Angela Carter's 'The Tiger's Bride' is a subverted version of 'Beauty and the Beast' and it includes many different gothic elements. For example the description of the setting in the story includes gothic language, 'how starveling, how bereft the dead season of this spurious Eden in which all the fruit was blighted by cold'. When the girl is heading towards the Beast's 'palazzo', Carter has described the journey and the surroundings as being bereft, the 'Eden' is a religious allegory that is described as being false, this therefore could create a sense of fear in the girl because the setting is not comforting.
When the girl is inside that Beast's 'palazzo' she sees 'suites of vaulted chambers', the place is in no way inviting.
Another Gothic element that Carter has used in The Tiger's Bride is the supernatural. The beast, for instance, 'wears a mask with a man's face painted' on it. This shows that the beast is not human and he has tried to create a way to compensate for that by wearing a mask that covers his face. In addition to this, the supernatural is portrayed when the Servant to the Beast tells the girl that 'nothing human lives here', implying that the Beast is not human and that he himself may not be human as well.
Carter blurs the role of humans and animals. The Beast is seen as having human characteristics, such as the ability to speak, and understand what other humans are saying to him, yet his actual body is a tiger. This is also shown again in the line 'the Beast had given his horses the use of the dining room'. When the girl walks into the 'palazzo' this is what she sees and it is incongruous because under normal circumstances horses would be kept outside because they are animals but because the lines between human and animal have been blurred this can be viewed as normal.
The Gothic element of class is also explored by Carter in The Tiger's Bride, the girl adresses the Beast as 'Master' or 'milord'. This shows that even though she is there against her will she is still speaking to him with respect.
Carter includes the Gothic elements of fear and horror in The Tiger's Bride, such as the fear that is created in the girl's father when he realises that he is going to lose his daughter to the Beast. However, her father grief can be seen as insincere and he only wants to gain the girls forgiveness so he can soothe his guilty conscience, 'My tear-beslobbered father wants a rose to show that I forgive him. In the same sentence Carter is able to create some horror in the story because as the girl gives her father the rose, 'I prick my finger and so he gets his rose all smeared with blood'. The pure, white rose has been tainted with her blood.
Thursday 17 October 2013
Thursday 10 October 2013
The Erl King is the most innovative and experimental
“The Erl King’ is the most innovative and experimental of the narratives.’ How far does this quotation support the statement?
‘The woods enclose and then enclose again, like a system of Chinese boxes opening one into another; the intimate perspectives of the wood changed endlessly around the interloper, the imaginary traveller walking towards an invented distance that perpetually receded before me. It is easy to lose yourself in these woods.’
The Erl King can be described as the most innovative and experimental of the narratives in The Bloody Chamber, and this is supported by the quotation because the narrative perspective in The Erl King is the most unusual out of all the stories in The Bloody Chamber. The narrative perspective changes so quickly that Carter has created a sense of confusion within the reader. 1st, 2nd and 3rd person are all used, this is a contrast to the other stories in The Bloody Chamber, for example The Bloody Chamber is written fully in third person without a change in the narrative perspective. This shows Carter's experimentation with different aspects of narrative.
The Erl King can also be described as innovative because Carter has incorporated many different intertextual references but has created her own story around them. The fairy tale that The Erl King is based on is Little Red Riding Hood. The Erl King himself is supposed to embody the wolf in the fairy tale and the girl is supposed to be Red Riding Hood, however at the end of the story Carter uses a twist that portrays her views as feminist, the girl does not become the 'victim', she kills the Erl King instead, going against the original story therefore creating a new one. Other intertextual references in The Erl King are drawn from old German poems and ballads, where the main character was a malevolent creature who haunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths. However, Carter's use of intertextual references could be seen as unoriginal and not innovative because she has not created her own ideas
Another way in whichThe Erl King can be seen as innovative in The Bloody Chamber is Carter's deep description of the forest and it's environment. 'It struck the wood with nicotine stained fingers','the woods enclose and then enclose again', Carter uses two pages to fully describe the forest, this is different to other stories in The Bloody Chamber, such as The Snow Child, which has little description about the surroundings because they are so minimalistic.
In conclusion, The Erl King can be described as innovative and experimental because Carter has tried to develop different ideas to try and tell her own version of the Erl King story.
