Masaryk University Faculty of Arts
Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Teaching English Language and Literature for Secondary Schools
Bc. Nikola Wiedermanová
Daddy’s Girl Growing up he !ortrayal of Female Adolescence in Selected Fairy"ale Figures #y Angela $arter Master’s i!loma Thesis
Su!ervisor" #rof. Mgr. Milada $ranková% &Sc.% M.'.
%&'%
I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.
…………………………………………….. Bc. Nikola Wiedermanová
( )ould like to thank my su!ervisor% !rof. Mgr. Milada $ranková% &Sc. M.'.% for all her kind guidance and valua*le advice. ( )ould also like to thank all )ho su!!orted and encouraged me )hile ( )as )riting this thesis% es!ecially my family and my dear friends from the e!artment of English and 'merican Studies.
One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one. + Simone de Beauvoir
a#le of $ontents , (ntroduction----------------------------..... ,., The $airy Tale and its $eminist /e)ritings.-------------0 ,.1 The Work of 'ngela &arter------------------...,2 ,.1., The Magic Toyshop.........................................................................,, ,.1.1 The Bloody Chamber and Other tories ----------., ,.1. !ights at the Circus. ----.-------------..,3 ,. 4oung $emale $airy5Tale $igures" 6ld and Ne)----------..,7 ,.8 $eminist $oregrounding" Body% 9oice and :ender---------...1, ,.8., Body------------------------1, ,.8.1 9oice-----------------------...11 ,.8. :ender-----------------------.18 1 Ne) Bodies% Ne) Sensations---------------------...13 1., $irst Menstruation----------------------..13 1.1 ' Ne) Body------------------------..2 1. 9irginity--------------------------.; 1.8 &ha!ter &onclusion----------------------8, Mothers and 6ther Mother $igures-------------------..81 ., The Mother Myth----------------------...81 .1 Women’s /elationshi!s in #atriarchy---------------80 . Mothers and Mother $igures as :irls’ /ole Models---------.8< .8 ' Brothel as an 'lternative-------------------0 .0 &ha!ter &onclusion----------------------03 8 $rom $athers to =us*ands-----------------------0; 8., $ather5aughter (ncest--------------------...0;
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8.1 Se> and esire-----------------------...3, 8. Marriage--------------------------.37 8.8 &ha!ter &onclusion----------------------;2 0 =eroines in #rocess-------------------------...;1 0., Melanie of The Magic Toyshop-----------------.;1 0.1 #rotagonists of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ and ?The Tiger’s Bride@----;0 0. $evvers of !ights at the Circus---.--------------;7 0.8 &ha!ter &onclusion----------------------;< 3 &onclusion-----------------------------7, Works &ited---------------.--------------78 /esume-------------------------------7;
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' (ntroduction
(n this master thesis% adolescence of female fairy5tale figures of selected te>ts *y 'ngela &arter is analyAed. The studied )orks are the novels The Magic Toyshop ,<3;C and !ights at the Circus ,<78C and the collection of short stories The Bloody Chamber
and Other tories ,<;uality is develo!ingD their relationshi!s and roles are altering as )ell + they are starting to take care of themselves% entering first !artnershi!s and marriages% having first se>% and much more. 'nd in all this% they are choosing )ho they )ant to *e% learning to fend for themselves and trying to incor!orate some fun and !leasure along the )ay. The analysis here starts )ith the most o*vious as!ect of adolescence + !hysical changes% )hich include first menstruation% ne) sensualC a)areness of the develo!ing *ody% or + in the case of $evvers of !ights at the Circus + of gro)ing a !air of )ings and learning ho) to use them to fly. Because adolescent girls are moving into roles occu!ied *y their mothers% ste!mothers% aunts and nannies% ne>t it is e>!lored )hat influence these characters have on the young heroines% to )hat e>tent the girls follo) in their footste!s% and% im!ortantly% )hat their mutual relationshi!s are. S!ecial attention is !aid to the ?mother myth@ that &arter deconstructs. The thesis then continues )ith the to!ic of the relationshi! )ith fathers% hus*ands and other men% and of living in a !atriarchal )orld% )here the violence on and a*use of )omen is an everyday reality. /elationshi!s )ith men are e>!lored also from the more !ositive side of love and
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affectionate se>% and the traditional !attern of marriage is discussed as )ell. Still further in the thesis% it is attem!ted to ans)er uestions of ho) the heroines themselves reflect on the changes and the develo!ment they are going through and ho) the things that ha!!en to them in their adolescence sha!e them. The fact that the adolescence of the selected female figures is inter!reted in fairy5tale terms leads to another dimension of the analysis. 's is sho)n here% the genre of fairy tale has *ecome a !atriarchal !roFect to kee! )omen in their !laces% and this has *ecome es!ecially visi*le in the female characters of the genre. Thus it is discussed here ho) &arter’s !ortrayal of young heroines reflects *ack on its classical counter!art. :iven the fact that the fairy tale )as significantly altered under the !atriarchal influence% it seems natural that this thesis is grounded in feminist theory% es!ecially of the $rench feminist thinkers of the second half of the t)entieth century. The feminist conce!ts follo)ed in this thesis are those of the female *ody% voice and gender. This thesis sho)s that &arter’s young fairy5tale heroines gro) u! to *e inde!endent )omen )ho reflect on their develo!ment and actively influence their lives. (n a )ay% they do not have any other o!tion. (n the )orld of &arter’s te>ts% all roles that young )omen are traditionally e>!ected to have are deconstructed. The )omen are not !ure in their virginity *ut )ell a)are of their se>uality and active in the search for its realiAation. They cannot ho!e that in marriage they )ill live in love and !artnershi!% *ecause hus*ands can turn out to *e one’s fiercest enemy. 'lso motherhood is sho)n as not everything it is cracked u! to *e. When all the certainties and stereoty!es are taken a)ay from them% the heroines need to acce!t the res!onsi*ility for themselves and their lives and learn ho) to make use of every *it of the !o)er they have. Main secondary sources that )ere used for the analysis here include the collection of scholarly essays "ngela Carter and the #airy Tale% )hich offers various
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vie)s of 'ngela &arter’s fairy5tale )orkD &ristina Bacchilega’s study $ostmodern #airy
Tales% &ender and !arrative trategies % )hich e>tensively deals )ith &arter’s The Bloody Chamber% and Linden #each’s )ork "ngela Carter% )here she analyAes and evaluates all &arter’s )ork )ith a s!ecial focus on the develo!ment of her novel. The feminist as!ect of this thesis is su!!orted *y 'nn /osalind Gones’s essay ?Writing the Body" To)ard an Hnderstanding of IL’Ecriture $eminine’@ and Sandra M. :li*ert’s study ?Life’s Em!ty #ack" Notes to)ard a Literary aughteronomy%@ )here she analyAes the )oman’s !sycho5se>ual develo!ment in terms of the father5daughter incestuous relationshi!. 'ngela &arter does not !rovide straightfor)ard solutions to the uestions her te>ts !ose. 's $ranková remarks% her ans)ers remain hidden under a rich layer of images% allegories and allusions 8;C. (t also seems that in every meaning that the reader discovers in her te>ts% there is an as!ect% !erha!s only a detail% )hich serves to undermine it. Thus this thesis inevita*ly offers only one out of many !ossi*le readings of &arter.
')' he Fairy ale and its Feminist *ewritings
'lthough the idea that comes to one’s mind )ith the term Ifairy tale’ may *e one of a notoriously kno)n story for children such as ?&inderella@% ?Little /ed /iding =ood%@ or ?Three Little #igs%@ scholars and )riters over the !ast fe) decades have sho)n that there is much more to the genre of fairy tale than that. (n her study Myth and
#airy Tale in Contemporary 'omen(s #iction% Susan Sellers overvie)s some theories on the nature and characteristics of the genre. $or e>am!le% as she notes% for Maria Tatar% the ?crucial identifying feature is the )ay fairy tale reverses all the conditions outlined at the *eginning of the story@
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develo!ment@ ,2C% and also Bruno Bettelheim focuses on the social and !sychological function )hen he claims that fairy tales ?sym*olically !resent the !ath to inde!endent e>istence *y reducing the com!licated and difficult !rocess of socialiAation to its constituent !aradigms@ ,2C. (n the The Cambridge &uide to 'omen)s 'riting in
*nglish% Bacchilega reminds us that it is characteristic of fairy tales that they ?!erform magic@ and that ?they have traditionally fulfilled com!le>% even conflicting% desires% and they have done so )ith ease% reassuring !redicta*ility% daAAling variety and ada!ta*ility@ ?$airy Tale@ 1,C. The listing of various definitions of the fairy tale could continue for much longer% yet for the !ur!oses of this thesis it is more im!ortant to note the feminist a!!roaches and strategies. The connection *et)een )omen and the fairy tale has *een com!le> and some)hat dou*le5edged" on the one hand% many scholars have ackno)ledged and researched the )omen’s role in telling and sha!ing the stories% on the other hand% it seems that at some !oint this srcinally oral% fle>i*le and )omen5dominated genre got under the s!ell of canoniAation forces and )as significantly altered. =aase takes note of the significance of )omen for the tale and of the tale for )omen )hen he mentions that ?storytelling is a semiotically female art%@ as )as !ur!ortedly argued *y Jaren E. /o)e *y ?!ointing not only to )omen’s traditional roles of storytellers *ut also to the )ays they have *een re!resented as the s!inners of tales in folktale collections% frame stories% and literary tales. She sho)ed that through their association )ith the fates% fairies% and s!inning% )omen are identified )ith the art and !o)er of s!inning tales@ ,;C. Some scholars have gone even further )hen searching for the link *et)een the fairy tale and )omen. =aase remarks ho) :Kttner '*endroth influentially argues that ?fairy tales reflect the !ractices and customs of !rehistorical societies% )hich )ere in her vie) I!rimarily matriarchal societies’@ and that they ?contain remnants of a !rehistoric
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matriarchal mythology@ ,0C. (n this vie)% fairy tales did not only *elong to the )omen’s s!here of !o)er *ecause they )ere told% sha!ed and ke!t alive *y them% *ut also *ecause they carried evidence of their once !rominent social status. =o)ever% it a!!ears that )omen lost the !o)er connected )ith the genre. =aase mentions Gack i!es’s research into the history and sociology of fairytale" ?(n s!ecific sociohistorical conte>ts i!es demonstrated ho) the folktale had *een a!!ro!riated and rea!!ro!riated *y Euro!ean and 'merican )riters as a s!ecial discourse on sociocultural values and ho) that fairy5tale discourse )as intended to function in the socialiAation of children + es!ecially in its modeling of gender5s!ecific identity and *ehavior@ ,2C. Thus the fairytales )e kno) today are loaded )ith !rescri!tions on )hat )as once esta*lished as a!!ro!riate. The develo!ment of Euro!ean fairy tales over the !ast fe) centuries is recogniAed as an instance of such a!!ro!riation and rea!!ro!riation" Women tellers% as Ioral informants%’ and )omen characters a*ound in this literary tradition% *ut their )ords are arranged% cut% em*ellished *y &harles #errault +es istoires ou contes du temps pass-, /01C% the Brothers :rimm and =ans &hristian 'ndersen in the ,< th centur y% L.$rank Baum’s The 'i2ard o3 O2 and isney’s glittery films and !icture *ooks in the 12 th century + to list only the most !rominent names. - 'nd as the audience for fairy tales increasingly narro)ed to children and )omen% the )ise girl% the *a)dy )ife% the *rave sister% the *old maiden )ere hidden a)ay. Bacchilega ?$airy Tale@ 1,C (t is significant here that the change of audience and the limitations !ut on female heroines are connected. $airy tales gradually *ecame the socialiAation stories that i!es suggests% and at the same time children came to *e e>!osed to very little female !o)er
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through the stories. 4oung girls thus had fe)er strong female role models to follo) and young *oys )ere not sho)n that female !o)er )as at all !ossi*le. (t is interesting that des!ite this ideological shift% the tales + or at least their !lots + someho) seem to have stayed the same. 's =aase !oints out% /uth Bottigheimer studied alternations the :rimms made )hen recording the srcinally oral tales and their eventual effects" Bottigheimer demonstrated ho) the :rimms’ editorial interventions + including their a!!arently sim!le le>ical revisions + )eakened once5 strong female characters% demoniAed female !o)er% im!osed a male !ers!ective on stories voicing )omen’s discontents% and rendered heroines !o)erless *y de!riving them of s!eech% all in accord )ith the social values of their time. ,,C (t is suggested here that relatively minor changes in )ording% !oint of vie) and )ays of narration *rought a*out significant changes in the values and !o)er dynamics the tales carried. Thus stories that !ro*a*ly came into *eing )hen the fairy tale had still *een a )omen5dominated genre no) started to )ork against them and to serve as a tool to kee! them in their !lace in a !atriarchal society. :iven this ironic develo!ment% it comes as no sur!rise that feminist )riters have tried to re!ossess the genre of fairy tale% rediscover its lost dimensions and use it again for their o)n good. 's Bacchilega notes% there has *een a long tradition of female re)riting of fairy tales. This tradition has no) stretched over three centuries and has *een !resent in )orks of such )riters as &harlotte BrontO% &hristina /ossetti or Gean /hys. The late t)entieth century *rought a*out a real *oom in re)riting and rea!!ro!riating of fairy tale% )ith )riters 'ngela &arter% Margaret 't)ood% 'nne Sa>ton% Emma onogue% Marina Warner and many others contri*uting to this develo!ment ?$airy Tale@ 1C.
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4et many critics are ske!tical a*out )hether it is !ossi*le and )orth the effort to revive the lost voices and vie)!oints of fairy tales. Susan Sellers researches into the various attitudes to this issue and in this conte>t mentions #urkiss% )ho is convinced that ?the endeavour to retrieve a *uried or marginal voice has the !arado>ical function of endorsing the srcinal myth.@ Sellers goes on to the !ostcolonial critic :ayatri &hakravorty S!ivak% )ho even suggests ?that it is im!ossi*le to restore a voice that has *een dis!ossessed% since the very act serves to re5cover it@ 1;C. (t is !erha!s true that every reading of a re)ritten fairy tale *rings to life also its stereoty!ical version enforced *y the isney cartoon% *ut may*e these stereoty!ed and canoniAed versions should not *e overrated. Sellers uotes EliAa*eth Bronfen’s !ersuasion that ?the disru!tion caused leaves traces@ 17C% and !erha!s today’s fairy5tale canon is not disru!tion5!roof. Sellers e>!resses her o)n o!timistic idea of the strategies and functions of feminist re)ritings of fairy tales" ?$eminist re)riting could - include ironic mimicry and clever t)ists as )ell as )hole gamut of tactics that )ould o!en the myth from the inside as )ell as out% leaving in !lace enough of the kno)n format to !rovide evocative !oints of reflection for its readers% *ut also encom!assing different !ossi*ilities and other !oints of vie)@ 1!lode@ td in Makinen 0C. The numerous )riters )ho have told and )ritten their versions of fairy tales o*viously *elieve that it is still !ossi*le to rescue the genre of fairy tale for )omen and make it a )omen’s tool of coding and carrying their e>!erience once again.
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')% he +ork of Angela $arter
'ngela &arter ,<82 + ,<<1C is a )ell5kno)n and !riAe5)inning !ostmodern British )riter and literary critic. =er daring and e>!erimental )ork has *een regarded as !ioneering *y some and as controversial or even insulting *y others. $ollo)ing Linden #each’s listing% over t)enty5si> years% 'ngela &arter com!leted nine novels" hadow
4ance ,<33C% The Magic Toyshop ,<3;C% everal $erceptions ,<37C% eroes and 5illains ,<3
Chamber and Other tories ,<;am!le The adeian 'oman% "n *8ercise in Cultural istory ,<;
!othing acred% elected 'ritings ,<71C and *8pletives 4eleted% elected 'ritings ,<<1C. (m!ortantly% 'ngela &arter also edited and translated The #airy Tales o3 Charles
$errault ,<;;C and leeping Beauty and Other #avourite #airy Tales ,<71C and also edited t)o collections for 9irago" The 5irago Book o3 #airy Tales,<<2C and The
econd 5irago Book o3 #airy Tales,<<1C. &arter is also an author of four collections of children’s stories and four radio !lays 1C. 6ne of the threads )inding through all her )ork )ould !ro*a*ly *e )hat :errard calls ?mocking iconoclasm@ td in #each 1C + the effort to !layfully uncover and undermine rigid *ut false assum!tions !eo!le have a*out the )orld and the society they live in. 'ngela &arter famously )rote that she )as ?in the demythologiAing *usiness@ td in Sage ;!lains )hat she means *y this" ?Well% (’m *asically trying to find out )hat certain configurations of imagery in our society% in our culture% really stand for% )hat they mean% underneath the kind of semireligious
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coating that makes !eo!le not !articularly )ant to interfere )ith them@(ntervie)C. This effort could *e traced in all her )ork% disguised in many forms and strategies. $airy tales are certainly a rich source of false ideologies% and yet they are s!ecial% due to their folk srcin. 's &arter says a*out her fairy5tale )riting" ?This is ho)
I make !otato sou!@ td in Sage ;isting variations% the !rocess of multi!lying the versions of fairy tales in order to offer other vie)!oints seems fully in accordance )ith the genre’s nature. Because any attem!t to characteriAe &arter’s fairy5tale )ork in general )ould *y far e>ceed the s!ace of this introduction% it may *e *etter to look s!ecifically at the te>ts analyAed here% at their stories% their fairy5tale features% and the rece!tions and critiues of them.
')%)' The Magic Toyshop
&arter’s second novel% The Magic Toyshop ,<3;C% tells a story of fifteen5year5 old Melanie and her t)o younger si*lings% )ho lose their !arents in an air!lane accident and have to move to London to live )ith Hncle #hili!% )hom they have never seen *efore. Hncle #hili!% a toymaker and an o)ner of a toysho!% turns out to *e an autocratic *rute% )ho mani!ulates the lives of all around him" his mute )ife Margaret and her t)o *rothers% $inn and $rancie. Melanie has a hard time getting used to her ne) ascetic life% *ut tries to create ties to her ne) family and even starts a relationshi! )ith $inn. 's the events around her forced enactment of Leda’s story and the uncovered
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unfaithfulness of 'unt Margaret culminate% Hncle #hili! sets the house on fire. Melanie and $inn together manage to esca!e. Because of the character of Hncle #hili! and the )ay all inha*itants of his house seem su*ordinated to him% this novel can *e read as a critiue of% or + as Makinen calls it + as a ?disuietingly savage analysis of !atriarchy@ C% )hich she sees as characteristic of &arter’s novels of the ,<32s and ,<;2s. The numerous fairy5tale features that can *e traced in this novel include the motif of or!haned children )ho go to live )ith a ne) family and have to face hardshi!s there% and also the setting of a toysho! and the !ossi*ility that toys may *ecome alive + as is suggested in the theatre !lay )here Melanie is ra!ed *y a !u!!et5s)an + is fairy5 tale5like. $urthermore% Hncle #hili!’s house% )ith its corridors% numerous rooms and atmos!here of fear and mystery strongly reminds of Blue*eard’s castle. 6f the fairy5tale features that Linden #each o*serves% it is )orth)hile to mention the theme of transgression and its !unishment. 's she notes on the genre of fairy tale" ?The stories acuired a moral )hich often arose out of a young girl *eing !unished or *rought to I)isdom’ through realiAing the foolishness of transgression@ ;8C. #each sees such a transgression in Melanie’s trying on her mother’s )edding dress% )hich )as follo)ed *y the air!lane crash and their forced leaving for London ;C. (t is im!ortant for the !ur!oses of this thesis that in The Magic Toyshop% fairy5tale elements reach to the *are !lot of the story and to the fate of the main female character. (n this )ay% the character’s e>!erience and develo!ment can *e discussed )ithin the e>tended frame of the genre of fairy tale.
