is not without faults which hide underneath and sometimes love dies. Also his rational mind just sees them as 'cards' or 'pictures' and nothing special however there is elements of fate in the idea that he picked out the same two as the Countess.
7. 'can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song? One kiss, however, only one, woke up the Sleeping Beauty'
Carter makes significant use of repetition in this story. Why might this be? What is he significance of the examples about, both of which are repeated.
The repetition has connotations of the fairy tale which would tend to repeat key information and descriptions to give across a message. The repetition also comes from the Countess' stream of consciousness showing how she is trapped and doomed to repeat herself forever.
The first example suggests a metamorphosis could occur and links in to the later books in the collection. While the second one shows that the love shown in fairy tales has become some kind of conditioning which we all follow such as 'true loves kiss' however the real world isn't like that and now instead of one kiss waking her from her living nightmare it kills her.
8. 'And so he puts his mouth to the wound. He will kiss it better for her, as her mother, had she lived, would have done.' What is the significance of this quotation?
There is a sense of role reversal as 'he puts his mouth to the wound' as if he is the vampire about to drink from her.
His rational mind had decided earlier that she had lost her mother and is in his stream of consciousness is sticking to his hypothesis, 'as her mother, had she lived'.
There is a sense of caring and of love in how 'he will kiss it better' and it is more innocent that the relationships with 'dead lovers' she was used to. However it is still a society where he has to care for her as the man and he feels it is his duty to do so.
9. 'When he returned from the mess that evening, the heavy fragrance of Count Nosferatu's roses drifted down the stone corridor of the barracks to greet him, and his spartan quarters brimmed with the reeling odour of a glowing, velvet, monstrous flower whose petals had regained all their former bloom and elasticity, their corrupt, brilliant, baleful splendour. Next day, his regiment embarked for France.'
One interpretation of the ending could be her metamorphosis and a suggestion that she wasn't completely dead and may live on just as the flower did. It could also represent the revival of the curse as the flowers grew in the garden as a by-product of the curse. This use of the flower feeding on the dead could be a symbol that he is about to die. It has also been revealed that he had a 'fate in the fields of France' and that nothing would make him shiver in fear until the trenches. Here the flower died with her only to bloom and be revived by his death just as she and the garden would feed and survive on his death. By using a supernatural and negative semantic field of words such as 'reeking', 'monstrous' and 'corrupt' to juxtapose the other words Carter creates a sense of unease for the reader. The finality of the last line, 'his regiment embarked for France' further suggest the inevitability of death.
10. Overall, how would you explain Carter's presentation of the lady and soldier in this narrative?
The two characters are opposites, she is dark, predatory, ('she sinks her teeth into their neck') cursed, soulless and superstitious ('tarot cards.' )On the other hand he is rational, light (blond, blue eyed), gifted (special quality of virginity) and innocent. Within the Gothic there are aspects of the characters which have been subverted such as the hero is now the virgin. She is trapped in the past, 'her voice reverberated as if in a cave' as her views 'echo' the past as she finds herself trapped by her ancestors and the curse. She is not able to move on like the town below has and if forced to stay as she is. He represents the new world however which destroys some of her old ways and frees her in some sense only to be replaced by her, (as the flower blooms for him at the end). Altogether they are both not as expected for a Gothic novel and makes us question the past heroes and heroines we have encountered as well as their relationships.
11. Consider the following quotation. How does it help you to develop your own ideas about this narrative?
The heroines of these stories are struggling out of the straitjackets of history and ideology and biological essentialism. 'There's a story in The Bloody Chamber called 'The lady of the house of Love', said Carter, 'part of which derives from a movie version that I saw of a story by Dostoevsky. And in the movie... the woman, who is a very passive person and is very much in distress, asks herself the question, 'Can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song?' Have we got the capacity at all of singing new songs? It's very important that if we haven't, we might as well stop now. Helen Simpson.
The heroine, the Countess, is struggling out of the straitjackets of history as she is trying to escape her ancestors which constantly look down on her. However she does constantly ask herself the question but never seems to act upon it. When she does appear to act, when the spell is broken by the breaking of the glasses it was because she made a mistake and couldn't bring herself to kill him. Up to that point she is doing only what she knew and as she changes into a human it all becomes new for her and she tries to learn a new song only to end up dying. Overall she is very 'passive' in her fate but this could be that her ancestry 'ideology' is so ingrained that she can't escape that by even thinking about it is trying to break away.
The bicycle for the young man is his protection against superstition as for him it is the 'most rational mode of transport'. Carter has used it to symbolise the rationality of mankind in this new era of 'pubescent years of the present century'. It also is a modern invention that contrast sharply the Countesses aging world and shows a clash between past and present. Lastly it is a phallic symbol, 'two spheres and a straight line' which Carter has used to foreshadow the Countesses downfall at the hands of men.
3. What might be the significance of 'he gratefully washed his feet and hands' in the village fountain?
- Cleansing
- Religious imagery of washing and 'gratefully'
- He is oblivious to any apparent danger and shows his ignorance
4. 'Curiouser and curiouser' What does this suggest about the young man? Which other characters are you reminded of?
- Inter-textual reference to Alice in Wonderland showing his youth and inexperience
- He is inquisitive to the point that he is blind to danger
- The Father in Courtship of Mr Lyons is also lured in to the house.
5. The crone is described as bringing the young man to 'Juliet's tomb'. What is the significance of this inter-textual reference.
