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.

Frankenstein - Chapter 1

Here we see Frankenstein's possessive nature; he occupies the role as Elizabeth's protector and views her as his possession, "til death she was to be mine only." Frankenstein dotes on Elizabeth in a passionate and loveing manner, she lights up his world and seems to give him purpose before his obsession with knowledge begins. The intensity of their connection foretells of their marriage, "mine to protect, love and cherish." The similarity to wedding vows reflects how devoted Frankenstein was to Elizabeth even from a young age. Immediately readers discover Frankenstein's pride and his desire for glory. He enjoys shaping Elizabeth's character and sees any compliment bequeathed to her as a credit to him, "all praises bestowed on her I recieved as made to a possession of my own." This foreshadows his craving for power and recognition which he explores through his journey for knowledge. Frankenstein grew up in a stable, shelteredd environment filled with love and affection from his parents. They were good people who strove to teach him lessons of; "patience, of charity, of self control."This raises the question of what triggered Frankenstein's path of self destruction. It could have been a rebellion against his parents or there could be something ingrained in him pushing him further into his quest for knowledge. His parents are often referred to as "benevolent," which reflects Frankenstein's respect and admiration for his parents. God is also described as benevolent which links religion into the novel from an easly stage. His mother is also referred to as "a guardian angel to the afflicted."

Overview of Frankenstein

Frankenstein is fascinating as it raises the questions of ethics and prejudice. The recurring theme of playing God and Christian morality gets readers thinking of how far is too far? Did Frankenstein have any right to create what he did and to then try and control it? The moral issues brought up are thought provoking as we sympathise with the monster who is shunned by society merely because of his appearance despite his gentle nature. Shelley successfully explores human emotions through solitude, companionship and obsession. The tragedy of the novel makes it intriguing as we participate in Frankenstein’s journey as he suffers the consequences of his actions.

Frankenstein - Significance of the Letters

The letters form a cycle within the novel, they round up the ending by allowing us a glimpse into the future of Frankenstein and what became of him and his monster. The letters are important because we immediately dive into a parallel character suffering from loneliness and a thirst for knowledge. This foreshadowing prepares us for Frankenstein's life and what is to become of him and why. Questions of creation arise within the letters as elements of poetry and the human drive are explored. The sailor has a strong determination to reach his goal and there is no limit to what he will do to get there. This recurring theme of self sacrifice is fascinating as we see how consumed Frankenstein and the sailor become with their work and the power it exudes over their lives. The sadness and dismal setting of the letter creates emotion in the readers as we sympathise with the sailor's longing for companionship. "There will be no one to participate in my joy," the desperation for a friend could potentially lead to the sailors downfall, as it did to Frankenstein.

Macbeth IV Reading Journal

Scene I – This scene is very frightening, the presence of the doctor shows that there is something clearly wrong with Lady Macbeth. As we see Lady Macbeth’s insanity, unlike with Macbeth we feel no sympathy for her. The audience would feel she deserves this illness as previously throughout the play we have always seen her as a cruel woman on the dark side. The sleep walking shows how disturbed Lady Macbeth is. Sleep is the most peaceful time when evil is stripped away, yet she cannot rest. When Lady Macbeth is asleep, she is her real self but when she is conscious she is controlled by the witches. This link to the weird sisters creates a slight empathy in the audience.

Scene II – This contrasts with the previous scene as it is short and snappy. It speeds up with the action building up anticipation for the climax. Angus makes a connection with the blood imagery from previous scenes when he says; “murders sticking on his hands.” It is clear to the audience how Macbeth is viewed by the rest of the characters, names such as; “tyrant,” and “dwarfish thief,” belittle him and show how much respect he has lost.

Scene III – In this scene it is clear to the audience how out of his depth Macbeth is. He doesn’t act as a king and fulfil his role, we see that he is still a soldier at heart as he prepares for the battle too early when putting on his armour. Macbeth is isolated here; he has no one loyal left to support him as he pushed everyone away with his cruel actions. The presence of Seyton adds emphasis to the evil in the play as his name is linked with the devil. This creates a dark and gothic atmosphere as in the era the play was set in, Satan was a terrifying figure. For Macbeth to be associating with someone linked to such evil shows the extent to which he has fallen. When speaking of his wife he is cold and formal; “how does you patient, doctor?” He doesn’t refer to her as a person let alone someone he has promised to love, therefore reflecting how far their marriage has deteriorated.

Scene IV – This is a very short and snappy scene as it has a fast pace leading up to the battle. Seywards rhyme at the end helps the flow and rhythm of the scene. Macbeth is called a “tyrant,” throughout this act showing that everyone around feared him as he abused his power and position in society.

Scene V – Macbeth’s reaction to Lady Macbeth’s death is unusual, he is unnaturally composed and reserved at the news. Instead of mourning he rants about life and the inevitability of death. He belittles his wife’s existence and strips her life of any meaning. He spoke in a cold manner, generalising her death and not paying any attention to the qualities of her. Macbeth fears merely being a pawn controlled by greater forces. He doesn’t want to be just a “poor player,” and this is why he acted in the way he did to claim the throne.