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')%)% The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
The Bloody Chamber and Other tories ,<;!lores the various !ossi*le *ackgrounds *ehind the tales. #erha!s most significantly% and in a shar! contrast )ith the tales in the :rimms’ or #errault’s versions% &arter’s characters are se>ual *eings and her tales are charged )ith eroticism. &arter o!ens the fairy tales to ne) readings and ne) meanings% and she achieves this also *y offering more + often some)hat contrary + variations on the same tale. $or e>am!le% the fairy tale ?Beauty and the Beast@ is re)ritten into t)o different short stories% the fairy tale ?Little /ed /iding =ood@ into three. (t is suggested that this multi!licity aims to activate the reader" ?By !roviding stories that can *e read as echoing one another -% &arter !rom!ts readers to vie) a !articular ty!e of situation from a variety of !ers!ectives@ /oemer ,27C. But it seems that the stories not only ?can *e read as echoing one another%@ *ut they even have to *e read in this )ay% in the conte>t of the )hole collection. &runelle59anrigh sho)s the necessity of conte>tual reading on the e>am!le of the story ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@" ?Not one of the stories at !lay in The Bloody Chamber can *e said to signify in itself% though it can *e enFoyed on its o)n. The meaning of ?&ourtshi!@ is constructed through a !rocess of referring to other te>ts. &oming from% and !ointing *ack and for)ard% to other stories% it is only one signifier in the !rocess of referring to other% a*sent signifiers.@ She goes on to mention that ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@ is thus intert)ined )ith ?The Tiger’s
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Bride%@ *ut also )ith ?The Sno) &hild@ and ?Wolf5'lice@ ,t of the )hole collection% even if this may in a )ay disru!t the tale that is *eing read. 'lthough the stories of the collection are o*viously !ostmodern te>ts% this does not mean that they are devoid of their fairy5tale roots. 6n the contrary% Bacchilega is convinced that &arter *rings to life forgotten as!ects of the genre. She states in connection )ith the ?Little /ed /iding =ood@ stories of the collection" ( )ant to argue that 'ngela &arter’s !ostmodern re)ritings are acts of fairy5tale archeology that release this story’s many other voices. 's an enthusiastic listenerPreader of *oth folk and literary tales% and as a )riter )ho dra)s from many versions% oral and literary% &arter tells tales that reactivate lost traditions% trace violently contradictory genealogies% and flesh out the com!le> and vital )orkings of desire and narrative. $ostmodern #airy Tales 0ual and !o)er relations% have often *een seen as controversial and disconcerting. (ndeed% &arter’s collection The Bloody Chamber has had not only many enthusiastic revie)ers% *ut also many u!set critics. (nterestingly% Bruhl and :amer notice" ?#erha!s the !rimary irony surrounding the rece!tion of The
Bloody Chamber is that it has generated the most controversy among feminist critics@
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,8;C. They also remind us that 'ngela &arter earned from feminist theoreticians many denominations on *ehalf of her )ork" ?a !seudofeminist@ )orkinC% ?an a!ologist fleeing to a Iliterary sanctuary’ outside of !olitical criticism@ Ja!!elerC% or ?the high !riestess of !ost5graduate !orn@ Se*estyenC ,8uality" ?By am!lifying these images% conflicts% and transformations of the fairy tales% &arter’s revisions sim!ly confirm sado5masochistic arrangements instead of conceiving of ?)omen’s se>uality as an autonomous desire@ 0,C. 's Bacchilega further re!orts% /o*ert &lark sees &arter’s feminist merits as dou*tful as )ell. (n his vie)% &arter’s fictions generally ?offer their readers a kno)ledge of !atriarchy@ yet reinscri*e ?!atriarchal attitudes@ 0,C. These are only a fe) of the critical voices that have *een raised in res!onse to The Bloody Chamber% and es!ecially to its se>ual !olitics. &onsidering the sources of !ro*lematic rece!tion of The Bloody Chamber% Bruhl and :amer o*serve that )hat makes it ?!ro*lematic for *oth student and critical audiences is the glee )ith )hich it mi>es disci!lines and refuses to dra) recogniAa*le *attlelines@ ,87C. 's an e>am!le they offer the story ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ )hich on the one hand )orks as a ?critiue of sadomasochism%@ *ut on the other hand includes such descri!tions of the satin nightdress or leather clothes that suggest that the heroine is com!licitous in sensual desires ,8ts% and they sho) that her characters are not sim!ly good or *ad% and the fictitious )orld of her fairy tales is not only *lack and )hite% *ut has many colours in many shades.
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')%), Nights at the Circus
The novel !ights at the Circus ,<78C% narrates the story of $evvers% a young )inged )oman and a famous circus aerialist. 't the *eginning% $evvers gives an intervie) and an account of her life to an 'merican Fournalist Walser% )ho decides to Foin the circus as a clo)n and follo) her incognito to #eters*urg and then over Si*eria to Ga!an in order to reveal her as a hoa>. They fall in love )ith each other and in the end *ecome a cou!le% after many adventures% including $evvers’s saving Walser from a Si*erian shaman. There are many characters and their numerous stories are introduced in the novel as )ell% among others those of other inha*itants of Madame Schreck’s museum of )omen monsters% of other artists of the circus or of the female convicts in a Si*erian !enitentiary% *ut $evvers’s story remains central. She is a uniue characterD half5)oman% half5*irdD she is sym*olically% as Madam Nelson says% ?the !ure child of the century that Fust no) is )aiting in the )ings% the Ne) 'ge in )hich no )omen )ill *e *ound do)n to the ground !ights at the Circus 10C. $inancially inde!endent% e>!erienced and am*itious% she really is% in a )ay% an em*odiment of a ne)% li*erated )oman. But she is no sim!listic character% and many o!!osing elements meet in her" she is a !erforming star )ith &ockney roots% a virgin )ho kno)s the tricks of a !rostitute% and a diamond lover )ith a *ig heart. 's for the fairy5tale as!ects of this novel% although it cannot *e seen as a re)riting of a s!ecific tale% many fairy5tale motifs can *e traced here. $evvers is a hatched or!han on her Fourney to love and ha!!iness% )hich + together )ith her changing feelings of *eauty and ugliness + evokes 'ndersen’s tale ?The Hgly uckling.@ (t is also !ut forth here that her ado!tive mother% LiAAy% does tricks and magic. $urthermore% certain !olemics or mirroring of fairy tales can *e found here% for
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e>am!le in the characters of Madame Schreck’s museum. $or instance% the girl called the Slee!ing Beauty% suddenly% on the day of her first !eriod% starts to slee! more and more% until she s!ends no more than a fe) minutes a day a)ake. Such% in a )ay medicinal descri!tion of e>cessive need to slee! offers itself to !hysiological and !sychological rationaliAations like diseases% or de!ression% or self5denial and allo)s the reader to see the )ell5kno)n fairy5tale character of Slee!ing Beauty in a ne) light. 6r% another inha*itant of the museum% Wonder% of unusually short height% looks *ack on the time she s!ent )ith seven men of similar height that she met )hen they !erformed ?The Sno) White@" ?ISuffice to say ( traveled )ith them seven long months% !assed from one to another% for they )ere *rothers and *elieved in share and share alike. ( fear they did not treat me kindly% for% although they )ere little% they )ere men’@ 37C. (t is thus !ut for)ard that e>cessive slee! may not only *e caused *y thorns and coha*iting )ith seven men may not *e only idyllic% and that !erha!s this is only a *eginning of uncovering of )hat is not right in fairy tales. 'lso in this )ay &arter e>!lores meanings of folk tales% o!ens them to ne) readings and reveals the ideologies inscri*ed in them. (t has *een !ro!osed that !ights at the Circus can *e seen as a continuation of !revious )orks. Linden #each )rites" ?&arter’s )orks are *est read not as inde!endent te>ts% *ut as !art of an ongoing !rocess of )riting. Whilst to some degree this may *e true of any author% it is es!ecially true of &arter@ 11C. This dimension of &arter’s )riting )ill !rove useful for this thesis% as the !o)erful character of $evvers )ill *e at times taken here as an ans)er to the uestions !osed *y young female heroines of her other )orks. =o)ever% although &arter’s )riting can *e seen as one !rocess% it cannot *e said that it did not change. The !rocess Linden #each talks a*out is a develo!ment. MerFa Makinen o*serves the !rogress made *et)een &arter’s first and last )orks"
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This is not to argue that the latter novels are not also feminist% *ut their strategy is different. The violence in the events de!icted in the earlier of the ,<32s and ,<;2s novels the ra!es% the !hysical and mental a*use of )omenC and the aggression im!licit in the re!resentations% are no longer foregrounded. While similar events may occur in these last t)o te>ts !ights at the Circus and 'ise Children% the focus is on mocking and e>!loding the constrictive cultural stereoty!es and in cele*rating the sheer a*ility of the female !rotagonist to survive% unscathed *y the se>ist ideologies. C :iven the sco!e of the te>t analyAed here and this develo!ment% it follo)s that the e>!erience of the heroines ranges from going through a*use and recovering from it or fighting out their o)n inner s!ace in a restrictive environment 5 as in The Magic
Toyshop or ?The Bloody &ham*er@ + to )ithstanding attem!ted a*use *y fleeing from it and ridiculing it% as $evvers does in !ights at the Circus. Thus a )hole range of )omen’s e>!erience is offered for the analysis here.
'), -oung Female Fairy"ale .eroines/ 0ld and 1ew
Because young fairy5tale heroines of &arter’s fiction are analyAed in this thesis% it is !erha!s useful to have a *rief look at ho) young )omen are stereoty!ed in classical fairy tales% and ho) &arter’s heroines tend to differ. 's has *een already mentioned% fairy tales *ecame *y a certain !oint in history loaded )ith !atriarchal ideology. 'ccording to Gack i!es% fairy tales thus turned into a ?social !roFect@ )hich served ideological !ur!oses. Bacchilega e>!lains his thesis" ?(n relation to gender% this social !roFect has *een to !roduce *old and entre!reneurial *oys% silent and acce!ting girls% heterose>ual scenarios )ith ha!!y endings@ ?$airy Tale@ 1,C. There are numerous e>am!les that uickly come to one’s mind that su!!ort this
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vie). &inderella dutifully acce!ts her fate of the unloved ste!daughter% for )hich she is re)arded *y a marriage )ith a !rince% )ho energetically decides to find her according to her cute high5heeled shoe. (n ?Sno) White@% silence and acce!tance are taken to e>treme )hen its !rotagonist slee!s for a long time and )aits for a !rince to rescue her. /ed /iding =ood diso*eys and takes a shortcut through the )oods% for )hich she is !unished *y almost losing her grandmother’s and her o)n lifeD and is only lucky to *e rescued *y a )oodcutter. 'lthough it )ould not *e im!ossi*le to find fairy tales )here a girl or a )oman is an active agent and is re)arded for it% the tales that Bacchilega lists as *est kno)n in the late t)entieth century ?&inderella%@ ?Sno) White%@ ?/ed /iding =ood%@ ?Beauty and the Beast@ and ?Slee!ing Beauty@C very much confirm i!es’s thesis ?$airy Tale@ 1,C. (t can *e seen that the *ehaviour fairy tales hold as a!!ro!riate for young )omen radically differs from )hat is acce!ta*le and desired in young men. (n fact% as many scholars notice% *oys and girls in fairy tales are Fudged *y dou*le standards. i!es for e>am!le maintains" ?What is !raise)orthy in males% is reFected in females% the counter!art of the energetic% as!iring *oy is the scheming% am*itious )oman-Women )ho are !o)erful and good are never human@ td in Sage 3;C. (f they are to *e good% heroines in fairy tales are limited to only a small num*er of !ossi*le )ays of conduct% and the already mentioned acce!tance and )aiting seem to *e the safest o!tions. Such is the message on socialiAation that girls and young )omen have *een offered. 'lso 'ngela &arter notices this strong tendency to)ards !assive heroines% )hich *ecomes an o*Fect of her criticism and re)ritings. '*out the girls )ho Fust )ait for their !rinces and other rescuers% she )rites" ?To *e the ob9ect of desire is to *e defined in the !assive case. To e>ist in the !assive case is to die in the !assive case + that is% to *e killed. This is the moral of the fairy tale a*out the !erfect )oman@ gtd in Sage 37C. But
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&arter does not thro) the *a*y out )ith the *ath )ater% although she is a)are of the tight !igeonholes made for fairy5tale heroines. 's Sage notes" ?&arter% )hile registering )ith grim humour and clarity the a)ful legacy -% still sees in the genre a means *y )hich a )riting )oman may take flight@ 37C. Many scholars deal )ith &arter’s female fairy5tale characters and notice their em!o)erment. To give an e>am!le% in her !reface to a &arter’s collection% Marina Warner succinctly e>!resses )hat &arter achieves )ith her re)ritings in this as!ect" 'ngela &arter continues - one of her srcinal and effective strategies% snatching out of the Fa)s of misogyny itself% Iuseful stories’ for )omen. - She turns to!sy5turvy some cautionary folk tales and shakes out the fear and dislike of )omen they once e>!ressed to create a ne) set of values% a*out strong% outs!oken% Aestful% se>ual )omen )ho can’t *e ke!t do)n. td in =aase
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')2 Feminist Foregrounding/ 3ody4 5oice and Gender ')2)' 3ody
Because this thesis deals )ith female adolescence% of )hich the changes of the *ody are an integral !art% it is necessary to have a look at ho) the conce!t of the female *ody is formulated in the feminist theory and thus in )hat terms it )ill *e follo)ed here. 'ccording to #each’s account% in the ,<32s and ,<;2s% 'nglo5'merican feminist )riters started to re!resent the female *ody in a revolutionary )ay in order to challenge the ?Western tradition’s denial of )omen’s e>!eriences of their o)n *odies.@ The !ortrayals of the female *ody included de!ictions of *odily changes and *odily fluids% )hich ?su*verted the *ody’s sense of closure@ ;3C. This )as su!!orted *y )orks of $rench feminists like Gulia Jristeva% Luce (rigaray or =elene &i>ous% )ho% as Gones )rites% also ?in general *elieve that Western thought has *een *ased on a systematic re!ression of )omen’s e>!erience@ 18;C. (t has *een suggested that this denial resulted in )omen themselves *eing at a loss ho) to think of their *odiesD *ut that this is something that can *e changed. Gones e>!lains (rrigaray’s !osition" She continues her argument that )omen% *ecause they have *een caught in a )orld structured *y man5centered conce!ts% have had no )ay of kno)ing or re!resenting themselves. But she offers as the starting !oint for a female self5consciousness the facts of )omen’s *odies and )omen’s se>ual !leasure% !recisely *ecause they have *een so a*sent or so misre!resented in male discourse. 102C 's a remedy it is thus !ro!osed to fully ackno)ledge the e>istence of one’s *ody and one’s se>ual !leasure% take them as magnitudes to *e taken into account and not let them
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*ecome invisi*le again. (n this conte>t% one must think of the female fairy5tale characters that once again *ecome se>ual *eings in &arter’s fiction. '!art from the $rench feminists% Gudith Butler is seen *y Lorna Sage as another theoretician )hose )ork o!ened ne) )ays of a!!roach to &arter’s )riting. Sage sees her descri!tion of *odies that ?)ear@ our ?cultural history@ as )ell5fitting to &arter’s )ork. (n Gudith Butler’s vie)% ?the *ody is a field of inter!retive !ossi*ilities% the locus of a dialectical !rocess of inter!reting ane) a historical set of inter!retations )hich have *ecome im!rinted on the flesh@ td in Sage ;,C. Bodies are thus seen as not e>isting only on their o)n% in a vacuum% *ut in the frame of our cultural history. &arter is very o!en in her descri!tions of the se>ualC female *ody. (n the te>ts analyAed here% the female *ody is !ortrayed in many situations% including the first menstruation and se>ual activitiesD in the torture cham*er in ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ the reader can even find out a*out dead *odies of the Maruis’s !revious )ives. (n her tales% &arter’s interest in the link *et)een se>uality% !ornogra!hy and !olitics *ecomes evident. She more closely !ursues this issue in her study The adeian 'omen. (n this thesis% the conce!ts of *ody and se>uality are follo)ed in terms of ho) the maturing female *ody + )ith its functions and fluids + is re!resented and to )hat effect% of ho) the heroines a!!roach their develo!ing *odies and their se>uality and ho) a)are they are of their *odily needs and desires% *ut also of )hat assum!tions a*out female *odies and se>uality are !assed on them% and ho) their *odies are a!!roached *y those around them% es!ecially *y their !artners.
')2)% 5oice
'nother category that is follo)ed in this thesis is )omen’s voice + a means of one’s e>!ression and assertion. The uestion of ho) )omen can e>!ress themselves has
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*een a crucial issue for feminists" (f language is a carrier of !atriarchal ideology% then in )hat language and on )hat terms can )omen freely s!eakQ Jristeva and &i>ous !ro!ose that )omen should e>!ress themselves outside of the !atriarchal language% through language of the *ody and through silence% so that ?silence *ecomes s!eech and *ody *ecomes s!eechifier@ td in :il*ert and :u*ar 0,7C. This seems a !otentially !o)erful reversal% *ut certainly has its failings. 's has *een already mentioned% the silence of fairy5tale heroines has not served )omen )ell. $urthmore% the uestion arises of ho) )omen can contri*ute to the general discourse )ith their *odies and their silences. Raviere :authier summariAes this !ro*lem" ?'s long as )omen remain silent or s!eak in a *ody language -% they )ill *e outside the historical !rocess. But of they *egin to )rite and s!eak as men do% they )ill enter history su*dued and alienated@ td in :il*ert and :u*ar 0,!ression need to *e a *alancing act *et)een these t)o sides. (n the te>ts discussed here% &arter !lays )ith the !ossi*ilities of focaliAation and narration to give the heroines’ e>!ression and e>!erience larger s!ace. (n some of the )orks% the events are only follo)ed from the heroine’s !oint of vie)% as is the case of for e>am!le The Magic Toyshop% ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@ or ?The &om!any of WolvesD@ other stories are told directly *y their !rotagonists% as for e>am!le ?The Bloody &ham*er@ or the o!ening !art of !ights at the Circus. (t is interesting that in these t)o te>ts the heroine defies and survives !atriarchal violence% the stories they then tell )ork against the !atriarchal order t)ice + once in their content% once in the fact that they are told *y a female !rotagonist. (n the studied te>ts it is o*served )hether and ho) the young heroines use their voices or )hether they remain silent% )hat e>am!les of self5e>!ression they are given
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*y )omen around them% and also ho) they give account of themselves% ho) they )ord their e>!erience and tell their stories.