The word Juliet shows connotations of doomed lovers which have been forboded throughout with the tarot cards reading; 'Les Amouraux' and 'Le mort' (the lovers and death).
Romeo and Juliet's death however came about just to mistakes and misunderstanding which foreshadows the dropping of the glasses, a mistake on behalf of the Countess who is unable to kill him. This breaks the spell on her and she becomes human and ultimately dies leaving the room as 'juliet's tomb'. This also links in with fate and creates the question of 'star-crossed lovers' and love instead of sex.
6. 'What a grisly picture of a capering skeleton! He covered it up with a happier one, two young lovers, smiling at one another...' How is the young man presented here? What might Carter's purposes be?
Here his innocence tries to hide death and could suggest many things. Firstly that he will prevent death with his love or that he will mask death with love and ultimately bring the Countess to her demise which we find out is what actually happens. At this point however there is still hope that, just like in most fairy tales love conquers all. Carter here appears to make a statement that love is not without faults which hide underneath and sometimes love dies. Also his rational mind just sees them as 'cards' or 'pictures' and nothing special however there is elements of fate in the idea that he picked out the same two as the Countess.
7. 'can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song? One kiss, however, only one, woke up the Sleeping Beauty'
Carter makes significant use of repetition in this story. Why might this be? What is he significance of the examples about, both of which are repeated.
The repetition has connotations of the fairy tale which would tend to repeat key information and descriptions to give across a message. The repetition also comes from the Countess' stream of consciousness showing how she is trapped and doomed to repeat herself forever.
The first example suggests a metamorphosis could occur and links in to the later books in the collection. While the second one shows that the love shown in fairy tales has become some kind of conditioning which we all follow such as 'true loves kiss' however the real world isn't like that and now instead of one kiss waking her from her living nightmare it kills her.
8. 'And so he puts his mouth to the wound. He will kiss it better for her, as her mother, had she lived, would have done.' What is the significance of this quotation?
There is a sense of role reversal as 'he puts his mouth to the wound' as if he is the vampire about to drink from her.
His rational mind had decided earlier that she had lost her mother and is in his stream of consciousness is sticking to his hypothesis, 'as her mother, had she lived'.
There is a sense of caring and of love in how 'he will kiss it better' and it is more innocent that the relationships with 'dead lovers' she was used to. However it is still a society where he has to care for her as the man and he feels it is his duty to do so.
9. 'When he returned from the mess that evening, the heavy fragrance of Count Nosferatu's roses drifted down the stone corridor of the barracks to greet him, and his spartan quarters brimmed with the reeling odour of a glowing, velvet, monstrous flower whose petals had regained all their former bloom and elasticity, their corrupt, brilliant, baleful splendour. Next day, his regiment embarked for France.'
One interpretation of the ending could be her metamorphosis and a suggestion that she wasn't completely dead and may live on just as the flower did. It could also represent the revival of the curse as the flowers grew in the garden as a by-product of the curse. This use of the flower feeding on the dead could be a symbol that he is about to die. It has also been revealed that he had a 'fate in the fields of France' and that nothing would make him shiver in fear until the trenches. Here the flower died with her only to bloom and be revived by his death just as she and the garden would feed and survive on his death. By using a supernatural and negative semantic field of words such as 'reeking', 'monstrous' and 'corrupt' to juxtapose the other words Carter creates a sense of unease for the reader. The finality of the last line, 'his regiment embarked for France' further suggest the inevitability of death.
10. Overall, how would you explain Carter's presentation of the lady and soldier in this narrative?
The two characters are opposites, she is dark, predatory, ('she sinks her teeth into their neck') cursed, soulless and superstitious ('tarot cards.' )On the other hand he is rational, light (blond, blue eyed), gifted (special quality of virginity) and innocent. Within the Gothic there are aspects of the characters which have been subverted such as the hero is now the virgin. She is trapped in the past, 'her voice reverberated as if in a cave' as her views 'echo' the past as she finds herself trapped by her ancestors and the curse. She is not able to move on like the town below has and if forced to stay as she is. He represents the new world however which destroys some of her old ways and frees her in some sense only to be replaced by her, (as the flower blooms for him at the end). Altogether they are both not as expected for a Gothic novel and makes us question the past heroes and heroines we have encountered as well as their relationships.
11. Consider the following quotation. How does it help you to develop your own ideas about this narrative?
The heroines of these stories are struggling out of the straitjackets of history and ideology and biological essentialism. 'There's a story in The Bloody Chamber called 'The lady of the house of Love', said Carter, 'part of which derives from a movie version that I saw of a story by Dostoevsky. And in the movie... the woman, who is a very passive person and is very much in distress, asks herself the question, 'Can a bird sing only the song it knows, or can it learn a new song?' Have we got the capacity at all of singing new songs? It's very important that if we haven't, we might as well stop now. Helen Simpson.
The heroine, the Countess, is struggling out of the straitjackets of history as she is trying to escape her ancestors which constantly look down on her. However she does constantly ask herself the question but never seems to act upon it. When she does appear to act, when the spell is broken by the breaking of the glasses it was because she made a mistake and couldn't bring herself to kill him. Up to that point she is doing only what she knew and as she changes into a human it all becomes new for her and she tries to learn a new song only to end up dying. Overall she is very 'passive' in her fate but this could be that her ancestry 'ideology' is so ingrained that she can't escape that by even thinking about it is trying to break away.
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