A2 Literature: Bloody Chamber Symbols

Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber' story is absolutely bursting with symbolism, which can be used in a vast spectrum of essays, and linked perfectly to the Gothic genre overall. Within this blog, I am going to analyse each of the key symbols, and their relation to the Gothic genre overall.

The Bloody Chamber:

Key Quotes - 

• "Little museum of perversity"
• "subterranean privacy"
• "The corridor wound downwards...the heavy hangings on the wall muffled my footsteps, even my breathing."
• "the door of hell"
• "An armful of...lilies...glazed with a sombre Chinese red."
• "Absolute darkness. And, about me, the instruments of torture." 
• "The walls of this stark torture chamber were naked rock; they gleamed as if they were sweating with fright."
• "Then, for some reason...the metal shell of the Iron Maiden emitted a ghostly twang...she was pierced, not by one but by a hundred spikes...so full of blood."

What does the "bloody chamber" represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• The "stark torture chamber" of the Marquis could represent the murderous, dark, hostile heart of men, a place where dark desires are entombed - a place where sex and power bring equal pleasure. 
• The Marquis' "little museum of perversity" could alternatively be viewed as a representation of female identity. By entering the chamber, the female narrator learns her fate through that of the other "embalmed" women. 
• Carter's feminist critique of the wider theme of the 'male gaze' - Within the bloody chamber, Carter, through her use of gruesome, macabre imagery accentuates the nature at which the Marquis maintains the bodies of his deceased/murdered wives - turning them into his own range of pornographic images. Thus, accentuating the ultimate purpose of the female within patriarchy: to remain an object of desire for the powerful male, even in death. 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4) 

• Gothic setting = "Absolute darkness. And, about me, the instruments of mutilation." Carter utilises the colour scheme of red/black/white, in order to accentuate the recurring theme of corruption of innocence, in association with love/lust/sex/death. Recurring motif of blood is repeated, creating connotations with the macabre, violence and death. Stark, blunt imagery of the "embalmed" bride, the "disembodied...skull" and the "Iron Maiden." 
• Emotions of horror/terror = Even prior to the discovery of the bloody chamber, Carter evokes a strong sense of "anticipation" and terror, as the narrator travels into the depths of the castle, in order to reach the "subterranean privacy" of the Marquis. Furthermore, Carter's explicit descriptions of the deceased wives of the Marquis create a domineering sense of horror for the reader, as they witness the "dead lips smil[ing]"and the entrapped Romanian Countess pierced with "not one but by a hundred spikes." As well as the strong sense of shock when the "pool of blood"pours around the feet of the narrator, causing her to drop the key in horror - "so full of blood."
• Atmospheres of imprisonment/entrapment = Carter's use of language when accentuating the way in which the "footsteps, even [the] breathing" of the narrator become "muffled" and suffocated by the depths of the castle creates a strong sense of entrapment for the reader; as they witness the incarceration of the narrator within the dark heart of the Marquis. 
• Foreboding = Instantly upon entering the bloody chamber, Carter creates a strong sense of foreboding through her inclusion of the phrase: "There is a striking resemblance between the act of love and the ministrations of a torturer." The instinctive connection between love/lust and torture ultimately will lead to death. Additionally, when considering Carter's even earlier use of foreboding with the hundreds of "lilies" surrounding the bed of the narrator, the reader gains the sense that death, love and sex will once again become combined within this engulfing chamber. 
• Life & Death = The bloody chamber itself represents the fusion of both life and death, as Carter creates the distinction between the deceased, "embalmed" wives of the Marquis, and the living, breathing narrator. However, Carter creates the sense that under the control of the Marquis it will not be this way for long; the narrator has been "invited to join this gallery of beautiful women" and will fulfil her prophecy. 
• Transgression = The narrator can be seen as committing an act of transgression within her entrance to "the bloody chamber." Arguably, the narrator transgresses not only into the dark, grotesque heart of the Marquis, but additionally into a setting evoking an overpowering atmosphere of death and decay. The narrator could be seen as being enlightened - hence the later addition of the "heart-shaped stain" begin transferred to her forehead - due to her pursuit/transgression into the masculine world, she can be seen as transgressing the boundaries between childhood/womanhood as she is thrown into the complexity of these "grown up games"of lust/sex/death. 