')2), Gender
The third conce!t that serves as a *asis for analysis here is the conce!t of gender. (t is a !articularly !otent conce!t for fairy tales% *ecause% as has *een noted% fairy tales have served as guidance on ho) to socialiAe into gender5a!!ro!riate roles. 's Mari Mikkola overvie)s% in the ,<32s% feminists started to use the term Igender’ to distinguish *iological differences *et)een the t)o se>es from socialP!sychological ones and to talk a*out the latter. This distinction has *een generally acce!ted. No)adays it is also commonly assumed that gender is a social construct. 's Mikkola further e>!lains% this means that gender categories )omen and menC and gendered traits ascri*ed to them *eing caring or am*itiousC are% according to =aslanger% the ?intended or unintended !roducts of a social !ractice.@ (t is also *elieved that masculinity and femininity are !roducts of nurture 5 of ho) individuals are *rought u!. (n the !rocess% females gradually acuire feminine ualities and learn ho) to act accordingly and thus *ecome )omen. (n this !rocess of *ecoming a )oman or a man% the !o)er distri*ution and the rules of !atriarchal society a!!ly% so that )omen are socialised into su*ordinate social roles" they learn to *e su*missive% caring% ideally seeing their fulfillment in creating the hearth and home MikkolaC. &arter is very e>!erimental a*out gender% )hich can *e o*served for e>am!le on the theme of transvestites% )hich a!!ears in her )ork and can *e traced for e>am!le in the figure of $evvers% in )hich the traits of female and male characters are mi>ed. Sellers mentions Ward Gouve’s o*servation that ?&arter )ants to sever the link *et)een *iology and gender@ ,,0C. 6!inions on ho) successful she is )ith this !roFect differ%
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*ut it is clear that she sets out to deconstruct gender as another category that limits the freedom of men and )omen. (n this thesis% it is attem!ted to find out )hat the message on the female socialiAation is in the re)ritten fairy tales. (t is also analyAed )hat information and advice the heroines *ecome on ho) to *e a )oman% ho) they reflect on their )omanhood% ho) they gradually create it and gro) into it% and also ho) the stereoty!ed gender roles occur and develo! in their relationshi!s.
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% 1ew 3odies4 1ew Sensations
When $evvers of !ights at the Circus talks a*out the !hysical changes of her !u*erty% she descri*es them as the ?marvellous *lossoming of my until then reticent and undemanding flesh@ 1C. (n her )ording it can *e seen ho) the girls’ *odies that )ere taken for granted suddenly start to ?*e there@ and to change on many levels" they start to look% function and feel differently and through them% a )hole ne) dimension o!ens u! to the young heroines. (n this cha!ter it is discussed ho) they vie) and e>!erience this little revolution that their *odies start.
%)' First Menstruation
While it seems some)hat a*surd and out5of5!lace to )onder )hether heroines of fairy tales menstruate and ho) it is solved )hen for e>am!le Slee!ing Beauties slee! for long !eriods of time% &arter is o!en and literal )hen it comes to this issue. The reader often finds out that the girls have Fust *egun to menstruate and also ho) they feel a*out it and ho) they !ut u! )ith it !sychologically and !hysically. $irst menses of a girl is often taken as the first significant sign that she is gro)ing u! into a young )omanD it is a sign that the *ody is !re!ared for re!roduction. (t is also a reminder of the roles that she )ill most !ro*a*ly take in her life" a man’s se>ual !artner% a mother and a homemaker. $irst menstruation is in a )ay a !romise of the future and *rings along e>!ectations *ut also an>iety. This *ecomes visi*le )hen it is e>!lained )hy Melanie of The Magic Toyshop feels uncomforta*le )hen she has to clim* a tree u! to her *edroom" Since she )as thirteen% )hen her !eriods *egan% she had felt she )as !regnant )ith herself% *earing the slo)ly ri!ening em*ryo of Melanie5 gro)n5u! inside herself for a gestation time the length of )hich she )as
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not !recisely a)are. 'nd% during this time% to clim* a tree might !rovoke a miscarriage and she )ould remain forever stranded in childhood% a cro!5haired tom*oy. 12C (n this !assage it is !ut for)ard that although since her first menses Melanie is a)are of the fact that she )ill *e a mature )oman soon and that this )ill take her to in a sense ualitatively different state% she fears that this !rocess of transformation may still go )rong% that she )ill interru!t it someho) and it )ill not *e com!leted. ' )oman’s menses is also a tangi*le source of her difference from a man and often a source of shame and a lack of understanding. (t thus seems that menstruation can *e a sym*ol not only for *eing a )oman% *ut also for *eing a )oman in a men’s )orld. ' girl )ho starts to menstruate needs to come to terms )ith all this. But may*e sometimes a girl decides not to acce!t it and looks for an avoidance strategy. #erha!s in this )ay one can a!!roach the story of the Slee!ing Beauty of !ights at the Circus. 's $evvers narrates in the intervie) )ith the young handsome Fournalist Walser% the Slee!ing Beauty% )hom she met in the museum of )omen monsters% )as a country currate’s daughter% cheerful and smart% *ut on the day )hen her menstruation started *egan to slee! more and more% until she s!ent a)ake only a fe) minutes of a day 3C. The first menses and the *eginning of e>cessive slee! seem to *e more than Fust a coincidence. #erha!s the slee! )as the girl’s avoidance strategy% as it is kno)n to *e the case )ith de!ressions or states of self5denial. #erha!s as her flo) started% she unconsciously or through her *ody realiAed )hat there )as in stock for her% and decided to have a long slee! instead. =o)ever% menses is !ortrayed generally !ositively in the te>ts analyAed here. (t is suggested to *e a milestone and also a !recious and !o)erful thing. This can *e o*served for instance )hen Wolf5'lice of the short story of the same title in The Bloody
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Chamber% a girl *rought u! *y the )olves and having ado!ted only the very *asics of human conduct% is trying to figure out the cause of her first flo). =er first theory is connected to )olves% the dearest !art of her life" The moon had *een shining into the kitchen )hen she )oke to feel the trickle *et)een her thighs and it seemed to her that a )olf )ho% !erha!s% )as fond of her% as )olves )ere% and )ho lived% !erha!s% in the moonQ must have ni**led her cunt )hile she )as slee!ing% had su*Fected her to a series of affectionate ni!s too gentle to )ake her yet shar! enough to *reak the skin. ,01C Not only )as the theory connected to the *eloved )olves% *ut also to a demonstration of their fondness for her achieved through delicate ni**ling of her genitals. Wolf5'lice instinctively searches for a !ositive reasoning of her first menstruation. (n accordance )ith this o*servation% Bacchilega in her analysis of &arter’s stories *ased on the story of ?Little /ed /iding =ood@ concludes that &arter here economically and sym*olically revalues )omen’s menstrual and *irth *lood and sho)s it as em!o)ering. Bacchilega also mentions (rigaray’s thesis that *lood )as formerly eualed )ith life itself% *ut as a sym*ol of )ealth has *een re!laced *y for e>am!le gold% !enis or child $ostmodern
#airy Tales 33C. Menstruation is thus !ortrayed as something that may give !o)er rather than take it a)ay% if a!!roached !ositively. 'nother e>am!le of &arter’s !ositive !ortrayal of menstruation *lood% although not connected to the first menses% can *e found in !ights at the Circus. (n the Si*erian !enitentiary for )omen )ho murdered their hus*ands% 6lga 'le>androvna% one of the !risoners% starts to communicate )ith 9era 'ndreyevna% a guard that *rings her food. But *ecause the )ays of communication are limited to secret notes% and !a!er and something to )rite )ith are scarce% these t)o )omen and soon also all others in the
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!rison make use of the inks that their *odies offer. They thus )rite and dra) ?in *lood% *oth menstrual and veinous% even in e>crement% for none of the Fuices of the *odies that had *een so long denied )ere alien to them@ 1,;C. (n accordance )ith the $rench feminist theory% the )omen !risoners of the Si*erian !ano!ticon *efriend the fluids of their *odies and e>!ress themselves through them. &ommunicating in this )ay% the !risoners and their guards manage to make a !lan of re*ellion against the &ountess% the head of the =ouse of &orrection% in )hich they succeed and thus regain their freedom. /eflecting on this !o)erful use of menstrual *lood that results in *ecoming free% Michael notes" ?6lga thus uses one of the most overt em*lems of femaleness% traditionally used to set )omen a!art as inferior to men% as a means of em!o)ermentD she literally )rites herself into su*Fecthood )ith her menstrual *lood@ 0,3C. Because 6lga and other !risoners set out to found a ne)% )omen5only colony% it can *e suggested that they )rite themselves into a ne) )orld. This resonates )ith Gones’s e>!lanation of the treatment of *odily fluids in $rench feminism" ?- To the e>tent that the female *ody is seen as a direct source of female )riting% a !o)erful alternative discourse seems !ossi*le" to )rite from the *ody is to recreate the )orld@ 101C. 6lga and her !eers do e>actly thisD they turn to their *odies for a means that )ould ena*le them to change their situation and find also their *odily fluids% including menstrual *lood% and they )rite themselves into freedom and into a ne) e>istence and thus recreate their )orld. To conclude% first menstruation is a moment for the girl to start to realiAe )hat her future roles )ill *e and to try find )here she stands in the ne) situation. 'lthough it is connected to feelings of an>iety and uncertainty% menstrual *lood is not !ortrayed as a source of shame% *ut as a !recious thing and a !ossi*le source of energy and !o)er that can *e used later in life for the girl’s o)n good.
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%)% A 1ew 3ody
' girl’s !u*erty *rings along many !hysical changes. The *ody develo!s from a little girl’s *ody into one of a young )oman. Breasts% hi!s% *elly and skin change and the *ody acuires ne) functions and *rings ne) feelings% often to *e)ilderment of its o)ner. 6*viously% also fairy5tale characters go through !u*erty% although their tellers usually do not make this kno)n as &arter does. (n her te>ts% for e>am!le% the reader finds out a*out the /ed /iding =ood character of ?The &om!any of Wolves@ that ?her *reasts have Fust *egun to s)ell@ and ?she has Fust started her )oman’s *leeding@ ,8,C. Suddenly% thus descri*ed% the character and then the )hole story o*tain a ne) dimension% of a reality of the *ody. Living in the ne) *ody is a huge novelty and the girls need to get used to the ne) situation. They need to discover their ne) curves% sha!es% and )hat the ne) *ody feels like )hen touched. 's it is read in the very first !aragra!h of the novel The Magic
Toyshop% Melanie s!ends long hours of the summer on this mission" The summer she )as fifteen% Melanie discovered she )as made of flesh and *lood. 6% my 'merica% my ne) found land. She em*arked on a tranced voyage% e>!loring the )hole of herself% clam*ering her o)n mountain ranges% !enetrating the moist richness of her secret valleys% a !hysiological &orteA% da :ama or Mungo #ark. $or hours she stared at herself% naked% in the mirror of her )ardro*eD she )ould follo) )ith her finger the elegant structure of her ri*5cage% )here the heart fluttered under the flesh like a *ird under a *lanket% and she )ould dra) do)n the long line from *reast5*one to navel -% and she )ould ras! her !alms against her *ud5)ing shoulder*lades. ,C
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$rom this !o)erful !assage% it follo)s that Melanie tries to ackno)ledge the changes of her *ody and em*race its ne) form and a!!earance. She feels no an>iety or shame *ecause of her *ody or her e>!loring effortsD on the contrary% as the end of the !assage reads% she )ould laugh and do cart)heels out of Foy. She sim!ly has fun e>!loring her ne) *ody. Many de!artures from fairy tales can *e seen here% from the !ortrayal of the changes on the female *ody caused *y !u*erty to the e>!loration of one’s *ody and the enthusiasm that goes )ith it. 's has *een !ro!osed a*out the !assage" ?&arter undermines the inscri*ed ideology *y em!hasiAing )hat the misogynistic fairy stories su!!ressed% an adolescent girl’s e>citement a*out her *ody and the discovery of her emerging se>uality@ #each ;0C. This o*servation a*out &arter’s su*version of fairy tales *y *reaking their silence a*out a girl’s se>uality and her Foy over it is also in accordance )ith (rigaray’s and &i>ous’s !ersuasion that ?if )omen are to discover and e>!ress )ho they are% in o!!osition to *eing re!resented in the !atriarchal discourse% they must *egin )ith their se>uality. 'nd their se>uality *egins )ith their *odies@ Gones 101C. Thus such a !ortrayal of a !u*escent girl enFoying her *ody has significant conseuences for the fairy5taleC discourse% *ecause it forces u!on it a s!ace for unam*iguously !ositive descri!tions of the changing female *ody and the )oman’s relation to it. 'lthough it may seem that Melanie’s *ody and the mirror are the only !artici!ants in this game of discovery% in fact% also the cultural and social images connected to the female *ody are at !lay here. Melanie !erforms for herself little sketches from cultural history" she !oses in the style of #re5/a!haelites or Toulouse Lautrec The Magic Toyshop ,C% or% after she reads +ady Chatterley(s +over% she sticks forget5me5nots in her !u*ic hair 1C. She e>!eriments )ith )hat it means to have a female *ody in the t)entieth century% after numerous artists and )riters !ortrayed and
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re!resented it% and she tries to get someho) orientated in the )hole array of images. $or instance% she finds that she is ?too thin for a Titian or a /enoir@ 1C or that she feels ?!articularly )icked@ )hen !osing for Lautrec ,C. 't the same time% Melanie is a)are of the e>!ectations !roFected on a )oman’s *ody that must *e met to call it *eautiful. These naturally influence the )ay she !erceives herself and her future chances. 6ne of the e>!ectations that Melanie realiAes and )ants to conform to concerns her slimness. She shovels large !ortions of *read !udding into her *rother’s !late from fear )hat it )ould do to her" ?She )as afraid that if she ate too much of it she )ould gro) fat and no*ody )ould ever love her and she )ould die virgin@ C. Melanie feels scared that if she does not meet the demands she thinks are !roFected on her *ody% her future )ill *e ho!eless. The !rocess of the discovery of her ne) *ody is for Melanie some)hat dou*le5edged. 6n the one hand% she feels Foy over her *ody as it is% on the other hand% she measures her *ody against an ideal of *eauty. =o)ever% it should *e said that Melanie sees her *ody as only one amongst many things that have the !otential to decide on her future. $or instance% )hen she )atches her five5year5old sister% she thinks" ?(s 9ictoria retardedQ - Will ( have to stay at home and hel! Mummy look after her and never have a life of my o)nQ@ ;C. Thus it seems that she considers various scenarios% and her *ody is not the only !arameter in them. 'll in all% !utting her fears aside% it is suggested that Melanie receives as much fun as she can from e>!erimenting )ith her ne) self. 't times she can even let go of the idea that her *eauty and her *ody are there to *e given at a lover’s or a groom’s dis!osal. When she is trying on her mother’s )edding dress% is !osing in it and sees in the mirror ho) !retty she looks% she )onders" ?Moonlight% satin% roses. ' *ride. Whose *rideQ But she )as% tonight% sufficient for herself in her o)n glory and did not need a groom@ ,3C. (t can *e !ro!osed that )hat Melanie e>!eriences here dra)s close to
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9ouissance% a conce!t + as Gones e>!lains 5 a!!ro!riated *y the $rench feminists Jristeva% (rigaray% &i>ous and WittigC as ?the direct ree>!erience of the !hysical !leasures of infancy and of later se>uality%@ )hich is a form of resistance to the institutions and signifying !ractices of a !atriarchal culture 187C. (n her e>!eriments of the summer% Melanie em*races her emerging se>uality in a !rivate Foy and thus dee!ens her relationshi! )ith her *ody% although this does not take !lace in a vacuum and she needs to )ork out the cultural and social demands and influences. $or $evvers of !ights at the Circus% !hysical !u*erty is even more challenging. =er small toy5)ings that she has had since the age of seven develo!% to her great dismay% into a fully5fledged !air. (n her intervie) )ith the young Fournalist% she o!enly talks a*out the moment )hen her )ings a!!ear in their ne) form" ?$or% as my little titties s)elled *efore% so these feathered a!!endages of mine s)elled *ehind until% one morning in my fourteenth year -% ( s!read. - ( had taken off my little )hite nightgo)n in order to !erform my matutinal a*lutions at my little dresser )hen there )as a great ri!!ing in the hind5uarters of my chemise and% all un)illed *y me% uncalled for% involuntarily% suddenly there *roke forth my !eculiar inheritance + these )ings of mine Still adolescent% as yet% not half their adult siAe% and moist% sticky% like freshly unfurled foliage on an '!ril tree. But% all the same% )ings.@ 18C #erha!s every girl going through !u*erty to some e>tent feels that the changes in her *ody come )illfully and are un!recedented% *ut $evvers can *e uite sure that no )oman has had a *ody of her kind *efore. Therefore no5one can advise her ho) to deal )ith the ne)% alien !art of *ody that suddenly gro)s on her *ack.
