The Bloody Chamber - Re-interpretation of Gothic Conventions

Angela Carter re-interprets gothic conventions in The Bloody Chamber through The Tiger’s Bride and Puss-in-Boots. Carter has themes running through her short stories that to do not traditionally fit the gothic genre. The Tiger’s Bride contains strong elements of feminism as the protagonist is treated like a possession by her own father. The very first line of the story is blunt and direct; “My father lost me to The Beast at cards.” This introduction of the young girl shows her apparent lack of worth as her careless manner and use of words is straight to the point with little emotion. The personification of “The Beast,” immediately shows the ranking of status in an unusual way. Instead of creating fear with the name “The Beast,” Carter uses power and control to set the scene for her story.
Carter uses the girl to reflect the typical way in which women were portrayed in society. The girl is seen as pretty and naïve as she is referred to as a “rose.” This imagery is frail and innocent and this sticks with the reader throughout the novel. However Carter introduces a new idea of feminism when she reveals that the girl has been a tiger at heart the whole time. This suggestion of women being passionate and fiery does not follow the normal gothic conventions as traditionally a woman like this would have been considered as some form of evil.
Puss-in-Boots strays far from typical gothic conventions are there is little horror or fear within it, rather it follows more along the lines of a love story. The story seems more like a strange fairytale than a gothic story, considerably so compared to some of Carter’s other stories. The love that completely consumes the master creates sympathy and hope in the readers which is fulfilled as his feelings are returned by the Lady. The emotions used are not that of despair or fear which is unlike the usual distinctive features of a gothic text. The comic element which is brought in through the narration of the master’s pet cat is intriguing as it runs through the whole story taking it further away from the gothic region; “and they as happy as pigs in a plunk” The happy ending of the story comforts the reader rather than leaving them in suspense or turmoil as a gothic story would traditionally do.