The Erl King can be described as the most innovative and experimental of the narratives in The Bloody Chamber, and this is supported by the quotation because the narrative perspective in The Erl King is the most unusual out of all the stories in The Bloody Chamber. The narrative perspective changes so quickly that Carter has created a sense of confusion within the reader. 1st, 2nd and 3rd person are all used, this is a contrast to the other stories in The Bloody Chamber, for example The Bloody Chamber is written fully in third person without a change in the narrative perspective. This shows Carter's experimentation with different aspects of narrative.
The Erl King can also be described as innovative because Carter has incorporated many different intertextual references but has created her own story around them. The fairy tale that The Erl King is based on is Little Red Riding Hood. The Erl King himself is supposed to embody the wolf in the fairy tale and the girl is supposed to be Red Riding Hood, however at the end of the story Carter uses a twist that portrays her views as feminist, the girl does not become the 'victim', she kills the Erl King instead, going against the original story therefore creating a new one. Other intertextual references in The Erl King are drawn from old German poems and ballads, where the main character was a malevolent creature who haunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths. However, Carter's use of intertextual references could be seen as unoriginal and not innovative because she has not created her own ideas
Another way in whichThe Erl King can be seen as innovative in The Bloody Chamber is Carter's deep description of the forest and it's environment. 'It struck the wood with nicotine stained fingers','the woods enclose and then enclose again', Carter uses two pages to fully describe the forest, this is different to other stories in The Bloody Chamber, such as The Snow Child, which has little description about the surroundings because they are so minimalistic.
In conclusion, The Erl King can be described as innovative and experimental because Carter has tried to develop different ideas to try and tell her own version of the Erl King story.
Wednesday 9 October 2013
When and where is the story set?
When and where is the story set? Why might this be?
In Angela Carter's The Erl King, the setting is a very important part of the story. The reader knows this because the first two pages are dedicated to describing the setting, 'there is no way through the wood anymore, this wood has reverted to its original privacy.' Carter's description of the woods creates a threatening and dreary scene, however a lone, young girl is unfazed by the threatening woods, 'A young girl will go into the woods as trustingly as Red Riding Hood', she enters them without hesitation.
The forest setting represents a place away from civilisation and its influences for the narrator, this means that she is able to show different aspects of her personality and Carter has portrayed this by changing the narrative perspective. It implies that the narrator is telling the story, but she is also somewhat like an outsider looking in on her own story and learning from it.
Angela Carter's use of colour in The Erl King are dull and give a sense of death, which is unusual because a forest is expected to be full of bright colours and life, 'a sky hunkered with grey clouds', 'it struck the wood with nicotine stained fingers',Carter has created a typically Gothic setting.
Another aspect of the setting that Carter has developed into a Gothic theme is the wildlife in the forest. The Erl King keeps birds in cages in his house, 'cage upon cage of singing birds', creating the Gothic theme of entrapment, birds which are usually free animals trapped inside without escape.
In Angela Carter's The Erl King, the setting is a very important part of the story. The reader knows this because the first two pages are dedicated to describing the setting, 'there is no way through the wood anymore, this wood has reverted to its original privacy.' Carter's description of the woods creates a threatening and dreary scene, however a lone, young girl is unfazed by the threatening woods, 'A young girl will go into the woods as trustingly as Red Riding Hood', she enters them without hesitation.
The forest setting represents a place away from civilisation and its influences for the narrator, this means that she is able to show different aspects of her personality and Carter has portrayed this by changing the narrative perspective. It implies that the narrator is telling the story, but she is also somewhat like an outsider looking in on her own story and learning from it.
Angela Carter's use of colour in The Erl King are dull and give a sense of death, which is unusual because a forest is expected to be full of bright colours and life, 'a sky hunkered with grey clouds', 'it struck the wood with nicotine stained fingers',Carter has created a typically Gothic setting.
Another aspect of the setting that Carter has developed into a Gothic theme is the wildlife in the forest. The Erl King keeps birds in cages in his house, 'cage upon cage of singing birds', creating the Gothic theme of entrapment, birds which are usually free animals trapped inside without escape.
Wednesday 2 October 2013
What do you consider to be the key themes of this short story?
What do you consider to be the key themes of this short story? Does the story have one or more messages for the reader? If so, what might these be?