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$ollo)ing the a!!earance of her )ings% $evvers% aided *y her ado!tive mother LiA% sets out to discover )hat the !otential of her )ings is and )hether she can eventually fly% or )hether she is rather an ostrich5like creature that can s!read )ings *ut not hover on them. This turns out to *e a dangerous and lengthy !roFect. (n her first attem!t to fly% she Fum!s off a mantel!iece in the dra)ing room% goes straight to the floor and ends u! )ith a nose*leed and *ruises. But% im!ortantly% she e>!eriences an almost im!erce!ti*le moment of *eing carried *y the air. (n order to discover the techniue of flight and !hysical !ro!erties of the air% $evvers and LiA )atch *ird5 mothers teach their young ho) to fly and study e>!ert *ooks% until one day% months after the a!!earance of $evvers’s )ings% there comes the moment )hen LiA !ushes $evvers over the edge of the roof of the *rothel% and she flies. Hntrained and ne) to the motion% though% she uickly tires herself and on her return to the roof almost !lummets to the ground. Nevertheless% she discovers that her *ody is ?a little *oat that can cast anchor in the clouds@ !ights at the Circus 1;50C. 'lthough she still needs to learn a lot of lessons% she already kno)s )hat her *ody is ca!a*le of. 's she further narrates to Walser% her )ings and the !ossi*ilities they gave her naturally started to determine her !lans for the future. She tells him" ?( sa) my future as criss5crossing the glo*e for then ( kne) nothing of the constraints the )orld im!osesD ( only kne) *y *ody )as the a*ode of limitless freedom@ 8,C. =aving discovered its !otential% $evvers sees her *ody as the source of unlimited li*erty% )hich feels some)hat out5of5!lace in a )orld full of limitations. $evvers )ith her )ings *ecomes% according to #each% ?the em*odiment of freedom@ ,8C. (t can *e suggested that $evvers em*odies freedom in a num*er of )ays. $irstly% her )ings !rovide her *ody )ith un!recedented !ossi*ilities% )hen she can move% travel and vie) things in fashions unkno)n to otherC human *eings. $urther% they give her the o!!ortunity to make a
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living and live an inde!endent life. 'lso% through creating the image of an artistic aerialist% $evvers decides )hat she )ants to convey% and ho) she )ants to *e !erceived. 'nd as it )ill *e argued in cha!ters that follo)% $evvers’s uniue srcin of hatching out of an egg and *eing *rought u! *y a grou! of loving !rostitutes frees her from the limiting vie)s and *ehavioural !atterns that she )ould acuire in the classical 6edi!al setting. (t can *e suggested that $evvers’s uniue e>!erience of !hysical !u*erty can *e ins!irational for young girls. The message it conveys is that a )oman needs to em*race her *ody in its !eculiarity% learn a*out its functioning and e>!lore its !otential% and then it can li*erate her. Because even )inged $evvers has to learn ho) to fly% and if she )ere not *rave enough to find out )hat her )ings can do% she )ould never learn to use them and they )ould uselessly dangle on her *ack% making her more of a strange than a )onderful creature. Like to $evvers% also to Melanie of The Magic Toyshop it !ays off that she learns to kno) and a!!reciate her *ody. &onsoling the fragile 'unt Margaret )ho *reaks do)n )ith tears% she suddenly realiAes the strength coming from her *ody" ?&radling the )orn% sad )oman% Melanie felt herself to *e very strong% young and vital and tough. She kne) and trusted her firm% uick% resilient *ody% fed on )holesome food all its life% )ashed and tended so carefully@. $or a )hile she )onders )hether the re!ressive environment of Hncle #hili!’s house )ill cause her to )eaken% *ut then she resolves to *e ?too strong to *e )ithered@ ,7C. Melanie kno)s her *ody and trusts it and feels it can hel! her face difficulties. =o)ever% given &arter’s interest in disru!ting all !ossi*le stereoty!ical categories% it comes as no sur!rise that $evvers% her female em*odiment of li*erty can hardly *e seen as a conventional female character% and that she even has a streak of a cri!!le in her. (t has *een !ro!osed that the character of $evvers does not conform to
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gender stereoty!es% *ut re!resents *oth ty!ically feminine and ty!ically masculine features. 's Michael )rites" ?$evvers is altogether an am*ivalent figure )ho threatens traditional *inary categories" she !ossesses *oth masculine strength and authority as )ell as feminine charms and )iles@ 8<
The adeian 'oman that ?a free )oman in an unfree society )ill *e a monster@ td in Bacchilega $ostmodern #airy Tales 01C. 'lthough it )as srcinally noted in the conte>t of female se>uality% it also rather neatly fits $evvers character% )ho is a free )oman in a )orld full of limitations% and can *e seen as a monster. iscussing the character of $evvers% Sage reflects also on Gack i!es’s o*servation of different fairy5tale socialiAation !atterns for girls and for *oys )hich has *een already discussed in the (ntroductionC )here it is concluded that% in contrast )ith strong male fairy5tale characters% ?)omen )ho are !o)erful and good are never human@ td in Sage 3;C. Sage notices that this is true also for the )inged heroine $evvers% as she is ?indeed !o)erful and good and not e>actly human@ 3;C. Thus the )inged artist not only
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em*odies the !ossi*le freedom and li*erty of )omen% *ut also magnifies the restricting !rescri!tions a*out )hat a )oman should *e like in order to e>ist )ithin the given categories. To summariAe )hat has *een said in this su*cha!ter% &arter !ortrays the *odily changes of her young )omen and also ho) they come to terms )ith them. Melanie of
The Magic Toyshop and $evvers of !ights at the Circus take the discovering of their *odies as a mission in )hich they manage to *efriend their !hysicality. (n this !rocess% Melanie !uts u! )ith the social and cultural e>!ectations on her *ody% and $evvers )ith the great challenge of having )ings that are ca!a*le of flight. $or *oth of them% their *odies *ecome a source of their strength and energy.
%), 5irginity
'nother as!ect of a )oman’s youth that &arter !ortrays and sets out to deconstruct is a girl’s virginity. 'ccording to &arter% the redeeming !urity of the virgin is consolatory nonsense td in #each ualiAing )omen and making them only se>ual o*Fects and not su*Fects are for &arter unacce!ta*le. =er young heroines feel the !o)er of their se>uality and their conduct is often motivated *y it. By making her virgins se>ually motivated% &arter undermines the rigid virginP)hore *inary + the !atriarchal vie) that )omen are se>ually either com!letely untouched and una)are% or e>ceedingly and im!ro!erly active% and that there is no o!tion in *et)een. 6ne of the tales )here the young virgin’s se>uality moves the events for)ard is ?The &om!any of Wolves.@ 's $ranková o*serves% the heroine here is driven *y the ?curious unrest of her virginity@ to leave for the )oods and the )olf 8
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virginity. She is an un*roken eggD she is a sealed vesselD she has inside her a magic s!ace the entrance to )hich is shut tight )ith a !lug of mem*raneD she is a closed systemD she does not kno) ho) to shiver@ ?The &om!any of Wolves@ ,8,C. $eeling secure and self5confident% /ed /iding =ood insists on going through the )oods to visit her grandmother% although she kno)s )ell that as for the )olves it is the )orst time of the year ,8258,C. (t seems that she )ants to challenge herself and that she even ho!es there )ill *e a danger in the )oods she )ill have to face. =er longing curiosity is further revealed )hen she meets a handsome huntsman in the )oods. They agree to com!ete a*out )ho )ill arrive first at her grandmother’s house% and if he )ins% she has to give him a kiss. es!ite the rising moon% she then !ur!osefully drags her feet to make sure that the lad )ins the *et and they )ill kiss ,8C. $urthermore% on her arrival at the grandmother’s house% she is ?a little disa!!ointed to see only her grandmother sitting *eside the fire@ ,80C. 'lthough a virgin% she is o*viously eager for se>ual encounters. But% of course% it is not the grandmother )ho is sitting *y the fire% *ut the handsome huntsman turned )ere)olf. The girl uickly sees that% having devoured her grandmother% he no) )ants her% *ut reaches for the *oldness and confidence of her virginity and realiAes her strength. The reader finds out her reaction to the )ere)olf’s threat that he )ill eat her" ?The girl *urst out laughingD she kne) she )as no*ody’s meat@ ,8;C. Thus% !utting her fears aside% the girl eventually *ecomes the )ere)olf’s !artner in the stri!tease and in their ?savage marriage ceremony@ ,8;C. (t !erha!s sur!risingly a!!ears as if the )ished for an encounter of this kind )hen she left her mother’s house. 'lso other virginal heroines of the te>ts analyAed here are eager for se>ual e>!erience. $or e>am!le% Melanie of The Magic Toyshop% )ho has already !lotted various imaginative scenarios concerning her )edding night *ut has not *een kissed yet%
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)elcomes $inn’s decision to change this" ?She )aited in an agony of a!!rehension. (f it )as going to ha!!en% it must ha!!en and then she )ould kno) )hat it )as like to *e kissed% )hich she did not kno)% no). 't least she )ould have that much e>!erience% even if it )as only $inn )ho kissed her@ ,20C. Melanie does not mind that she )ill not get her first kiss from someone more attractive and loving than $innD she is content )ith the sheer fact that she )ill at last *egin )ith her love life. Later% )hen they !ractice for the sho) that Hncle #hili! devised% in )hich Melanie in the !art of Leda is ra!ed *y a huge !u!!et5s)an% they come close together in an em*race and Melanie is uite sure that it is the moment )hen she )ill lose her virginity" ?=e lay as close as a sheet to a *lanketD and he smelt of decay% *ut that no longer mattered. Shuddering% she realised that this no longer mattered. She )aited tensely for it to ha!!en@ ,8!erience and lets it come to her% and is rather u!set )hen $inn decides not to advance. This analysis attem!ts to sho) that in their virginity% some ofC &arter’s young female heroines enthusiastically e>!ect their first se>ual encounters and go for)ard to meet themD )hich s!eaks against the follo)ing uncker’s criticism of The Bloody
Chamber" ?&arter envisages )omen’s sensuality sim!ly as a res!onse to male arousal. She has no conce!tion of )omen’s se>uality as autonomous desire@ td in Benson 7C. (f it is acce!ted that /ed /iding =ood is driven *y the disuieting !o)er of her virginity% )hich seems to *e uite neatly suggested in the te>t% it can *e said that she is a se>ual *eing long *efore she stri!s and is stri!!ed *y the )ere)olf% although the s!ecific e>!ression of her se>uality naturally comes in interaction )ith him. =o)ever% the fact that virgins in &arter’s te>ts are se>ual *eings does not mean that they kno) ho) to manage the !o)ers of their se>uality and are a*le to safely face the situations in )hich it leads them. 's $ranková notes% *y deconstructing the myth of
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a !ure virgin% &arter gives her heroines the freedom to decide on themselves and their *odies% *ut this freedom involves also the res!onsi*ility for their choices and the necessity to *ear conseuences 8!erience% cannot see )hat $inn can see + that the situation is cunningly !re!ared *y Hncle #hili!% )ho )ants the t)o of them to have se> and thus to ?!ull Melanie do)n@ The Magic Toyshop ,01C. Neither does /ed /iding =ood of ?The &om!any of Wolves@ seem to realiAe ho) dangerous her conduct is. 6n a similar note% the young heroine of ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ seduced *y an older% rich and mysterious suitor% is almost murdered and is only very lucky to *e rescued *y her !rovident mother. &arter further undermines the virginP)hore *inary *y making $evvers of !ights
at the Circus the ?9irgin Whore%@ as she )as kno)n in the )hole city of London due to the fact that she )as an em!loyee of Ma Nelson’s *rothel she !osed there as a Little 'mour and later as Winged 9ictoryC% *ut never had any clients herself. (n fact% $evvers remains a virgin until the very end of the novel% )here she unites )ith her *eloved Fournalist Walser. (t seems interesting that $evvers remains a virgin for so long )hen it is considered that she in a )ay sees her virginity as a commodity that can *e cashed% should the need arise. 's she narrates to Walser a*out a financially interesting offer she )as given" ?$or )hat Mr /osencreutA is )illing to !ay for the !rivilege of *usting a scra! of cartilage )as uite sufficient to set my entire family u! in comfort@ 7,C. (t a!!ears that $evvers vie)s her virginity !ragmatically and that it is more im!ortant for her to *e a*le to look after her family than to remain in the innocent state. =o)ever% in *oth a!!ointments that $evvers goes to *ecause of the !romised money% she finds out that it is not her virginity the t)o men )ant to get her rid of% it is her life" Mr
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/osencreutA )ants to sacrifice her in a ritual and the :rand uke )ants to turn her into one of his ingenious toys. (n these life5endangering situations% $evvers is saved *y the eui!ment and kno)ledge she received in her native )horehouse. She is uicker than Mr /osencreutA in tossing her s)ord she got from Ma Nelson 7C% and mastur*ates the :rand uke% esca!ing in the moment of his orgasm ,<1C. Thus it can *e said that her )hore5as!ect of her !ersonality saves *oth her life and virginity. To conclude% it seems that &arter !lays )ith the rigid assum!tions of female se>uality and the !igeonholes of virgins and )hores. =er young girls are charged )ith eroticism and eager for se>ual e>!erience% and her )inged heroine $evvers% *rought u! in a *rothel% )ho is )illing to cash her virginity% in the end !arado>ically loses it out of love. But virginity for &arter is a dangerous state% *ecause its desires and as!irations out)eigh the e>!erience and information the girls haveD thus her young heroines often dangerously !lay )ith fire.
%)2 $hapter $onclusion
's has *een sho)n here% to &arter’s young female fairy5tale figures% the !hysical changes of !u*erty and adolescence suggest unkno)n !otentialities and horiAons. The girls and young )omen !erceive and e>!lore their ne) *odies and start intimate relationshi!s )ith them. &ontrary to stereoty!ical e>!ectations% the virginal girls of the analyAed te>ts are )ell a)are of their *udding se>uality and seek o!!ortunities for its further e>!loration. 'll in all% it can *e suggested that &arter returns young girls and )omen to their *odies and lets them face the Foys and !erils of it.
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, Mothers and 0ther Mother Figures
(n their !u*erty and adolescence% girls gro) into and !re!are for ne) roles + of adult )omen% of mothers% of their mothers’ friends. They look u! to their mothers and other mother figures for advice and model *ehaviour )hich )ould guide and ins!ire them. The young )omen’s relationshi!s )ith their mothers% aunts and other )omen changeD they *ecome their euals and !ossi*le rivals. (n this cha!ter it is discussed ho) the role of the mother is !ortrayed in the analyAed te>ts% )hat kind of role models the mother figures of the te>ts are for their )ards% )hat is !ro!osed as characteristic of )omen’s relations in !atriarchy% and )hether there is any !ossi*le alternative.
,)' he Mother Myth
Before it is discussed )hat influence mothers and other mother figures have on their surrogateC daughters% it must *e noted that &arter does not agree )ith any kind of glorification of a mother figure as a soother and ultimate giver% *ut is convinced that such an idea of the mother is another construct that makes !eo!le unfree. She )rites" ?'ll the mythic versions of )omen% from the myth of the redeeming !urity of the virgin to that of the healing% reconciling mother% are consolatory nonsensesD and consolatory nonsense seems to me a fair definition of myth% any)ay. Mother goddesses are Fust as silly a notion as father gods@ td in #each aggeration. 's is sho)n here% the characters of mother figures of the analyAed te>ts vary% as their *ehaviour and their relationshi!s )ith their daughters do. This s!an of !ossi*ilities that &arter offers includes the mighty and heroic mother of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ )ho o*eys her si>th sense% decodes her daughter’s distress as a call for hel! and comes to rescue her from certain death% *ut this is Fust one mother figure among many and certainly does not seem to *e a ty!ical one. (t
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must *e also !ointed out that although &arter attem!ts to dismantle the mother myth% she does not stri! her mothers of all significance. /ather% as Sellers argues% ?&arter’s attack has *een directed against certain manifestations of the archety!e rather than the mother or srcin !er se@ ,,0C. =o)ever% in the conte>t of fairy tales it seems to *e inevita*le to someho) undermine the image of a mother )ho is al)ays good% loving and self5giving% *ecause this image )as artificially instituted as the only !ossi*ility during the recording and canoniAation of fairy tales. 's has *een noted" ?The :rimms )ere also res!onsi*le for changing the )icked mother figure in many tales to a )icked ste!mother character so as not to challenge !revailing *eliefs a*out motherhood@ /oemer and Bacchilega ,2C. Thus the earlier re!resentation of mothers that included also less good% giving and self5sacrificing e>am!les )as narro)ed and distorted to only one !ossi*le !icture and everything else )as rendered im!ermissi*le and unthought5of. (n her tales and novels% &arter sho)s that there are more !ossi*ilities of *eing a mother. To mention those that )ould !ro*a*ly *e unheard5of in classical fairy tales% for e>am!le% Wonder of !ights at the Circus% an unusually short and !etite )oman )hom $evvers gets to kno) in the museum of )omen monsters% is sold *y her mother to a $rench !astrycook )ho serves her in cakes as a sur!rise 33C. The mother of Mignon of the same novel is killed *y her hus*and for ?lying do)n )ith soldiers from a near*y *arracks@ ,17C. 'nother mother of this novel% 6lga 'le>androvna% kills her hus*and )ho a*uses her% is !ut into !rison and leaves *ehind an or!han *oy 1,,C. '!art from the criminal and unfaithful mothers% there are also mothers )ho are rather )eak and im!rovident% as /ed /iding =ood’s mother% )ho ?cannot deny her@ and lets her go off through the )oods% des!ite the o*vious !erils it entails ,8,C. (t might *e suggested here that /ed /iding =ood’s mom is so good that it is actually harmful for the daughterD and the myth of the good mother )orks against itself. To give one final e>am!le of mother
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*ehavior that )ould !ro*a*ly not *e found in classical fairy tales% LiA% $evvers’s ado!tive mother% o*serves *ird5moms teach their young to fly and sees )hat she ado!ts as her o)n teaching strategy" ?- Why% as it dithered there% its loving mother came right u! *ehind it and shoved it clean off the edge@ !ights at the Circus C eciding on this risky ste!% LiAAie ho!es that )ith her hel!% $evvers has already ado!ted enough of the art of flying and that this fly5or5die attem!t turns out successful. (n &arter’s te>ts% a )ider sco!e of mother *ehaviour can *e found% )hich seems more natural and truthful than only the narro) given !attern of the mother figure. 6ne might suggest that the mother myth that esta*lishes a caring% self5sacrificing mother )ho is al)ays there for her children and their father as the only !ossi*ility of motherhood eventually serves to kee! )omen in their !lace. 'lthough the mother myth suggests female !o)er% it only seems to *e !o)er that is acce!ta*le )ithin the !atriarchal frame. (t has *een suggested that motherhood lies at the very heart of !atriarchy. 's :allo! )rites" 's &hodoro) + among others + has sho)n us% the institution of motherhood is a cornerstone of !atriarchy. 'lthough the father may *e a*sent from the !re56edi!al% !atriarchy constitutes the very structure of the mother5child dyad. The early mother may a!!ear to *e outside !atriarchy% *ut the very idea of the mother and the )omanC as outside culture% society% and !olitics is an essential ideological com!onent of !atriarchy. 11C This o*servation seems to find its manifestation in !ights at the Circus )hen LiAAie and $evvers% going through the Si*erian forest% find an im!rovised hut and inside it a )oman )ho has Fust given *irth to her *a*y and no) is *urning u! )ith fever. Because LiA and $evvers So!hieC are Fust discussing the issue of marriage and LiA tries to )arn
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$evvers against the institution% LiA uses the sight of the !oor )oman )ho has *ecome a victim of her mother role as her argument" ?I- This ta*leau of a )oman in *ondage to her re!roductive system% a )oman tied hand and foot to that Nature )hich your !hysiology denies% So!hie% has *een set here on !ur!ose to make you think t)ice a*out turning from a freak to a )oman’@ 17C. 'lthough the *irth of a child may *e seen as an intimate moment *et)een the mother and her child that deserves a s!ecial a!!roach and a ritual% this a!!reciating attitude may easily turn against the mother and she is moved to the !eri!hery to struggle on her o)n for her and her child’s lives. Thus although the mother is cele*rated on surface% in reality she is victimiAed. The mother myth seems to )ork Fust in this )ay" although in its face value it cele*rates the uniue role of )omen for their children% their sacrifices and nurturing and life5giving a*ilities% in fact it restricts )omen *y offering them very limited o!tions and modes of *ehaviour. &arter does not com!ly )ith this distorting re!resentation of mothers *ut sho)s that they are only !eo!le )ho can *e strong or )eak% good or *ad% and can a!!roach their mother role in various )ays.