Blood: 

Key Quotes - 

• "Crimson water swirled down the basin but, as if they key itself were hurt, the bloody token stuck." 
• "The heart shaped stain had transferred itself to my forehead...the key gleamed freshly as if it had just been cut." 
• "No paint nor powder, no matter how thick or white, can mask that red mark on my forehead." 
• "extraordinarily precious slit throat"
• "bright as arterial blood"
• "I had bled." 
• "bloody sheets" 
• "I dropped the key...into the forming pool of her blood." 
• "the more I scrubbed the key, the more vivid the stain grew."

What does blood represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• An ominous symbol of sin/guilt - Carter's use of the motif of blood can be predominantly seen in the supernatural transaction of the "heart-shaped stain" to the forehead of the female narrator; which forms a permanent reminder of her pursuit of forbidden knowledge and enlightenment in the masculine world. 
• Violence against the female - The imagery of blood is strongly repeated in association with the female, for example, after experiencing from a detached perspective the "one-sided struggle", the narrator simply states "I had bled" - suggesting that she is a victim to the violent, selfish passions of the Marquis. Additionally, the imagery of the ruby choker being like "an extraordinarily precious slit throat" biting into the neck of the female narrator associates her strongly with the motif of blood, as she appears to be almost liminal in her appearance, fulfilling the Marquis' necrophilic desires - as she appears murdered/dead in her appearance. Furthermore, the "pool of blood" pouring from the "Iron Maiden" strongly accentuates the motif of blood in connection with the violence against women, accentuating the Marquis' grotesque means of keeping his wives. 
• Menstrual Cycle - An interpretation to be considered would be the motif of blood in association with the menstrual cycle, and the transgression from girlhood to womanhood in regards to the female narrator. However, this could appear to be the weakest of all the interpretations. 
• Corruption of Innocence/Virginity - Throughout the story, Carter predominantly accentuates the colour scheme of red against white, such as the juxtaposing imagery of the "armful of...lilies...glazed with a sombre Chinese red" - suggesting the corruption of virginity/innocence of all his wives prior to entering the chamber. Additionally, the third person evaluation the narrator inflicts on herself accentuates the contrast of the "white dress" and the "flashing crimson jewels" biting into her throat - suggesting the inevitable "potentiality for corruption." 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4)

• Corruption of Innocence - Carter's use of symbolic colour within her settings, highlights the contrast of white & red - tarnishing of innocence through the corruption of lust/sex/violence. 
• Horror/Terror - The motif of blood creates strong connotations with horror/terror; more specifically, the "pool of blood" which creates a strong sense of horror for both narrator and reader, as they witness the grotesque imagery of the Romanian Countess' blood swarming around the key and the feet of the narrator. 
• Violence/Death - The imagery of blood throughout 'The Bloody Chamber' accentuates the recurring gothic notions of violence/death, as this motif recurs strongly when expressing symbols of violence such as the ruby choker, the entrapped wife within the "iron maiden" as well as the corrupted symbol of the "crimson...key" - which all ultimately lead to the outcome of death, or foreshadow the fate of the narrator. 
• The Macabre - Blood can be intrinsically linked to this vital Gothic concept, as it accentuates the grotesque threat, or fear of causing death. Through Carter's use of foreboding in regards to the ruby choker, she creates a sense of the macabre, as the reader views this symbol as a key hint of the inevitable fate of the female narrator. Justine's recognition of her "rare talent for corruption" when wearing this "cruel necklace" will ultimately catalyse her downfall, pushing her to pursue the forbidden knowledge with the confidence that she has a "potentiality" which will protect her from harm. 
• Taboo - The imagery of blood holds associations with murder, a vital taboo which remains a frowned upon within society even today. 