The Erl King
There are many Gothic themes in The Erl King, one of those themes is entrapment, 'the woods enclose', 'cage upon cage of singing birds'. Angela Carter develops the feeling of entrapment because the narrator never leaves the woods, the birds are trapped in the cages just as the narrator is trapped in the woods. Carter also creates a feeling of claustrophobia, 'once you are inside it, you must stay there until it lets you out again'. This personifies the forest and shows how much power it has over an innocent girl all alone.
Another key theme of The Erl King is the supernatural. The girl in the story is drawn to the Erl King even though she knows that he could do her 'grievous harm', and it could be said that the supernatural element of the story is what draws the girl to the Erl King despite what the consequences could be. It has also been said that the supernatural element means that the story is received better by society because it shows that the events in the story are not real.
Romance is another key theme in the short story of The Erl King, 'When I realised what the Erl King meant to do to me, I was shaken with a terrible fear and I did not know what to do for I loved him with all my heart and yet I had no wish to join the whistling congregation he kept in his cages.' The girl in the story has to choose between her love for the Erl King and her fear of him doing to her what he has done to all of the other women that have entered the woods. In this short story Carter shows that a woman can be strong and make her decisions because at the end of the short story the girl decides that she is going to kill the Erl King, 'I shall take two handfuls of his rustling hair...I shall strangle him with them.' She wants to keep her own life and in order to do this she decides she needs to kill the Erl King.
The Erl King
There are many Gothic themes in The Erl King, one of those themes is entrapment, 'the woods enclose', 'cage upon cage of singing birds'. Angela Carter develops the feeling of entrapment because the narrator never leaves the woods, the birds are trapped in the cages just as the narrator is trapped in the woods. Carter also creates a feeling of claustrophobia, 'once you are inside it, you must stay there until it lets you out again'. This personifies the forest and shows how much power it has over an innocent girl all alone.
Another key theme of The Erl King is the supernatural. The girl in the story is drawn to the Erl King even though she knows that he could do her 'grievous harm', and it could be said that the supernatural element of the story is what draws the girl to the Erl King despite what the consequences could be. It has also been said that the supernatural element means that the story is received better by society because it shows that the events in the story are not real.
Romance is another key theme in the short story of The Erl King, 'When I realised what the Erl King meant to do to me, I was shaken with a terrible fear and I did not know what to do for I loved him with all my heart and yet I had no wish to join the whistling congregation he kept in his cages.' The girl in the story has to choose between her love for the Erl King and her fear of him doing to her what he has done to all of the other women that have entered the woods. In this short story Carter shows that a woman can be strong and make her decisions because at the end of the short story the girl decides that she is going to kill the Erl King, 'I shall take two handfuls of his rustling hair...I shall strangle him with them.' She wants to keep her own life and in order to do this she decides she needs to kill the Erl King.
Tuesday 1 October 2013
The Erl King Notes
The Erl King
-An adaptation of a European tale.
-A character depicted in a number of German poems and ballads as a malevolent creature who haunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths.
-The character is most famous as the antagonist in Gothe's poem Der Erlkonig.
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-Emily Dickingson- 'Light is sufficient unto itself1, 'perfect transparency must be impenetrable.' This is also the opening line of The Erl King.
-There are references to Little Red Riding Hood.
The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is the personification of nature.
Shakespeare's Othello, 'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green eyed monster'. The Erl King's eyes are described as 'quite green'.
-The Garden of Eden- It is possible to interpret the green apple's of the Erl King's eyes with the traditional symbol of temptation in the Garden of Eden. This means that the Erl King becomes identified with temptation and original sin to the reader.
-An adaptation of a European tale.
-A character depicted in a number of German poems and ballads as a malevolent creature who haunts forests and carries off travellers to their deaths.
-The character is most famous as the antagonist in Gothe's poem Der Erlkonig.
.gif)
-Emily Dickingson- 'Light is sufficient unto itself1, 'perfect transparency must be impenetrable.' This is also the opening line of The Erl King.
-There are references to Little Red Riding Hood.
The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is the personification of nature.
Shakespeare's Othello, 'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green eyed monster'. The Erl King's eyes are described as 'quite green'.
-The Garden of Eden- It is possible to interpret the green apple's of the Erl King's eyes with the traditional symbol of temptation in the Garden of Eden. This means that the Erl King becomes identified with temptation and original sin to the reader.
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