,)% +omen’s *elationships in !atriarchy
's girls are gro)ing u!% the relationshi!s *et)een them and other )omen are changing. :irls *ecome adult )omen’s euals% !eers and in a )ay also successors. They *egin to see )hat the relationshi!s *et)een )omen are and to *e a !art of them. =ere it is looked at the nature of some of the relationshi!s *et)een daughters and their surrogateC mothers and at the influence the mothers have on the young heroines. 6ne of the !ossi*le constellations of the mother5daughter relationshi! is sisterhood and sym!athy *ased on their common fate and hardshi!. This is for e>am!le the case of Melanie of The Magic Toyshop and her 'unt Margaret. They *oth have to
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!ut u! )ith the hardness of living in Hncle #hili!’s house. This includes o*eying him in everything% having no money on one’s o)n% not *eing allo)ed to )ear trousers and generally calculating at every moment )hat to do so as not to make him angry. (n such an environment% they *ecome friends and su!!ort for one another and there seems to develo! a silent understanding *et)een them. This *ecomes visi*le )hen 'unt Margaret sadly e>!lains to Melanie that she cannot give her any money to *uy !resents *ecause she is given none herself. Melanie tries to *e su!!ortive" ?I( understand%’ said Melanie. 'n ancient% female look !assed *et)een themD they )ere !oor )omen !ensioners% !lanets round a male sun@ ,82C. They *oth kno) that they are dominated and mani!ulated and try to ease their *urden *y offering each other )armth and sym!athy. #each reads the !assage in terms of a uniue connection *et)een the t)o )omen that is ho)ever anchored in their inferior !osition" ?The look that !asses *et)een them is evidence of a dee!er female *ond. -. =o)ever% the )ord I*ond’ is dou*le5edgedD the )omen are also *rought together *y their shared economic de!endency u!on men@ <C. Their friendshi! may *e seen as rising out of necessityD crudely s!eaking% it can *e !ut forth that it is much easier for )omen to *e loving% understanding and sym!athetic to each other% )hen neither of them is given anything from the man’s )ealth or !rivileges. =o)ever% )hen the )omen or Fust one of themC see themselves as com!eting for the man’s favour% the relationshi! changes drastically and they *ecome rivals. Such a situation is de!icted in the tale ?The Sno) &hild.@ =ere% )hen the &ount and the &ountess are out riding% there% out of the &ount’s )ish% a!!ears a *eautiful young girl. Since the moment the &ount sits her on his horse% there is only one thing on the &ountess’s mind" ?=o) shall ( *e rid of herQ@ ,,C The &ountess hates the girl from the very *eginning% sees a danger in her and )ants to destroy her. Bacchilega o*serves" ?(n this sno)5covered landsca!e% the only relationshi! !ossi*le *et)een )omen is one
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that re!roduces itself as rivalry% as struggle to survive at the other )oman’s e>!ense@ $ostmodern #airy Tales 7C. This vie) is su!!orted *y the fact that )henever the &ount decides to give something to the girl or )hen he defends her against the &ountess% the &ountess is stri!!ed of her clothes% or her shoes% until she is ?*are as a *one and the girl furred and *ooted@ ,,C. (t seems that )hen the &ount directs his kindness and good)ill to one of the )omen% the other is inevita*ly endangered. #erha!s the &ountess of ?The Sno) &hild@ is afraid that she )ill *e forgotten *y the &ount% )ho )ill love the young girl instead and she% forlorn% )ill *e doomed. (ndeed% it a!!ears to *e the case in fairy tales that young )omen overtake the !ositions of older ones and re!lace them. This is !ut for)ard for instance in The Magic Toyshop% )here Melanie tries on her mother’s )edding dress and then sees this as the cause of her !arents death" ?I(t is my fault%’ she told the cat. =er voice )avered like )ater)eed. I(t is my fault *ecause ( )ore her dress. (f ( hadn’t s!oilt her dress everything )ould *e all right. 6h% Mummy’@ 18C Melanie *lames herself for her mother’s death% as if there )ere some kind of a rule that there cannot co5e>ist a mother and a daughter )ho are *oth in the !rime of their lives% as if the life )ent necessarily from the mother to the daughter% making the daughter mature and the mother die. The events of ?The Were)olf@ or of ?The &om!any of Wolves@ can *e read along the same lines. (n ?The Were)olf%@ the girl cuts off her grandmother’s hand )hen she is a )olf% initiates the grandmother’s *eating and eventually moves into her house and !ros!ers there ,3C. (n ?The &om!any of Wolves%@ /ed /iding =ood ends in her grandmother’s *ed )ith the )olf )ho a moment ago devoured her ,8;C. iscussing this !henomenon in the /ed /iding =ood tales% Bacchilega reminds that in certain versions of this tale% the grandCmother and the girl are seen as central characters and the )olf only as a connection *et)een them that hel!s in the shift from the grandmother to the
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granddaughter. The violence committed on the grandmother then acuires a ne) meaning" ?By eating the flesh and drinking the *lood% the young girl incor!orates the grandmother’s kno)ledge and takes her !lace@ $ostmodern #airy Tales 03C. Bacchilega sees this !assing on of e>!erience% kno)ledge and life energy from a grandCmother to a young girl as a ?form of )oman5centered genealogy@ 03C. 6n the other hand% one can !ose the uestion )hy it is not !ossi*le for the )omen to live side *y side and !erha!s only transform their relationshi! to ada!t it to the ne) reality that the girl is no) a mature )oman. :il*ert% discussing the !rinci!les and circumstances of a girl’s !sychose>ual develo!ment in !atriarchy% notices this !attern of re!lacement and suggests that it is connected to the limits im!osed on )omen" ?(t is as if the very idea of the daughter’s uest must necessarily kill the female !rogenitor% - to em!hasiAe the unavaila*ility of female !o)er@ 3!erience% kno)ledge and energy can *e ensured. (n this su*cha!ter% some relationshi!s that come into *eing *et)een )omen living in a !atriarchal setting have *een e>!lored. These include the friendshi! of )omen gro)ing from their common lot% rivalry *et)een them and the !rinci!le that a young )oman tries to re!lace the one *efore her% )hich s!rings from their limited !ositions. =o)ever% it must *e said that although &arter ackno)ledges the e>istence of these relationshi! !atterns% they are not the only !ossi*le ones for her. 's )ill *e sho)n in the su*cha!ter dealing )ith a *rothel as an alternative and later in the su*cha!ter a*out incest% &arter o!ens more varieties of )omen’s relationshi!s than the stern ones analyAed here. ,), Mothers an d Mother Figures as Girls’ *ole Models
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' mother is certainly a strong role model for a daughter. :irls and young )omen usually receive from their mothers a lot of information a*out ho) to *e an adult )oman and ho) to *e a mother and a )ife. The mother’s e>!erience is !assed on to her daughter not only ver*ally *ut also through model *ehavior that can *e *oth o*Fectively o*serva*le and su*tle. (t is uestiona*le ho) )ell the model *ehaviour serves the daughterD *ut it is also u! to her to actively reflect on )hat is offered and to ado!t or refuse it. 'round Melanie of The Magic Toyshop% there are in the course of the story different mother figures )ho !rovide her )ith varied messages on ho) to *e an adult )oman. There is Mrs. /undle% Melanie and her si*lings’ *a*ysitter and the housekee!er% )ho% although not married% decides she )ill rather *e a mistress than a miss" ?She ado!ted the married form *y a deed !oll on her fiftieth *irthday as her !resent to herself. She thought IMrs’ gave a )oman a touch of !ersonal dignity as she gre) older. Besides% she had al)ays )anted to *e married@ C. This ste! of Mrs. /undle seems to *e an interesting co!ing strategy. Because she )as not married and )as thus de!rived of the res!ect it )ould have given her and of the !leasures and memories connected to married life% she at least decided to use the married form and to convince herself that her fantasies a*out her hus*and are actually her memories. =o)ever% this decision also suggests that she considers remaining un)ed to *e some)hat second5rate. This is also )hat Melanie starts to think and )hat *ecomes a source of her an>iety. The reader can look into her thoughts" ?I( ho!e ( get married. 6h% ho) a)ful if ( don’t get married. ( )ish ( )as forty and it )as all over and ( kne) )hat )as going to ha!!en to me’@ 3C. The !arallel *et)een Mrs. /undle’s and Melanie’s attitudes is adum*rated in the similarity of their !rayers. (t is read in the novel"
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Melanie !rayed" ?#lease :od% let me get married. 6r% let me have se>.@ - Mrs. /undle !rayed% astonishingly" ?#lease% :od% let me remem*er that ( )as married as if ( had really married.@ $or she kne) she could not fool :od *y virtue of the deed !oll. ?6r% at least% she continued%@ ?let me remem*er that ( had se>.@ 6nly she !hrased it less *luntly. 7C Mrs. /undle most !ro*a*ly does not tell Melanie that marriage may not *e the only )ay to ha!!iness. /ight the other )ay round% Mrs. /undle !ro*a*ly !asses to Melanie the idea that the only )ay to live in res!ect and ha!!iness is to *e married. 'nother )oman )ho *ecomes a surrogate mother for Melanie and )ho inevita*ly serves as a !ossi*le model for her is 'unt Margaret% Hncle #hili!’s )ife. $or the most !art of the novel% 'unt Margaret seems totally su*dued to her hus*and. She seems to !atiently acce!t the suffering that he *rings her and Melanie often )onders )hy this is so% )hy she lets all this ha!!en to her and )hy she chose him for her hus*and. 's Melanie finds out from $inn to)ards the very end% the sur!rising agenda *ehind 'unt Margaret’s unha!!y marriage is that she and her *rother $rancie are incestuous lovers. $inn tells Melanie" ?IThey are lovers. They have al)ays *een lovers. - They are everything to each other. That is )hy )e have stayed here% since $rancie and Maggie-’@ ,<8C. (t is thus revealed that 'unt Margaret and her *rothers have a reason to stay at Hncle #hili!’s and that they even e>!loit him in a )ay% *ut it is not clear )hether the advantages of it out)eigh the negatives. (t is also o!en )hat Melanie learns from this% *ut !erha!s she at least sees that% contrary to a!!earances% 'unt Margaret has her o)n )ill and her )ays and !ursues a goal that she has chosen. (t is !ut forth in the te>t that Melanie can understand her and her !eculiar !references. When $inn asks her after the revelation )hether she )ould like to get *ack the !earls that she gave to 'unt Margaret% she re!lies" ?INo. ( love her.’ (t )as true. 's she s!oke% she felt
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the love% )arm and understanding% inside her. 'nd she loved $rancie% too% there )as no hel!ing it@ ,<0C. Melanie’s sym!athy and love for these t)o !eo!le is stronger than any tendencies to Fudge them. 'unt Margaret thus *ecomes an unusual role model for Melanie. (n the end% it is u! to Melanie to reflect on the *ehavior that she sees in the )omen )ho *ecome her surrogate mothers and add them to the array of !ossi*ilities of *eing a )oman that she already kno)s% this *eing for e>am!le a vague memory of )hat her mother )as like ?IMy mother%’ said Melanie% invoking her )ith difficulty% I)ore hats and gloves and sometimes sat on committees’@ ,,3C. :enerally s!eaking% *oth Mrs. /undle and 'unt Margaret are inventive in terms of their !ursued goals and their strategiesD ho)ever% the message for Melanie a!!ears to *e am*iguous. 'nother young )oman of the te>ts analyAed here% the heroine of ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ a version of the Blue*eard story% has a very !o)erful role model in her eccentric and heroic mother% )ho% already in her young age% sho)ed an e>traordinary a*ility to survive and to save others in des!erate situations. The heroine realiAes )hat a strong !ersonality her mother is" ?My eagle5featured% indomita*le motherD )hat other student at the &onservatoire could *oast that her mother had outfaced a Funkful of &hinese !irates% nursed a village through a visitation of !lague% shot a man5eating tiger )ith her o)n hand and all *efore she )as as old as (Q ?The Bloody &ham*er@ 7C (n addition to this% she had her )ill and married for love 7C. 'fter her hus*and died in a )ar% she had a hard time *ut tried to make it !ossi*le for her daughter to have a career and lead a life of her choiceD )hen times )ere difficult% she sold all her Fe)elry% even her )edding ring% to !ay her daughter’s fees at the conservatory ,0C. This mother may *e seen as another e>treme% for ho) is it !ossi*le for a daughter of such a heroic mother to follo) in her footste!sQ (t seems that the young *ride res!ects and admires her mother *ut feels she cannot *e as e>traordinary as her. Similarly to her mother% though%
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she has her )ill and decides on her marriage% although her mom is not sure it is a good ste!% as is revealed )hen she asks" ?I're you sure you love himQ’ I(’m sure ( )ant to marry him%’ ( said. 'nd )ould say no more@ 7C. Hnfortunately% she almost !ays )ith her life for the decision to marry the Maruis. (t turns out that he is a sadistic maniac )ho takes !leasure in killing his )ives in various )ays. (nterestingly% on the threshold of the for*idden cham*er )here the ne)ly married )oman is to discover her hus*and’s true% horri*le nature% she realiAes ho) much of her mother’s character she inherited" ?Hntil that moment% this s!oiled child did not kno) she had inherited nerves and )ill from the mother )ho had defied the yello) outla)s of (ndo5&hina. My mother’s s!irit drove me on% into that dreadful !lace% in a cold ecstasy to kno) the very )orst@ C. (n the moment of her horror initiation% the girl reaches for the strength that comes to her from her mother and realiAes ho) much she takes after her. 6n the other hand% it might *e !ro!osed in the !assage that the inherited fearless tem!erament led her to the dangerous !lace% *ut it is de*ata*le )hether she is a*le to face the horrid situation and survive it. (n the end% she is rescued *y her mother% )ho% alarmed *y an earlier tele!hone call in )hich the daughter irrationally cries a*out lu>urious *ath ta!s% rushes into the castle and shoots the Maruis dead. 'lthough the daughter !ro*a*ly lacks the e>traordinary heroism and resources of her mother and is !o)erless face to face )ith her *rutal hus*and% still it is suggested that )hat her mother taught her serves her )ell. Thanks to the !rofessional career as a !ianist that she !ursues% ins!ired and su!!orted *y her mother% she gets to kno) Gean54ves% a *lind !iano tuner hired *y her hus*and% )ho is her consoler in the most dreadful moments of her life% hel!s her mother get into the castle and )ho eventually *ecomes her *eloved !artner. (t might *e said that mother5figures give am*iguous e>am!les to their daughters. 'lthough *oth Mrs. /undle and 'unt Margaret devise srcinal strategies of integrating
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their real selves and the e>!ectations !roFected on them% it is dis!uta*le ho) )ell these serve to Melanie. 6n the other hand% the advantage of it seems to *e that Melanie can o*serve various )omen figures and choose herself )hat suits her. The main character of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ has an unusually strong mother as a role model% *ut it seems that she still needs to figure out )hat this means to her. 'll in all% daughters are not co!ies or little versions of their mothers or minders% *ut need to decide on their o)n )ho they )ant to *e.
,)2 A 3rothel as an A lternative
(t is remarka*le that &arter has her sym*ol of )omen’s freedom% the character of $evvers of !ights at the Circus% *orn and raised outside of the usual nuclear family. (n fact% $evvers )as not even *orn *ut hatched out of an eggD a*andoned *y her !arents *ut found *y affectionate LiAAie. She narrates to Walser" ?'nd she )ho found me on the ste!s at Wa!!ing% me in the laundry *asket in )hich persons unknown left me% a little *a*e most lovingly !acked u! in ne) stra) s)eetly slee!ing among a litter of *roken eggshells% she )ho stum*led over this !oor% a*andoned creature clas!ed me at that moment in her arms and out of the a*undant goodness of her heart and took me in@ ,1C. ' hatched foundling taken *y a !rostitute )ith a *ig heart and *rought u! in a *rothel% $evvers is neither an inheritor of the lot of the )omen *efore her% nor a !roduct of the nuclear family’s 6edi!al setting in )hich% follo)ing $reudian !sychoanalysis% ?the girl child acuires a secondary and inferior sense of identity to the male child@ #each ,0C. (n his discussion of $evvers’s uniue srcin% Michael ackno)ledges Barrett’s conclusion that ?it is )ithin the family that masculine and feminine !eo!le are constructed and that
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the categories of gender are re!roduced@ and e>!resses his !ersuasion that ?the !roduction of ne) forms of su*Fectivity reuires ne) family structures and ideologies@ Michael 02C. $rom the very *eginning of her life% $evvers lives in a uniue structure and can therefore *ecome a uniue !ersonality. The *rothel )here $evvers gro)s u! is !ortrayed in most ideal terms. 's $evvers confides to Walser% she is grateful for )here and ho) she )as *rought u!% for she )as looked after and reared *y the )omen as if she )ere ?the common daughter of half5a5doAen mothers@ 1,C. 'lso% she )as never treated unkindly or *adly *y them *ut )as al)ays ?given the *est of everything@ 11C. $urthermore% the house of !rostitution is de!icted as a residency of a grou! of am*itious and entre!reneurial )oman% )ho are *usy )ith their !astimes and their education *efore their la*our *egins 1;C. Thanks to the skills and !lans they thus develo!% they are a*le to find a ne) means of living after the runner of the *rothel% Ma Nelson% tragically dies 88580C. The environment in )hich $evvers gro)s u! is in many )ays un!aralleled. The relationshi!s *et)een the )omen there seem to *e devoid of rivalry and envy. 'lthough they are de!endent on men% these are their customers and the transactions )ith them are rationaliAed and *ased on *usiness. #arado>ically it could *e !ro!osed that% although !rostitutes% the !rofessional )omen )ho in their free time develo! their skills and kno)ledge and )ho live in harmony )ith each other are ideal role models for little $evvers. $evvers )as *rought u! *y a )hole grou! of )omen living together% *y a small community. 's has *een already noted% Michael sees this ?ne) family structure@ as a !re5condition of $evvers’s uniue su*Fectivity. The idea of a community as a family structure has *een develo!ed *y a num*er of thinkers. &ro)der mentions Wittig’s a!!roach" ?By re!lacing the mother5child dyad )ith the tri*al commune as the social
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unit% Wittig’s )orks at one stroke eliminate relations of ineuality and !o)er% e>!ressed in !sychoanalytic terms in the 6edi!al conflict@ ,1C. =o)ever% although the arrangement in )hich a commune re!laces the nuclear family seems to free the child from the negatives of the traditional roles% &arter !ro*a*ly cannot *e seen as a su!!orter of the feminist idea of )omen5only associations that should serve as alternatives to !atriarchal society. The dou*t a*out such schemes is e>!ressed for e>am!le in LiAAie’s ironic reaction to the ne)s a*out the grou! of e>5convicts )ho set out to esta*lish a female5only colony and !lan to use a donator’s s!erm for re!roduction. LiAAie )onders" ?IWhat’ll they do )ith the *oy *a*iesQ $eed’em to the !olar *earsQ To the 3emale !olar *earsQ’@ 18,C LiAAie% although clearly a feminist and an adversary of marriage% uncovers the im!ractica*ility of such a !roFect. (t is a !arado> *ut a *rothel is sho)n as a much *etter solution to the !ro*lematic !osition of )omen in society and to the relations *et)een men and )omen% *ecause it does not e>clude men or stri!s them of the significance they have% *ut at the same time leaves the )omen enough s!ace and !o)er. $urthermore% according to &arter% this arrangement is also more sincere and ackno)ledging to )omen% as they are at least ?decently !aid on the nail and *oast fe)er illusions a*out a hireling status that has no veneer of social acce!ta*ility@ td in Michael 02C. The more res!ecta*le social status of married )omen is sho)n to *e only illusory. By making her em*lematic heroine $evvers a daughter of a grou! of !rostitutes% &arter suggests a ne)% reverse vie) of a *rothel. (t *ecomes an institution )here the relationshi!s *et)een men and )omen are more trans!arent and )here )omen have more s!ace for themselves% for their !astimes and their am*itions. 'lso )hat $evvers learns and o*serves in the environment% including the )omen’s relationshi!s% is de!icted in very !ositive terms. $urthermore% as )as mentioned earlier% the *rothel is the very
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!lace )here $evvers for the first time e>!eriences that she hovers on the air% )hich can *e read as the first !romise of her unusual a*ilities and her freedom.