Why are the Witches in Macbeth?

I think the witches are in the play because they are generally known for representing the supernatural side of the world. Whenever they enter, the scene is set with thunder and lightning which is a parallel to the dark nature of the witches. Their presence adds mystery to the play as they talk in riddles and rhyming. "again, rain," "done, won," "drum, come," etc. This sing song method of talking ties in with their spells and dark magic. There is also a very dramatic element to the presence of the witches, " a drum! a drum!" The beat and the rhythm of the drums exaggerates what the witches are telling Macbeth and Banquo and makes the scene very tense. Shakespeare portrays the witches in a very wicked manner and this adds to the gothic nature of the play. Almost immediately in act 1 we see this as they are discussing the torture of an innocent sailor, this foreshadows the terror to come into the play and also links them into the horror that is lurking in the future. I also think the witches play an important part because they set of the chain reaction of events as they give the idea of becoming king to Macbeth. Without this nudging of the witches, Macbeth never would have had the desire to become king and would not have set himself onto the path of self destruction.

Macbeth - Act III

Scene I - This is a very dark and sarcastic scene. Macbeth says; "fail not our feast." in an overly friendly manner and this is very two-faced as he knows for certain Banquo will not be there. Banquo's description of his friendship with Macbeth is very sincere and genuine, emphasising the betrayal on Macbeth’s behalf. Banquo believes their bond is eternal and “forever knit.” This makes the audience sympathise with him and shows the extent to which Macbeth has fallen into darkness. The language used adds to the theme of the supernatural. The word “hush,” is used and this gives a sense of the tension and mystery that would be on stage. There is a spiritual side to the supernatural and Shakespeare uses words such as “oracles,” and “prophetic” to create this. The scene ends with; “thy soul's flight, if it find heaven, must find it tonight.” This dark imagery confirms Macbeth's evil plot and foreshadows the upcoming doom creeping up on Banquo.

Scene II – Lady Macbeth uses rhyming here which comes as a shock as the sing song nature is very feminine which is unlike her, she previously claimed; “unsex me,” in an effort to become more masculine. This also links her to the witches and their evil power as it has connotations of magic. She contrasts with Macbeth and instead of them traditionally becoming one within their marriage they are two very separate characters. Macbeth is openly guilty whereas Lady Macbeth is very detached and has little compassion for him. Sleep is linked through the whole play and in this scene the audience learn that Macbeth is having nightmare and is unable to rest. This is because sleep is peaceful and innocent so Macbeth is kept awake due to his emotional turmoil and fear or trusting anyone else. The supernatural imagery used is very violent but also links to nature. “Bloody,” “full of scorpions is my mind,” and “shard-borne beetle.” The use of sinister language hints at what is to come as even nature is at war with itself.

Scene III – The first murder on stage takes place and this emphasises the shock of the death of Banquo. “Who did strike out the light,” represents that any hint of goodness has disappeared with the death of Banquo, reminding the audience of the dark nature of the play. As Banquo enters he is suspicious; “it will be rain tonight.” This gloomy imagery foreshadows his murder and he is aware of something evil in the air. Seeing the murder actually on stage is the first real glimpse of the violence and clearly shows how far Macbeth has gone as he is willing to have his best friend murdered.

Scene IV – In this scene the insanity of Macbeth is revealed as he begins to go crazy in the presence of other people. This is a very important supernatural point of the play as his guilt is manifested as a ghost which could either be a figment of his imagination or real. The ghost is very significant as it is a guilt release for Macbeth because he had others kill Banquo whereas he had killed Duncan and felt the repercussions himself. Macbeth's visions represent nature's form of revenge by playing with his mind. Lady Macbeth is very patronising to Macbeth as he is losing his mind. “are you a man,” she is degrading him by questioning his masculinity and treating him in a demeaning manner. This is subtly hinting that she is in control. Macbeth tries to get himself together by responding to her question with; “aye, and a bold one.” However the presence of the ghost soon forces him to lose whatever control he had regained. We begin to see cracks appearing in Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's façade. Words such as; “Fear,” “shame,” “look,” and “behold,” show the weak spots as their crimes start to catch up with them. Previously they had spoken in riddles but now their acts were becoming clearer as it was becoming such an effort to keep up the lie of innocence.

Scene V – This scene returns to the witches as if carrying on from earlier. There is an emphasis on the witches control over Macbeth so his actions are not truly his fault. They should not have told Macbeth of his future but instead have left it to fate the way it was supposed to be. The supernatural here is based on destiny and magic; “spells,” “charms,” ”illusion,” and “spirit.”

Scene VI – The relevance of this scene is questionable but I think it is very important. It is heading to the climax of the play and there is a foreboding nature of what is lurking in the future for Macbeth as Macduff heads to England to retrieve help.