6. Key Themes

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?

 

Entrapment and violence, to me, seem to be the two most prominent key themes within Angela Carter's 'The Bloody Chamber', and they are two of the most Gothic. These themes are conveyed using setting, action and speech, conveying further themes of the degradation of women and the way that men are portrayed.

The entrapment can be based on the fact she is being trapped within the relationship, through the ceremony of marriage; an ironic use of the tradition as marriage should be about love, and the union of two people. Instead, this marriage is seen as a device used for the male to gain control over the protagonist and 'trap' her. We can see this is evident from the 'wedding gift' the Marquis presents to the narrator; 'a choker of rubies, two inches wide, like an extraordinary precious slit throat'. 'Choker' connotes the image of being tied within chains, unable to escape, linking to the idea of entrapment, as well as possession. The Marquis claims his 'wife' as his possession, by branding her with something of his own. The necklace also, being tight fitting and almost to the point of strangulation shows us that she is unable to avoid this situation and find herself trapped by his power and wealth; something that allured her to him in the first place. This cruel necklace symbolises 'the memory of a wound' by being presented as a slit throat, adding the first element of violence into the story. This necklace also foreshadows the Marquis' desire to behead the protagonist - something he feels she cannot escape. Not only does this portray the helplessness and defenceless characteristics of the protagonist - linked to females in general - but it demonstrates the patriarchal society in which Carter wished to break free from. However, by creating a protagonist who is not incredibly strong willed or powerful, she is reinforcing gender roles. Towards the end of the novel though, the narrators mother, a powerful, ambitious and daring character, saves the day, alluding to the fairytale ending.

The setting she then ventures to is his house in France. The house is described as having 'turrets' and 'spiked gates' which all suggest the theme of entrapment and the idea that she will be unable to leave or escape his home. 'Cut off by the tide from land for half a day' also suggests the isolation evident with both the house and the marriage, indicating the narrator truly is trapped within the perimeter. 'Spiked gate' not only lends itself to entrapment, but also connotes a violent nature as the 'spikes' are often connoted with weapons, causing pain to anyone trying to scale the gates. The protagonist is kept in the 'turret suite', reminding the audience of a princess locked in a tower, waiting to be rescued. This fairytale similarity shows the entrapment of the female within a phallic symbol, with no way of escape; however it does suggest a happy ending, like the examples found within children’s stories.  

Violence is most associated with the Marquis, as he, being the stereotypical Gothic villain, murdered his three previous wives. The Bloody Chamber is based on the tale of Bluebeard, and follows a similar plot line. Violence is apparent in both stories, however the gruesome behaviour and actions of the Marquis is, quite possibly, more shocking for the audience. The 'torture chamber', filled with 'blood', 'embalmed' corpses, 'skulls' and 'coffins' - all stereotypical gruesome and shocking items. 'She was pierced by not one, but by a hundred spikes' links to the gate, displaying the terrifying behaviour of the Marquis. The 'Iron maiden' is also featured, a Victorian torture method that the Marquis employs within his murderous work. Not only does this highlight the psychotic disposition of the male character, but it demonstrates the power he had over his wives, and the power he now holds over his wife.

As mentioned earlier, the narrator’s mother rescues her daughter, removing her from the 'trapped' situation she found herself in. This action of saving her daughter results in an 'irreproachable bullet through my [the protagonist's] husbands head', reversing the gender roles found previously within the narrative. The male character, now the prey instead of the predator, is murdered, by none other than a woman. Carter has included this violence to conclude the story and give it the happy ending she desired, whilst also reinventing the gender roles, presenting the heroic woman as unstoppable and powerful.

Even though the two key themes within The Bloody Chamber are contradictory, so much as, entrapment within the story portrays females as weak and submissive, trapped within the constraints of men and their leading roles, yet violence concludes the story and shows that women can become heroines and save the day, adding a duality to the story and the character within it.