The Ruby Choker:

Key Quotes - 

• "His wedding gift, clasped round my throat. A choker of rubies, two inches wide, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat."
• "how much that cruel necklace became me."
• "the white dress; the frail child within it; and the flashing crimson jewels round her throat, bright as arterial blood." 
• "He kissed those blazing rubies, too. He kissed them before he kissed my mouth." 
• "On the dressing table, coiled like a snake about to strike, lay the ruby choker." 

What does the "choker of rubies" represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• Objectification of the female - The ruby choker portrays the female narrator as a possession of the Marquis, or even an object displaying the beauty of the "choker of rubies" itself. Notably, Carter expresses the fact that the Marquis "kissed those blazing rubies, too. He kissed them before he kissed my mouth" which accentuates the nature at which he appears to not regard the narrator as valuable, but rather the wealth that she displays around her throat - portraying her as an object displaying the symbol of corruption. 
• Marquis' necrophiliac desires - The ruby choker, being described like an "extraordinarily precious slit throat" could accentuate the necrophiliac desires of the Marquis; notably, if we look at the previous quote shown in the point above, the Marquis appears to gain a sense of pleasure from the appearance of the narrator as a murdered figure. Additionally, the fact that the narrator expresses "he would not let me take off my ruby choker" further solidifies this interpretation.  
• Wealth & Corruption -Notably, the narrator is from a much lower social class from the narrator, as she accentuates the way her mother "beggared herself for love";however, the ruby choker emphasises the corruption of this lower class status of the narrator, she is corrupted by the wealth and temptation of the patriarchal male - causing her later to see a "rare talent for corruption" and "potentiality" in herself which she had never experienced before wearing such luxuries.
• Social Conditioning - Notably, Carter exposes to the reader the theme of tradition in relation to the ruby choker, forming a "memory of the wound" for the Marquis' grandmother as she was saved from decapitation in the Great Terror; thus, accentuating the wider theme of the social conditioning of males, and their indoctrination to treat the female as a possession/object of wealth. 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4)

• Lust/Violence/Death  
• The Liminal 
• Oppositions e.g Life/Death  
• The Revenant 

Mirrors:

Key Quotes - 

• "I saw him watching me in the gilded mirrors with the assessing eye of a connoisseur inspecting horseflesh, or even...cuts on the slab."
• "I caught sight of myself in the mirror. And I saw myself, suddenly, as he saw me, my pale face, the way the muscles in my neck stuck out like thin wire...I sensed in myself a potentiality for corruption that took my breath away." 
• "Our bed...surrounded by so many mirrors! Mirrors on all the walls, in stately frames of contorted gold..."
• "A dozen husbands impaled a dozen brides."
• "I seemed reborn in his unreflective eyes, reborn in unfamiliar shapes"
• "(I swear to you, I had never been vain until I met him.)" 

What do the mirrors represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• Marquis' control & dominance in his own environment - The use of mirrors within the bedroom of the narrator accentuate the Marquis' domineering sense of control, as well as his associations with sexual voyeurism - proving the way in which he gains more pleasure from watching the act of intercourse, as opposed to actually being a part it with the narrator. Additionally, the mirrors embody the Marquis' objectification of the female within his environment; thus, once again affirming his sense of control over the passive narrator - victimising her as an object under the influence of his scopophilic desires. 
• The Male Gaze - The male gaze refers to the theory of the male observing the female as an object to which he can either do something for, or do something to in order to assert his power. The symbol of the mirrors allows the Marquis to violently observe the female narrator with a "weary appetite", which once again links to the embodiment of objectification throughout the story as a whole. 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4)

• The Sublime 
• Otherness 

Lilies:

Key Quotes - 

• "...filled my bedroom with lilies until it looked like an embalming parlour."
• "The lilies I always associate with him; that are white. And stain you."
• "An armful of...lilies...glazed with a sombre Chinese red." 
• "strange, ominous calm of a sentient vegetable, like one of those cobra-headed, funeral lilies"
• "more lilies than I'd ever seen before"