,)6 $hapter $onclusion
(n this cha!ter it has *een sho)n ho) much the lives of )omen are influenced *y the inevita*ly !atriarchal setting. 'lthough they are on the surface cele*rated *y their mother role% in fact it kee!s them in !lace. They can *e each other’s friend in need% *ut they are as )ell rivals com!eting for a man’s favour. 4oung heroines of the te>ts can often )atch ho) the life of their mother figures is limited *y their !ositions in relation to men. &arter seeks remedy in uncovering such confinement and rigidity and offers an alternative as )ell. (n her *rothel of !ights at the Circus% the matri> of mutual de!endency of men and )omen *ecomes trans!arent and free of a!!earances and this !arado>ically seems to li*erate the )omen. The *rothel is thus !ortrayed as a !lace )here )omen can act freely and *e real friends to each other and good mothers to $evvers% )ho is thus *rought u! as kno)ing no restraints to her li*erty.
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2 From Fathers to .us#ands
To a certain e>tent% a girl’s adolescence can *e seen in terms of leaving the care and !rotection of the mother and entering the )orld )hich )orks according to the father’s rules. (n the follo)ing three su*cha!ters% it is analyAed ho) the heroines ada!t to the ne) realities and the ne) !hase of their lives. 't the same time% it is discussed ho) their relations )ith men change in connection )ith the fact that they are *ecoming mature )omen and se>ual o*Fects.
2)' Father"Daughter (ncest
$ather figures of the analyAed te>ts seem to *e even more !ro*lematic than mothers. (n her discussion of &arter’s male characters% #each uotes Gouve’s o*servation that father figures in &arter’s )ork are ?attacked% deconstructed% sho)n to *e hollo) or vulnera*le@ 7C. (ndeed% in the te>ts analyAed here% there is most !ro*a*ly not one !ositive father figure. $athers that could *e good or at least normal are a*sent or deadD Melanie’s father in The Magic Toyshop dies in the !lane crash% the father of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ is killed in )ar% /ed /iding =ood’s dad is ?a)ay in the forest@ ?The &om!any of Wolves@ ,8,C. 6ther fathers are gam*lers or incom!etents )ho lose all their !ro!erty and their daughters% as is the case in ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@ or in ?The Tiger’s Bride.@ The negative father figure is taken into e>treme and at the same time mocked in the character of Hncle #hili! of The Magic Toyshop% a *rutish and an o*viously !sychologically distur*ed toymaker% )ho does not like !eo!le !laying )ith his toys 73C. 's a girl is gro)ing u! into a young )oman% the relationshi! *et)een her and her father is *ecoming trou*lesome. (n the essay ?Life’s an Em!ty #ack" Notes to)ard a Literary aughterognomy%@ Sandra M. :il*ert convincingly sho)s that the )estern
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cultural !attern of a girl’s develo!ment is one of father5daughter incest. Because it is remarka*le ho) much the conclusions of this essay can *e follo)ed in &arter’s te>ts% it is used here as the *asis for the analysis of the relationshi! *et)een the father and his maturing daughter. $irst the essay is overvie)ed here and then it is analyAed ho) the uncovered !rinci!les are !ortrayed in &arter’s te>ts and ho) they are further )orked )ith and undermined. To summariAe the main !oints of :il*ert’s essay% the coming of age of a daughter is seen as ?an entry of the daughter into a culture sha!ed *y the codes of the father@ 38C. ' daughter needs to leave the )orld created *y her mother and to enter the )orld dominated *y her father and )orking according to his rules. (n this% the girl is figuratively told" ?4ou must *ury your mother% you must give yourself to the father@ 38C. $or the father% his maturing daughter re!resents the em*odiment of all his longings% stretching from his childhood s)eetheart to the all5giving mother. (n addition to this% fathers see their daughters as *elonging solely to them alone ;C. $urther it is suggested that incestuous *ehaviour is a continuum and that )omen in !atriarchal culture are encouraged to *ehave incestuously and marry men )ho resem*le their fathers" men )ho are taller% richer and have more !o)er than the )omen themselves ;1C. 6ther !rinci!les rooted in !atriarchal society include the im!ossi*ility for a daughter to inherit father’s )ealth 07C% the tendency that a daughter re!laces her female !rogenitor already discussed in the su*cha!ter on )omen’s relationshi!sC3
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her descri!tion% there she stood% *eside the road% )hite skin% red mouth% *lack hair and stark nakedD she )as the child of his desire -@ ,,C. Such a de!iction of a nude young girl )ith red li!s has strong se>ual connotationsD furthermore% the fact that the girl )as *orn out of his )ish chimes in )ith the idea that a father sees in his daughter all his desires come true. Basically% the )hole !lot of the tale is that a girl is *orn out of her father’s )ish% her mother sees her as a dangerous rival and )ants to destroy her% the father has se> )ith her and she melts and disa!!ears. The youngster has no other !ur!ose in her life than to fulfill her father’s )ish. 't the same time% she is a !assive heroine taken into e>treme. (t is telling that her actions are descri*ed in a minimal num*er of )ords" ?So the girl !icks a roseD !ricks her finger on the thornD *leedsD screamsD falls@ ,,8C. By allo)ing the heroine as little s!ace of the te>t as !ossi*le% her !assivity is magnified. &arter further mocks the incest through an outs!oken descri!tion of the se>ual act" ?Wee!ing% the &ount got off his horse% unfastened his *reeches and thrust his virile mem*er in to the dead girl. The &ountess reined in her stam!ing mare and )atched him narro)lyD he )as soon finished@ ,,8C. &arter makes the &ount not only incestuous *ut also necro!hilic and his lets )ife )atch the act kno)ingly% )ith the satisfaction that her rival is dying. Many other e>am!les of incestuous *ehaviour of fathers to)ard their daughters or )ards can *e traced in the te>ts analyAed here. $or e>am!le% Melanie is forced *y Hncle #hili! to !lay Leda in an enactment of ILeda and the S)an’ story. (t *ecomes *asically a staging of Melanie’s ra!e. (t is !ro!osed that Melanie senses the real meaning of the !u!!et sho). The reader finds out a*out Melanie’s feelings" ?But it )as not !recisely the s)an of )hich she )as afraid *ut of giving herself to the s)an@ ,31C. Melanie is vicariously ra!ed *y her Hncle% and also other young girls are treated )illfully *y their fathers. (n the tale ?The Tiger’s Bride%@ the father loses his daughter in
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cards. She realiAes )hat the transaction revealed a*out her !ositionD she is thought of and treated as !ro!erty. She says" ?4ou must not think that my father valued me less than a king’s ransomD *ut% at no more than a king’s ransom.@ ;7C. The fact that she is much valued does not change anything% in her father’s eyes she is still an asset. (n the short story ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ significant elements of the incest !attern can *e o*served as )ell. The Maruis is ?rich as &roesus@ ,,C% )hile his *ride5 to5*e is a !oor conservatory studentD he is also much older and much more e>!erienced than her. She narrates" ?( )as seventeen and kne) nothing of the )orldD my Maruis had *een married *efore% more than once% and ( remained a little *emused that% after those others% he should have no) chosen me@ ,2C. (n their relationshi!% he is the older% richer% more e>!erienced one% and she is a little child com!ared to him. $urthermore% in accordance )ith the !atriarchal dictum that a maturing girl must forget her mother and start to *e there only for her father% the heroine feels as if she )ere losing her mom" ?'nd% in the midst of my *ridal trium!h% ( felt a !ang of loss as if% )hen he !ut the gold *and on my finger% ( had% in some )ay% ceased to *e her child in *ecoming his )ife@ ;C. (n this story% ho)ever% the !atriarchal status uo that a daughter e>ists for the fatherPhus*and only and he can do )hatever he !leases )ith her is disru!ted. The already analyAed moment )here% on the threshold of the torture cham*er% the heroine starts to think a*out her mother and )hat she takes after her could *e !ossi*ly read as her realiAation of )here the desire for a father5figure has led her and the )ish that she could return to the )orld of her mother. (n the end% her mom revives her again to the mother5)orld )hen she shoots her hus*and dead. The ending of the story sho)s further significant de!artures from the rules of the father )orld as are !ut forth in :il*ert’s essayC. The rescued *ride inherits from her hus*and a huge fortune% )hich goes against the o*servation that daughters rarely inherit from their fathersD she finds a lover in the
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*lind% young !iano tuner from the near*y village% )ho is certainly not another father figureD and all three of them live together% )hich defies the !rinci!le a*out a daughter re!lacing her female !rogenitor. 'lthough it is the mother )ho so remarka*ly changes the events% the daughter also struggles to *e an active character. (t is suggested that she is a)are of the dangers of *eing !assive. She )onders a*out )hether she caused the terri*le fate to come to her" ?IWho can say )hat ( deserve or noQ’ ( said. I(’ve done nothingD *ut that may *e sufficient reason for condemning me’@ 80C. The girl’s rescue might *e seen as a Foint venture of her and her mother% for it is after all the daughter’s tele!hone call that alarms her mother and that eventually results in the ha!!y ending. The theme of incest can a!!ear in numerous shades and forms. &arter’s novel
The Magic Toyshop offers an unusual handling of this to!ic in the incestuous relationshi! *et)een 'unt Margaret and her younger *rother $rancie. (nterestingly% here the incest )orks against the !atriarch. What has )orked for so long against girls and )omen is thus turned against the very makers of the scheme. 'll in all% it can *e said that &arter does not avoid the !ro*lematical issue of father5daughter incest% *ut makes it im!ossi*le to overlook% as for e>am!le in the minimalistic and mocking tale ?The Sno) &hild@ or in the staged ra!e of Melanie of The Magic Toyshop. (n ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ &arter has a heroic mother disru!t the incestuous !rinci!les and regain her daughter *ack to her )orld of free and em!o)ered )omen. (t is also suggested that an active heroine can to an e>tent fight or face incestuous tendencies from her father% *ut a !assive one is fully at his mercy.
2)% Se7 and Desire
's has *een already sho)n% &arter’s young )omen characters% although virgins% are erotically charged% a)are of the ne) *odily sensations and full of e>!ectancy. With
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time% o!!ortunities arise for them to find realiAations of these feelings in se>ual relationshi!s. =o)ever% *ecause the se>ual !artners are most often men% they are challenged to learn to understand them and em*race them in their difference *ut not to lose anything of their o)n !ersonality along the )ay. This may not *e an easy task. The heroine of ?The Tiger’s Bride@ reflects on the ga! *et)een her and men" ?( )as a young girl% a virgin% and therefore men denied me rationality Fust as they denied it to all those )ho )ere not e>actly like themselves% in all their unreason@ ;7C. She sees men as a different s!ecies% *ut assumes that this )ill some)hat change )ith her )ider e>!erience )ith them. (t seems that discovering men’s ruthlessness is uite a common !art of first se>ual e>!eriences. Such an unha!!y introduction into se>ual life is the case of the heroine of ?The Bloody &ham*er.@ 'fter her first se> )ith the Maruis% she feels ?infinitely disheveled *y the loss of her virginity@ 12C and cradles her hurt *ody to comfort it 1,C. The Maruis says consolingly" ?My dear one% my little love% my child% did it hurt herQ =e’s so sorry for it% such im!etuousness% he could not hel! himselfD you see% he loves her so-@ 1,C. 'lthough these are a!ologetic )ords% it is not difficult to see that in fact he tries to mani!ulate her into *elieving that se>ual love and its !ractices are *eyond her understanding% that it is him )ho kno)s the rules of their love and therefore sets them% and% finally% that she )ill have to acce!t that love )ill hurt her. $or &arter% ?all se>ual reality as !olitical reality%@ td in Bruhl and :amer ,01C and this !rinci!le can *e )ell o*served in this instance of the Maruis’s treatment of his *ride. By setting the rules and the terms% he tries to take over her se>uality. The *ride is a)are of the !o)er her hus*and has over her. 'fter he leaves for urgent *usiness and she stays on her o)n% she contem!lates a*out him as a*out the ?mysterious *eing )ho% to sho) his mastery over her% had a*andoned her on their )edding night@ 13C.
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But se>uality and desire are com!le> matters and although the girl feels over!o)ered *y her hus*and% she is also a)are of the intense sensations se> inflamed in her. She recalls the moment after he had a*andoned her" ?( lay in our )ide *ed accom!anied *y% a slee!less com!anion% my dark ne)*orn curiosity. ( lay in *ed alone. 'nd ( longed for him. 'nd he disgusted me@ 13C. She is conscious of her mi>ed feelings )hich include desire% antici!ation and re!ulsion. Still later% after the young )oman discovers the dark secrets of the for*idden cham*er% the rules and !ractices of her hus*and over)helm her so much that she is thunderstruck )hen she sees that more forms of enchantment and desire are at all !ossi*le. When the !iano tuner visits her )hile she is !ractising in the middle of the dreadful night% she literally !asses out *ecause of the novelty of his gentleness. She narrates" ?'fter the dreadful revelation of that *loody cham*er% it )as his tender look that made me faint@ 7C. 'lso the fact that a man she fancies is her eual is ne) for her% and she realiAes the !o)er it" ?'lthough he )as scarcely more than a *oy% ( felt a great strength flo) into me from his touch@ % she is a*le to think of her se>uality inde!endently to the e>tent that she )elcomes an alternative to him% although its form shocks her. There seems to *e had more !ositive energy and !leasure out of more eual and democratic se>ual relations that involve *oth !artners’ rules% )ishes and needs. 'n intriguing !ortrayal of )omen’s develo!ing se>uality is !rovided in the t)o mutually reflecting IBeauty and the Beast’ stories of The Bloody Chamber% namely in ?The &ourtshi! of Mr. Lyon@ and ?The Tiger’s Bride.@ (n *oth of these tales% a daughter is forced *y her father’s circumstances to *ecome a com!anion for the Beast% )hich is at first terri*le for her% *ut gradually she voluntarily *ecomes the Beast’s !artner and lover.
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The heroines of the stories are attracted *y the Beasts and at the same time scared of their difference and of )hat it )ould do to them. When the girl of ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@ sends the Beast a *unch of flo)ers as an e>!ression of gratitude that he hel!ed her father and let her go% she realiAes the array of feelings connected to him" She sent him flo)ers% )hite roses in return for the ones he had given herD and )hen she left the florist% she e>!erienced a sudden sense of !erfect freedom% as if she had Fust esca!ed from an unkno)n danger% had *een graAed *y the !ossi*ility of some change *ut% finally% left intact. 4et% )ith this e>hilaration% a desolating em!tiness 0am!le Makinen does. She )rites" ?Beasts signify a sensuality that the )omen have *een taught might devour them% *ut )hich% )hen em*raced% gives them !o)er% strength and ne) a)areness@ ,2C. When the young )omen start to develo! their se>uality in their relationshi!s )ith the Beasts% it )ill most !ro*a*ly change them% *ut chances are that it )ill not harm them. (t is ironic that in the te>ts analyAed here% the inhuman Beasts a!!ear to *e *etter lovers than the e>!erienced% self5confident and self5centered MaruisD for they do not set forth any given terms and conditions of se>ual conduct. Thus the mutual getting to
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kno) and getting used to the other is for the Beasts and Beauties a !rocess that engages *oth !arties and gives s!ace to *oth of them. The sentence uoted earlier here% that the Beast ?ackno)ledges no !act that is not reci!rocal@ ;am!le% )hen the girl of ?The Tiger’s Bride@ comes to her lover% nude and o!en to things to ha!!en% she senses his fear" ?=e )ent still as stone. =e )as far more frightened of me than ( )as of him@ 71C. Beasts and Beauties of the t)o tales are gradually *eginning to kno) each other and to lose *arriersD they are creating their relationshi!s and influencing each other. $or e>am!le% in ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon%@ it is read" ?=e forced himself to master his shyness% )hich )as that of a )ild creature% and so she contrived to master her o)n -@ 0;C. Both of them are unaccustomed to each other’s com!any *ut they *oth try to come closer to one another. 'lthough the heroines need to come to terms )ith the Beasts’ difference and )ith )hat it does to their se>uality% they do not su*mit themselves to their *estial com!anionsD they are se>ual su*FectsD they are kno)ledgea*le and initiative. This is revealed for instance in the follo)ing !assage of ?The &ourtshi! !f Mr Lyon@ )here the Beast kisses Beauty good night" ?She stayed stock5still% transfi>edD she felt his hot *reath on her fingers% the stiff *ristles of his muAAle graAing her skin% the rough la!!ing of his tongue and then% )ith a flood of com!assion% understood" all he is doing is kissing my hands@ 0;C. The girl a!!ears to already have certain kno)ledge of se> and finds the Beast’s attem!t to kiss her clumsy *ut s)eet. &runelle59anrigh sees this !assage as evidence that some of &arter’s fairy5tale heroines have ?an a)areness of se> that )ould have *een foreign to heroines of classical fairy tales@ ,,C. (t might *e said that this holds truth also for heroines’ se>ual initiative" it )ould have *een !erha!s even more
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foreign to classical fairy5tale female figures% *ut is !ossi*le and even uite common in &arter’s figures. The heroine of ?The Tiger’s Bride@ *ravely acts on her o)n initiative )hen she% as has *een already mentioned% goes to the Beast naked and full of e>!ectations. 't the moment )hen the Tiger’s *ride visits him in his cham*er% there o!ens the realm of their intimacy and sharing. The young )oman decides to usher the t)o of them there" ?The *east and his carnivorous *ed of *one and (% )hite% shaking% ra)% a!!roaching him as if offering% in myself% the key to a !eaca*le kingdom in )hich his a!!etite may not *e my e>tinction@ 71C. (n her initiative% she offers herself to him in a )ay that res!ects them *oth and that is a fruitful com!romise *et)een them. They together create a s!ace )here they can meet in their instincts% desire and love. $or the !ur!oses of the analysis here% the t)o IBeauty and the Beast’ tales are follo)ed as having one !lot% *ut it is not to suggest that they are the same. Many differences *et)een them could *e found% in )hich they interte>tually reflect on one another. 'n im!ortant distinction *et)een the t)o stories comes at their ends. (n ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon%@ the Beast *ecomes a man% )hen the girl starts to see him in that )ayD in ?The Tiger’s Bride%@ on the contrary% the )oman turns into a *east )hen her human skin is licked off and fur a!!ears. (t might *e !ro!osed that *oth of the transformations ha!!en in accordance )ith the )omen’s )ishes and needs. The heroine of ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon@ dearly loves her father and enFoys the )orldly !leasures and thus stays on the human side of the line and her Beast *ecomes more of a man. The final lines of the story suggest that their marriage is uite normal% a union of a male and female that are *oth human" ?Mr and Mrs Lyon )alk in the garden% the old s!aniel dro)ses on the grass% in a drift of fallen !etals@ 31C. 6n the other hand% the girl of ?The Tiger’s Bride%@ )ho is sick of her father and of her !osition% turns into a *east and thus
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destroys for her the human )orld in )hich she )as made a !ro!erty. The destruction of her old )orld can *e read in the descri!tion of the conseuences of the Beast’s !urring during their love !lay" ?The rever*erations of his !urring rocked the foundations of the house% the )alls *egan to dance. ( thought" I(t )ill all fall% everything )ill disintegrate’@ 7C. The sym*olic house that re!resents her father’s dominance and the roles )hich )ere !re!ared for her falls do)n and she eventually *ecomes free in her animality. Thus% either in staying human or turning into a *east% *oth heroines of the stories go only as far in their change as they can and as is !leasant and useful for them. 's it follo)s from the t)o tales% a )oman’s se>ual )ishes and limits have their significance% and% if res!ected% serve )ell to *oth !artners. ' )oman is an active se>ual su*Fect on her o)n% and creating a cou!le’s se>ual life should *e seen as an interactive and mutual !roFect rather than as su*Fecting the )oman to the man’s rules. &arter is a su!!orter of ?a*solute se>ual license for all the genders@ td in Bruhl and :amer ,08C. Thus% for e>am!le% a )oman can *e dominant and a man su*missive if it )orks for them. (t a!!ears that the li*erty to se>ually *ehave according to one’s needs and )ishes is inde!endent of *oth gender stereoty!es and the !revious e>!erience. Such ?se>ual license@ for )omen is sym*olically re!resented in $evvers’s first se>. Because of her unusual !hysiology% she can have se> in one !osition only. (n their intimate moment% Walser remem*ers this !iece of information" ?=er released feathers *rushed against the )allsD he recalled ho) nature had eui!!ed her only for the I)oman on to!’ !osition and rustled on his stra) mattress@ !ights at the Circus 1<1C. Thus $evvers loses her virginity in the !osition Ion to!.’ 'lthough she is re!ortedly the ine>!erienced one% she dominates and determines )hat is going to ha!!en. To conclude this su*cha!ter% in e>!loring their se>uality and finding o!!ortunities for its realiAation% &arter’s young female characters have to face the
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difference *et)een them and their male counter!arts and the attem!ts to coloniAe their se>uality. (f the heroines follo) their instincts% make use of their kno)ledge and !otential and are active and initiative in their se>uality% their se>ual !artnershi!s *ecome a source of energy and *alance. :ender stereoty!es or any other im!eratives should not !ose any limits. (t a!!ears that the !ro!osal here is that the only )ay not to *e devoured *y the Beast is to *ecome its eualD and the only )ay not to *e harmed *y se>uality is to actively a!!roach% co5create and enFoy it.
2), Marriage
' classical fairy5tale ending involves a )edding and the conclusion that the cou!le ?lived ha!!ily ever after.@ Marriage is seen as the destination to)ard )hich all events% efforts and challenges are directed. (t is the most ty!ical form of a ha!!y ending% es!ecially for a young heroine. (n &arter’s te>ts% marriage is not the haven of rest it is in classical fairy tales. (t can *e !ossi*ly ha!!y% as it is for Mr and Mrs Lyon of ?The &ourtshi! of Mr Lyon%@ *ut it can also *e fateful% as it almost *ecomes for the heroine of ?The Bloody &ham*er.@ $evvers’s ado!tive mother LiAAie of !ights at the Circus is a !assionate adversary of marriage. When they )alk through the Si*erian forest in order to find $evvers’s *eloved Walser% )ho lost their com!any )hen the train they )ere travelling on e>!loded% LiA )arns $evvers against the dangers of the institution. She tells $evvers that marriage )ould !ut an end to her financialC inde!endence" ?I6rlando takes his /osalind. She says" ?To you ( give myself% for ( am yours.@ 'nd that%’ she added% a lo) thrust% Igoes for a girl’s *ank account% too’@ 172C. LiA )ants $evvers to understand ho)% in certain as!ects% marriage )ould inevita*ly limit her. She also )arns her against a rushed union that )ould diminish her !ersonality"
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?The heart is a treacherous organ and you’re nothing if not im!etuous. ( fear for you% So!hie. Selling yourself is one thing and giving yourself a)ay is uite another *ut% oh% So!hie )hat if you rashly throw yoursel3 a)ayQ Then )hat ha!!ens to that uniue Imeness’ of yoursQ 6n the scra!5hea!% that’s )hat ha!!ens to it ( raised you u! to fly to heavens% not to *rood over a clutch of eggs@ 171C LiA e>!resses her rock5solid conviction that marriage is not an o!tion for some*ody as uniue as $evvers and that she )ould *etray her o)n self. 'ctually% LiA is ske!tical of the institution of marriage in general% for she is !ersuaded that it is not all it is cracked u! to *e% that its inner dynamics are not e>actly democratic or egalitarian. She says" ?What is marriage *ut !rostitution to one man instead of manyQ No different@ 1,C LiA does not see marriage as the uniue union of a man and a )oman in )hich the rights and needs of *oth !artners are fulfilled in love an understanding% *ut as an institution in )hich a )oman is in no different !osition than a !rostituteD only the e>ternals are different. The character of LiA offers an interesting analysis of marriage. 6n the one hand% she mentions the fact that ?true lovers’ reunions al)ays end in a marriage@ 172C% on the other hand% she argues that marriage !oses a serious danger for an inde!endent young )oman. She contrasts the vie) of marriage as a romantic union of t)o lovers )ith the *leak reality it often *rings. Michael concludes that *y com!aring )ives to !rostitutes and reminding us of the idealistic image of )edlock% &arter ?reduces marriage to nothing more than an unuestioned custom grounded in a false ideology of ha!!iness@ 028C. &arter thus sho)s that marriage is another construct that mani!ulates !eo!le% in this case es!ecially )omen. (n her deconstruction of marriage% &arter does not suggest that a loving and ha!!y relationshi! *et)een a man and a )oman is im!ossi*le. But she sho)s that in
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marriage% a )oman can *e in Feo!ardy and that it is !erha!s *etter to live in a less stereoty!ical and more trans!arent union. (n ?The Bloody &ham*er%@ the t)o !artnershi!s that the heroine has in the course of the story are !o)erfully contrasted. =er marriage )ith the Maruis is almost deadly to her. (n her second relationshi!% she !ro*a*ly o!ts for un)ed coha*itation only. (t is not clear )hether she is married to her *eloved !iano5tuner% *ut given that their coha*itation is the source of much rumour% it may not *e the case. To make it still more an unusual home% all three of them + the young )oman% her !artner and her mother + live together. The heroine narrates" ?We lead a uiet life% the three of us. -. We kno) )e are the source of many )his!erings and much gossi! *ut the three of us kno) the truth of it and mere chatter can never harm us@ 8ts that there is a !ossi*le danger in follo)ing the stereoty!e of marriage% and may*e it is *etter to look for an alternative.
2)2 $hapter $onclusion
(t has *een revealed her that there are many forces that seek to su*Fect a young )oman. ' girl’s father sees her as an em*odiment of his )ishes and as *elonging to him% )hich seems to have a *leak effect of incestuous tendencies. 6ther men may )ant to take over the )oman’s se>uality and make her acce!t their rules only. But &arter sho)s that the heroines need not necessarily succum* to men’s effort to dominate them. =er young heroines are sho)n as self5confident% self5reflecting su*Fects. (f they stand u! for themselves% do not acce!t !artnershi!s other than eual% make use of the !o)er they
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have and search for )hat makes them ha!!y% men have to acce!t them in that )ay. (n &arter’s !ortrayal of relationshi!s *et)een men and )omen% one can see her !ersuasion mentioned for e>am!le *y $ranková that )omen are !artially res!onsi*le for their !osition in the society 02C. (n her young heroines she sho)s that )hen a )oman )ants to change her situation% she can find a )ay to do so.
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6 .eroines in !rocess
(n the last cha!ter of the thesis% it is analyAed ho) the !rotagonists themselves reflect on the !rocess of gro)ing out of their children shoes and *ecoming adult. This cha!ter deals )ith the uestions )hether they see themselves as changing and ho) they conce!tualiAe the change. Some of the heroines of the analyAed te>ts tell their stories directly and it is then looked at ho) they voice their e>!erience. (n telling the stories of their adolescence and early adulthood% the heroines create their auto*iogra!hies. #each reminds us a*out the !o)er of this genre" ?'uto*iogra!hy is one of the strategies *y )hich )omen can take res!onsi*ility for their o)n sense of self in a restricted and restrictive environment or milieu% challenging the traditional a!!ro!riation of )omen’s lives and histories *y men. Self5making is an essential element in )omen’s auto*iogra!hy -@ ,C. By telling their stories on their o)n% the heroines are in charge of them and do not let them *e distorted or censored *y others.
6)' Melanie of The Magic Toyshop
'lthough Melanie of The Magic Toyshop does not tell her story directly% the narrative is focaliAed from her !ers!ective and the reader can look into her thoughts. (n the course of the story% Melanie goes through an a*ru!t change that turns her life u!side do)n. She loses her !arents and together )ith her t)o younger si*lings moves to Hncle #hili!’s. =er life could not change more. Hntil no) she lived in a su!!ortive and loving environment% no) she has to come to terms )ith living in the house haunted *y Hncle’s o!!ression. She )as used to relative lu>ury% to taking *aths and !am!ering herself% no) she has to do )ithout hot )ater and !ro!er toilet !a!er. She does not even go to school anymore *ut )orks in the toysho!. This drastic turn that her life takes naturally results in her confusion a*out )ho she is. This is further reinforced and also sym*oliAedC *y
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the fact that there are no mirrors in her ne) home )here she could see )hat she looks like. She is unsure she )ould even kno) she is looking at herself" ?She )as seiAed )ith !anic% remem*ering that she had not seen her o)n face for so long. Io ( still look the sameQ 6h% :od% could ( still recognise myselfQ’ ,2C (n her ne) home% her life drastically alters and so does Melanie herself. The changes are so fast and so significant that Melanie loses her old sense of self. (t is not only the novelty of her ne) home that is challenging for the !rotagonist% *ut also the o!!ressive nature of it. (n her mind% Melanie tries to take a ste! *ack from the everyday reality of living at Hncle #hili!’s. She imagines she is at the !eaceful !lace !ainted on the !lates she !uts a)ay% and she likes to )atch other !eo!le through the door of the sho! to see that life goes on. She also considers the o!tion of leaving the !lace" ?I( su!!ose ( could run a)ay. - ( could get a Fo* and live *y myself in a *ed5 sitting room% like the girls in stories and magaAines ’@ ;7C. But Melanie realiAes it is not a realistic !lan and that there is not much she can do. She )ishes to *e older% more mature and more e>!erienced in order to *e a*le to have more li*erty and more o!tions at her hand. She regards her age to *e her *ad luck" ?=er youth )as a rock round her neck% her al*atross. She )as too young% too soft and ne)% to come to terms )ith these )ild *eings )hose minds veered at craAy angles from the short% straight% smooth lines of her e>!erience@ ,3C. =o)ever% it can *e o*served that on the one hand she )ishes to gro) u! and *e more autonomous and inde!endentD on the other hand% she is afraid of it. The fact that she fears gro)ing u! is !ro!osed for e>am!le in the choice of *ooks she reads at Hncle #hili!’s. The reader finds out" ?She never touched the fe) adult *ooks% and she hid the co!y of Lorna oone% *ut she clung to the rest as if they )ere life*elts@ <,C. Melanie !ro*a*ly )ants to cling to her childhood for Fust a little longer and thus
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reads her childhood *ooks only% as if in ho!e that she could sto! the time and forever remain a child. But for Melanie 5 as for all young )omen 5 there is no real )ay of returning to childhood. Melanie seems to *e a)are of this. With time% her fears of )hat the future might *ring disa!!ear. 'fter she comes out relatively unharmed of the enactment of Leda’s ra!e and% significantly% after $inn stands u! for her and destroys the !u!!et that molested her% she sto!s *eing afraid of her adulthood *ecause she kno)s she )ill not *e com!letely lost and alone in it. With this ne)ly found energy and self5confidence% Melanie decides to get rid of the relicts from childhood. She starts )ith giving a)ay her dresses to 'unt Margaret" ?She )ould give her her o)n dress. She had !lenty moreD and% even if she had not% she could live off the fat of fifteen nearly si>teenC years of nice clothes@ ,73C. She feels she can sto! clinging to her childhood and move on *ecause she )as !am!ered enough and *rought u! to *e strong and inde!endent. Melanie decides to give 'unt Margaret also her confirmation !earls and enFoys the sym*olic !o)er of this gift" ?Melanie slid them round her neck and )ould not take INo’ for an ans)er. Let it all go% let it all go@ ,7
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6)% .eroines of 8he 3loody $ham#er9 and 8he iger’s 3ride9
(n the collection The Bloody Chamber and Other tories % t)o female characters narrate ho) they )ere forced *y the circumstances to gro) u!. These are the !rotagonists of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ and ?The Tiger’s Bride.@ The heroine of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ tells the story of her marriage to the Maruis% of ho) he courted her until she married him% seduced *y the unkno)n lu>urious mysteries he offered% of the days of their short marriage and their first se>% of her daring e>!loration of all his castle including the for*idden cham*er and of ho) he almost murdered her *ut eventually got killed *y her mother. (n the end of her narrative% she moves into the !resent and mentions also the circumstances of her life no)% her ne) !artner and the music school that she started. (t cannot *e easy for her to tell a story )hich includes her un)ise decision to marry the Maruis% a murder attem!ted on her and the details of their intimate moments. (t is not sur!rising that it is difficult for her to confess )hat ha!!ened *ehind the )alls of the aristocrat’s castle. Manley notices a*out her narrative" ?She only gradually - develo!s a sufficiently strong su*Fect !osition from )hich to attem!t to tell her o)n story@ <,C. =o)ever% although her voice uivers% she is *rave enough to tell her story and does not sto! until the listenerPreader kno)s it all. (t looks like the !rotagonist thinks of herself in t)o !hases" *efore and after she discovers the contents of the for*idden cham*er. (t seems that she is only a child )hen she enters it *ut a gro)n5u! )oman )hen she leaves. (nterestingly% she calls herself often a Ichild’ )hen she s!eaks a*out events that ha!!ened *efore entering the cham*er% *ut not once after)ards. $rom her story it follo)s that at the very moment )hen she )as e>!loring the !lace of torture% she realiAed )hat im!act it )as making on her" ?Each time ( struck a match to light those candles round her of one of Maruis’s !revious )ives *ed% it seemed a garment of that innocence of mine for )hich he had
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lusted fell a)ay from me@ ?The Bloody &ham*er@ 8C. 't that forlorn !lace% the heroine moves definitely a)ay not only from her childhood% *ut also from the role of the Maruis’s *ride and from his !roFected demands on her. /enfroe )rites a*out the conseuences that the terri*le e>!erience *rought her" ?(t is the girl’s daring and diso*edient e>!loration of the for*idden cham*er that actually changes her% develo!s her% and allo)s her to see her hus*and% and more im!ortantly herself% from a more kno)ledgea*le !ers!ective@ <;C. &ontrary to classical fairy tales in )hich )omen’s curiosity is !unished% here it eventually enriches her and makes her a more insightful !erson. (t might *e said that if for*idden cham*ers are this !o)erful a source of )omen’s e>!erience% it is understanda*le )hy they are devised in such a )ay that )omen cannot leave them alive. The kno)ledge of their hus*ands% of the )orld and most significantly of themselves that they gain there makes them strong !ersonalities% and !o)erful )omen are undesira*le in !atriarchal society. 'lthough the !rotagonist herself sees the e>!loration of the torture cham*er as the moment )hen she gre) u!% she still needs to !rocess the )hole e>!erience and the !art that she !layed in it. (t is !ut for)ard in the story that she feels ashamed a*out )hat ha!!ened to her. The very last !aragra!h of the tale reads" ?No !aint nor !o)der% no matter ho) thick or )hite% can mask that red mark on my foreheadD ( am glad he cannot see it + not for fear of his revulsion% since ( kno) he sees me clearly )ith his heart + *ut% *ecause it s!ares my shame@ ?The Bloody &ham*er@ 8
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and *lameless% the )hitening and camouflaging layer !ut on it can *e understood as the classical fairy tales’ effort to erase and silence any e>am!les of a young )oman’s conduct that )ould reveal her as an active agent% !erha!s )ith a !otential for controversies or tres!assing. =o)ever% as &arter seems to sho)% this can never *e entirely achieved% Fust as the mark on the girl’s forehead cannot *e covered u!. 'lso the main character of ?The Tiger’s Bride@ has to gro) u! uickly. She sees the day )hen she is left at the Beast’s !alace as the day )hen she comes of age. This is !ro!osed )hen she looks *ack on the gossi! she used to hear a*out *east5like creatures )hen she )as little and realiAes the )ider circumstances" ?( kne) )ell enough the reason for the tre!idation ( coAily titillated )ith su!erstitious marvels of my childhood on the day my childhood ended. $or no) my o)n skin )as my sole ca!ital in the )orld and today (’d make my first investment@ ;2C. She *egins to see her !osition of a young )oman )ho has nothing and has limited o!tions of conduct. She realiAes that *eing undefended and having no*ody to rely on *ut herself is the essence of her adulthood. Later in the story% )hen she is free to go% she considers the o!tions that are availa*le to her. She can return to her father )ho treated her like a !ro!erty )hen he *et her in cards% *ut decides that the mechanic toy that serves her as a maid )ould do Fust as )ell in that !osition" ?( )ill dress her in my o)n clothes% )ind her u!% send her *ack to !erform the !art of my father’s daughter 7,C. 'nother o!tion is to e>!lore the !ossi*ilities of staying )ith the Beast. The Beast is a creature from a different )orldD as the reader can find out% ?nothing a*out him reminded her of humanity@ ;uality% the heroine takes the initiative and goes to visit the Beast at night% and eventually turns into a *east herself. (t seems that she decides that to *e an inhuman *east is *etter than to *e a mechanical )oman. Bacchilega notes on the transformation Beauty o!ts for" ?The metamor!hosis of the
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furiously silent daughter into the tiger’s *ride - su*verts the humanistic and !atriarchal order@ $ostmodern #airy Tales <7C. (t is interesting that such a mighty change s!rings from the very limited !osition that she has. When she goes to the Beast% she *ets everything on the !ossi*ility that there is something that could connect them and that )ould ena*le them to *e together. She does not hesitate to use the little !o)er that she has and )ins a )hole ne) e>istence.