What could the lilies represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• Foreboding symbol of death - Carter accentuates the way in which the Marquis "filled [the] bedroom with lilies until it looked like an embalming parlour" which strongly associates the themes of sex/lust with death, whether this be the metaphorical death of female independence, as she will become corrupted by the male on the marital bed; or whether this represents the literal death of the female due to the toils of childbirth or domestic violence. 
• Female Innocence/Purity/Virginity - As mentioned above, the Marquis' use of the lilies to "greet his young bride" could be seen as a symbol of her innocence, purity and virginity in which he so lusts for in relation to the setting of the bedroom. The contrast of the white lilies, against the dark, black matrimonial bed with the luxurious "blood red" rugs on the floor, contrast the corruptive environment of the Marquis' home, with the addition of the lilies - representing the narrator. 
• The Marquis - "the lilies I always associate with him; that are white. And stain you." The heavy, "waxen" appearance of the lilies appears to be intrinsically linked to the "mask" like features of the Marquis, as well as his overpowering "opulent male scent" which mimics the strong, suffocating odour of the lilies; concealing the scent of death filling the castle, as well as representing the concealed desires of the Marquis. 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4)

• Foreboding  
• The Sublime  
• Oppositions e.g Love/Violence, Sex/Death 

Father's Gun:

Key Quotes - 

• "Now, without a moment's hesitation, she raised my father's gun; took aim and put a single, irreproachable bullet through my husband's head."

What does the "father's gun" represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• Familial Bonds/Paternal Protection - Even in death, the paternal figure serves as a protecting spirit in the form of the murder weapon; he protects his wife and daughter from the harm of the predatory aristocrat. 
• Female Strength - The abrupt, sudden arrival of the "eagle-featured, indomitable mother" with the "father's gun" in her hand accentuates female liberation, as Carter entirely subverts the conventional gender stereotypes through the imagery of the mother defying the traditions/patriarchal conditioning of the Marquis - as she puts a "single, irreproachable bullet" through his head. Thus, further accentuating Carter's feminist beliefs that the female needs to rise from the burden of patriarchy, and take control of her own fate, as opposed to remain a victim to the oppression of the male. 
• Carter's subversion of 'Bluebeard' - In the conclusion of the original tale, 'Bluebeard', the two brothers of the young bride return to save her from decapitation; which appears to perpetuate the conventional fairytale stereotypes of the damsel in distress and the powerful male. However, within Carter's distortion of the fairytale, she entirely subverts the conventional gender roles, presenting the strength of inter-female bonds against the patriarchal male. 
• Death of Social Order/Patriarchy - The mother's murder of the Marquis could be viewed as the deterioration of social order/patriarchy; notably, the modern day warfare of the "gun" overpowers entirely the traditional sword passed through the generations of the Marquis' family - proving the power of the modern world in contrast to the traditions of patriarchy, much like the contrast of the Mother and the stunned "puppet-master" that is the Marquis. 

How does this symbol relate to the Gothic genre? (AO4)

• Oppositions e.g male/female  
• Taboos  
• The Revenant 

Pentacle: 

Key Quotes - 

• "I opened the lid of the piano; perhaps I thought my own particular magic might help me, now, that I could create a pentacle out of music that would keep me from harm for, if my music had first ensnared him, then might it not also give me the power to free myself from him?"

What could the "pentacle" represent? Alternative Interpretations (AO3)

• Pagan symbol of protection - Carter utilises this symbol as a means of protection evil; however, the fact the narrator seeks to create a pentacle of music highlights how she believes returning back to her previous state of innocence and virginity will allow her to free herself from the corruption of the Marquis. The narrator seeks protection from her past life, like how she turns to her mother for help instinctively upon realising her fate. 
• 'Untapped potential' - In regards to the collection as a whole, Carter utilises this symbol in other stories - such as 'The Lady of the House of Love' - in order to accentuate the 'untapped' potential that virginity obtains, which forms a "pentacle of...virginity" to keep the innocent from the corruption of irrationality and sexuality.