6), Fevvers of Nights at the Circus
(n the )hole first !art of the novel !ights at the Circus% the )inged heroine $evvers gives an intervie) to the young 'merican Fournalist Walser. She gives an account of all her life% starting )ith ho) she )as found *y the !rostitute LiA% continuing )ith her childhood in the *rothel and the follo)ing *leak days in the museum of )omen monsters% and finishing )ith the !romising develo!ment of her career. =er manners are unrestrained she occasionally *ur!s and fartsC% and so is her narration. She includes everything she finds )orth telling% also her first menstruation% all Fuicy details from her home *rothel% the fact that she is a virgin% and much more. (t is her% not the Fournalist% )ho decides ho) the intervie) advances. 's #each o*serves% $evvers ?takes control of her o)n story5history and assertes herself as the author of her o)n )ords and actions@ ,1C. $evvers is not ashamed of herself or any !art of her story and is not afraid of the im!act her )ords make. =er )ay of telling her life story is so !o)erful that Walser feels enchanted *y her voice" ?=er voice. (t )as as if Walser had *ecome a !risoner of her voice% her cavernous% som*er voice% a voice made for shouting a*out the tem!est% her voice of a celestial fish)ife@ 8C. $evvers gives an account of herself and her life in such a )ay that she charms and over!o)ers even the Fournalist )ho ho!es to reveal her as a hoa>.
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(t is significant that $evvers s!eaks also a*out her negative e>!erience% a*out situations )hen she is a*used or endangered. (n Madame Schreck’s museum% although she goes there voluntarily to earn a living for her family% she lives in !oor conditions and receives no !ay at all. T)ice she is almost murdered *y men )ho are attracted *y her uniueness. =o)ever% $evvers is al)ays a*le to fend for herself and to esca!e unharmed% although sometimes her esca!e is very narro). By giving this account of her !o)er and a*ility to survive% she *reaks the dictum that ?human culture is *ound *y rules )hich make it !ossi*le for a )oman to s!eak *ut )hich o*lige her to s!eak of her o)n !o)erlessness@ :il*ert 07C. =er story is one of o!!ression and its defiance. (t does not even matter that $evvers is uite an unrelia*le narrator. (t is more significant in this conte>t that she makes sure that she can tell her story the )ay she )ants% does not shy a)ay from its negative content or the strength and singularity it *rings her.
6)2 $hapter $onclusion
's far as the reader can look into the heroines’ minds or deduce from the )ay they tell their stories% they see themselves as changing and moving into ne) !hases of their lives% )hich is often accom!anied *y uncertainty and !ain. 4et it seems that it is e>actly the ordeal that eventually makes them stronger and more adult. $or e>am!le% the !rotagonist of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ regards her e>!loration of the torture cham*er and of the fate her hus*and !re!ared for her as the moment )hen she comes of age% for Beauty of ?The Tiger’s Bride@ such a milestone is *eing lost in cards and left to the Beast. (t seems that the heroines’ gro)ing u! and *ecoming adult is an ongoing and never really finished !rocess. This does not mean that they remain children foreverD it is rather to suggest that once they discover the !ossi*ilities of self5making% they !ro*a*ly
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cannot sto!. Many of the analyAed characters are !ortrayed as having finished a !hase of their develo!ment% *ut at the same time it is clear that there are ne) challenges in front of them. 't the moment )hen Melanie of The Magic Toyshop loses everything in the fire and realiAes she must *e adult% she clearly has a lot of )ork and difficulties ahead. 'lso $evver of !ights at the Circus )ill need to figure out ho) to *e ha!!y in a relationshi! or even marriage )ith Walser and not lose her uniueness% not to mention that first they )ill have to find a )ay out of the Si*erian )ilderness. (t seems that for &arter’s female fairy5tale figures% there is no Iha!!y ever after.’ $or young )omen of classical fairy tales% marriage seems to *e the !oint )hich signifies that they have come of age and that they can sto! develo!ingD for &arter’s character there is no similar certainty. They have gro)n u! to *e inde!endent *eings )ho decide on their lives% and cannot *ut go on )ith actively sha!ing them and *eing res!onsi*le for their o)n ha!!iness.
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: $onclusion
The aim of this master thesis )as to analyAe ho) the adolescence of fairy5tale figures of selected )orks of 'ngela &arter is !ortrayed and ho) it can *e understood in the )ider frame of the genre of fairy tale and its re)ritings. The theme of female adolescence and socialiAation carries s!ecial significance *ecause of the com!licated role of the fairy tale for )omen. 6nce the genre )as a vessel of female e>!erience and !o)er% *ut in time has *een significantly resha!ed into educative stories instructing young girls ho) they should *ehave and )hat they should as!ire to in their lives. The interest here lay in &arter’s deconstruction of the rigid and outlived stereoty!es that seem to determine the lives of )omen characters% and in the ne) message a*out fairy5 tale figures’ youth that &arter inscri*es into her stories and novels. The discussed te>ts here )ere the collection of short stories The Bloody
Chamber and Other tories and the t)o novels The Magic Toyshop and !ights at the Circus. Thus the analyAed figures s!anned from very traditional fairy5tale heroines like /ed /iding =ood% Sno) White% Blue*eard’s *ride or Beauty of ?Beauty and the Beasts@ to novel !rotagonists in )hom fairy5tale features can *e traced and )hose stories resem*le a fairy5tale storyline. ue to the interte>tuality of &arter’s )riting% the characters )ere analyAed as if mirroring each other and *eing )ith each other in a dialogue. (n suggesting more than one !ossi*le reading and one solution% &arter relies on the reader to *e a*le to find his or her )ay through the stories. (n activating the reader of the fairy tales% &arter !romotes the folk dimension of the genre and at the same time gives it a !ostmodernist coat. (n this thesis% the categories of the female *ody% voice and gender )ere follo)ed. When it comes to the female *ody% it is revealed that the characters overcome their an>iety and em*race their changing *odies% des!ite any images of )hat they should look
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like. Their *odies *ecome sources of energy and !ossi*ility. When they thus *efriend the *odies% they acce!t also their se>ual instincts. (m!ortantly% the heroines *ecome se>ual su*Fects first and only then se>ual o*Fects. =o)ever% the !rotagonists are not freed from the negatives of the !atriarchal )orld they inha*it. Their *odies can *ecome coloniAed *y their mani!ulative fathers or dominating hus*ands. But they can *e also used for one’s li*erty and ha!!iness. Winged $evvers is a case in !ointD *ut% controversially% also the !rostitutes of her home *rothel seem to *enefit from the )ay they use their *odies. '!art from the *ody% voice and self5e>!ression is another thing that &arter returns to girls of the fairy tale. (t is not only )ords that the !rotagonists s!eak through. The am*iguous 'unt Margaret of The Magic Toyshop sto!s s!eaking on her )edding day% *ut e>!resses herself through her *ody )hen she is unfaithful to her o!!ressive hus*and )ith her o)n *rother. /ed /iding =ood of ?The &om!any of Wolves@ significantly laughs )hen the )olf threatens he )ill eat her. 6ther characters tell their o)n stories% )hich is in the case of $evvers of !ights at the Circus and the !rotagonist of ?The Bloody &ham*er@ a story of )omen’s defiance of men’s *rutality. The category of gender is !erha!s the most com!le> one. &arter does not limit her heroines to the acce!ted gender roles. They often do things that are considered as characteristic of men" they !ursue !rofessional careers% *ravely solve des!erate situations% are se>ually initiative and dominant. But it seems that if there is a trait that )omen *enefit from% it is the uality of *eing cunning. Being a*le to use every little o!!ortunity and crevice in the system for one’s o)n good seems !riceless. Melanie’s 'unt Margaret marries in order to *e a*le to kee! her incestuous loverD Beauty of ?The Tiger’s Bride e>!lores the very limited o!tions she has and gains a )hole ne) )orld for herself. (t is im!ortant that the girls find their o)n s!ace and learn ho) to fend for
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themselves% for + as can *e seen on the &ount’s daughter of ?The Sno) &hild@ + )omen )ho only fulfill men’s )ishes do not live for long. Both institutions to )hich a young )oman usually as!ires + marriage and motherhood + have *een sho)n to lose its veneer of guaranteed ha!!iness. With no given roles to automatically as!ire to% the heroines need to figure out on their o)n )hat they )ant from their lives. (nterestingly% &arter sho)s that there al)ays is at least a little o!!ortunity to change the situation according to the girl’s )ish. (n !ights at the Circus% &arter makes even the em*lematically !assive heroine + the Slee!ing Beauty 5 an active agent. &arter suggests that her long slee! is her voluntary decision that she made )hen she found out )hat the !atriarchal )orld has in store for her. (t must *e !ointed out that there is no final% com!leted state of *eing adult that the heroines reach. 'lthough they themselves feel that they are changing and gro)ing u!% it is also evident that their Fourney )ill go on% that they )ill continue to develo!% learn and find strategies to survive in the !atriarchal )orld. 4oung girls in !rocess turn into adult )omen in !rocess. This seems !otentially disru!tive" it is not only in their youth )hen they can o!en their hus*ands’ for*idden cham*ers% voluntarily turn in to a *east or stri! forC the )ere)olf% it can ha!!en in their adulthood% too. $or these deeds are not acts of silly girlies% *ut of autonomous and self5confident young )omen. To conclude this thesis% in her !ortrayal of female adolescence of selected fairy5 tale figures% &arter *reaks many silences and uncovers stiff !atterns fed on !atriarchal ideology. (t should *e said that 'ngela &arter’s tales are no *edtime stories for children. =er young heroines engage in *ehaviour that should *e !erha!s ke!t secret from them. =o)ever% the message that &arter demonstrates in her young female characters may *e useful even for little girls" although it may seem dangerous to try to find one’s o)n )ay% it is actually much more !erilous to give u! on it.
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+orks $ited
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/enfroe% &heryl. ?(nitiation and iso*edience" Liminal E>!erience in 'ngela &arter’s IThe Bloody &ham*er.’@ "ngela Carter and the #airy Tale . Ed. anielle M. /oemer and &ristina Bacchilega. etroit" Wayne State H#% 122,. <85,23. #rint. /oemer% anielle M. ?The &onte>tualiAation of the Maruis in 'ngela &arter’s IThe Bloody &ham*er.’@ "ngela Carter and the #airy Tale. Ed. anielle M. /oemer and &ristina Bacchilega. etroit" Wayne State H#% 122,. ,2;51;. #rint. /oemer% anielle M. and &ristina Bacchilega. ?(ntroduction.@ "ngela Carter and the
#airy Tale. Ed. anielle M. /oemer and &ristina Bacchilega. etroit" Wayne State H#% 122,. ;510. #rint. Sage% Lorna. ?'ngela &arter" The $airy Tale.@ "ngela Carter and the #airy Tale. Ed. anielle M. /oemer and &ristina Bacchilega. etroit" Wayne State H#% 122,. 3057,. #rint. Sellers% Susan. Myth and #airy Tale in Contemporary 'omen(s #iction. =oundmills% Basingstoke% =am!shire" #algrave% 122,. #rint.
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*esume
This master thesis deals )ith the !ortrayal of female adolescence in fairy5tale figures of selected )orks *y the British !ostmodern )riter 'ngela &arter. The analyAed te>ts are the collection of short stories The Bloody Chamber and Other tories ,<;!erience and a !o)erful ideological tool. 's )ell as in all her )ork% in the te>ts analyAed here &arter seeks to reveal and deconstruct myths and commonly acce!ted constructs that limit !eo!le’s freedom. The analysis here starts )ith !hysical as!ects of !u*erty and adolescence% such as first menstruation and *udding se>uality. &arter’s female fairy5tale figures are generally not innocent% !ure virgins% *ut se>ual *eings a)are of their *odies and the energy that comes from them. Ne>t it is discussed ho) influenced the young characters are *y the e>am!les of their mothers and of the )omen’s relationshi!s they can o*serve. (t turns out that the lives and relationshi!s of )omen are choked *y the !atriarchal setting in )hich they inevita*ly e>ist. &arter a!!roaches also the mother role as a construct )hich + under the a!!earance of its uniueness + serves to limit )omen’s freedom. The relations of the young heroines to their fathers are even more com!licated. (t is sho)n that fathers see their daughters as the em*odiment of all their desires and tend to treat them accordingly% also under the influence of the assum!tion that their daughters *elong to them. =o)ever% &arter’s heroines are generally autonomous *eings a*le to stand u! to various !ressures and attem!ts to limit their freedom. They manage to create real !artnershi!s *ased on euality and affection. They are also se>ual su*Fects% kno)ledgea*le and initiative% in )hich they radically differ from their counter!arts of classical fairy tales. The last discussed to!ic of this thesis is the )ay the characters vie) themselves. (t turns out that they reflect the !rocess they are going through and decide on their future as )ell as on ho) they tell their stories. &arter uncovers the assumed !urity of virginity% the sacredness of marriage and the uniueness of motherhood as images that are not *ased on reality and that hinder the young heroines on their )ay to adulthood. The !o)er and strength that is taken a)ay from these constructs is given to the heroines themselves% )ho are active% inde!endently thinking *eings% )ho learn from their mistakes and enFoy the !leasures life and youth offer.
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*esum;
Tato magisterská di!lomová !ráce se Aa*Vvá !oFetm dos!ván !ohádkovVch hrdinek ve vy*ran !rXAe *ritsk !ostmodern s!isovatelky 'ngely &arterov. koumanVmi te>ty Fsou FeF s*rka !ovdek @rvavA komnata a 9in- pov>dky ,<; ,<3;C a !oci v cirkuse ,<78C. #ohádky% kterVmi se &arterová ve svm dle ins!iruFe% nevid Fako !Y*Uhy !ro dUti% ale Fako nositele AkuZenost dos!UlVch lid a tak Fako mocnV ideologickV nástroF. SteFnU Fako v celm svm dle% i v te>tech analyAovanVch v tto di!lomov !ráci se &arterová sna[ odhalit a nahlodat mVty a v[it konstrukty% kter omeAuF lidskou svo*odu. 'nalVAa v tto !ráci Aa\ná u fyAickVch !roFev] dos!ván Fako Fe !rvn menstruace a roAvFeFc se [enská se>ualita. HkaAuFe se% [e !ohádkov hrdinky &arterov vUtZinou neFsou nevinn% nedot\en !anny% ale stvoYen vUdoma si svVch tUl a sv energie a se>uality. ále Fe !Yedlo[ena otáAka% Fak Fsou hrdinky ovlivnUn !Yklady svVch matek a vAtah] meAi dos!UlVmi [enami. de vycháA naFevo% do Fak mry Fsou [ivoty i vAtahy [en svaAovan !atriarchálnm !rostYedm% ve kterm se nutnU nacháAeF. &arterová !oFmá i roli matky Fako smyZlenku% která% !od !oAlátkem Fedine\nosti% slou[ k omeAován [ensk svo*ody. 9Atahy hrdinek s FeFich otci Fsou FeZtU !ro*lemati\tUFZ. HkaAuFe se% [e otcov vid sv dcery Fako AtUlesnUn vZech svVch tu[e* a maF tendence s nimi !odle toho AacháAetD tak !od vlivem domnUnky% [e Fim FeFich dcery !atY. NicmnU !ohádkov hrdinky 'ngely &arterov Fsou !ovUtZinou autonomn su*Fekty scho!n se !ostavit vZemo[nVm nátlak]m a !okus]m o omeAen FeFich svo*ody. oká[ vytváYet o!ravdu !artnersk vAtahy a Fsou rovnocennVmi !artnery i v se>ualitU + o!roti hrdinkám klasickVch !ohádek Fsou neFen se>uálnU uvUdomUl% ale tak iniciativn. #oslednm diskutovanVm tmatem v tto !ráci Fe !ohled hrdinek na se*e samotnD kdy se dos!vaFc dvky a mlad [eny vyFevuF Fako *ytosti reflektuFc svou AkuZenost a roAhoduFc o svm smUYován i o A!]so*u% FakVm vy!ráv sv]F !Y*Uh. &arterová ukaAuFe domnUlou nevinnost !anenstv% !osvátnost man[elstv a Fedine\nost mateYstv Fako !Yedstavy% kter nevycháAeF A reality a kter mladVm na cestU k dos!Ulosti s!Ze u*li[uF. Moc a slu% kter &arterová ode*rá tUmto !Yedstavám% dává svVm hrdinkám% kter Fsou aktivn% samostatnU smVZleFc *ytosti% kter se u\ Ae svVch chy* a u[vaF !otUZen% kter Fim [ivot a mlád na*A.
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