'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 in the interloper, the imaginary traveller walking towards an invented distance that perpetually receded before me. It is easy to lose yourself in these woods.'

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The Erl-King is one of the most memorable stories within the Bloody Chamber collection due to its varied and poetic language that entices and captures the imagination of the readers. This technique is often associated with the fairy-tale genre; a style that Carter's stories lend themselves to. Even though Carter has stated 'These are my own stories, they are not my version of the fairy-tale' we can see the similarities between the original European tale and the gothic stories Carter has created. All of her stories, though fairy-tale like, contain gruesome horror, advanced ideologies and feminist writings, making them unsuitable to children, challenging the fairy-tale conventions and making the stories ones of the Gothic genre. 'The Erl-King', although still a gothic story like the others, stands out from the rest and in my eyes, making it the most experimental and unconventional story within the collection. This quote is a glimpse of the varied techniques used within the narrative however it demonstrates the innovative language and her gothic approach.  

One of the first things we are introduced to as readers is the shift in narrative perspective, as the story starts with poetic language in third person but swiftly changes into second person. 'The imaginary traveller' refers to the narrator herself, as it is her who is journeying through the forest; however she refers to herself in third person. This shift in narrative voice links to the idea of identity and being both with and without herself, seeing what she is and what she is not. This adds an aspect of duality to the narrator, as (we find out the narrator is female) she is challenging the assumption there is one fixed identity of herself, meaning she can be what she wants to be whether it concerns looks, gender or sexuality; the 'invented journey' symbolising the metaphorical journey she is taking as she tries to find out who she is. This added confusion within the ability to switch between perspectives is unusual, and completely unconventional, especially within her other stories. For example, 'The Bloody Chamber' is told in retrospect, but also in first person; there is only one place with which it deviates from the narrative perspective, contained in the line 'until that moment this spoilt child'. The fact none of her other stories deviate from the norm, shows us that 'The Erl-King' is innovative and creative. It blurs the boundaries of the narrative, as we have to decipher where each perspective begins and ends, making it unlike anything else Carter has written.  

When the narrative is told in first person, it can be said that the narrator is dictating the story, giving her the power within the relationship between her and the Erl-King, influencing the way we think and feel about him with her use of description and retelling of events. This empowerment of the female character is the feminist thoughts of Carter influencing her writing, something we see in many of her other stories too. In contrast to the patriarchal society, Carter allows her female roles to speak for themselves and leaves the man with no control over how the story is told. This lack of male control within the way the story is told foreshadows the death of the Erl-King at the end of the story. The death is told in first person, and then third, showing the 'intimate perspectives' within the story; linking the events to Porphyria's Lover and the intimate death that occurs at the end of the poem. Carter reverses the stereotypical gender roles within this story, as unlike 'The Snow Child' the woman within this story is not helpless, and she uses violence to escape her predicament which isn't the stereotypical way for a female to behave, as they are described as passive and weak.   

Another way Carter has blurred the boundaries of gender is by describing the Erl-King as 'an excellent housewife' and a sub-human being, making him more effeminate and not the stereotypical masculine character such as The Marquis in 'The Bloody Chamber' or The Count in 'The Snow Child'. She goes against the patriarchal society by not only giving the female role power, but by stripping the Erl-King of masculinity, giving him a vulnerable side not portrayed in the other stories. The idea that you can be only one gender and have one fixed identity is explored in 'The Erl-King', as it can be suggested that the Erl-King is a woman trapped in a man's body; the 'green eyes' showing the jealousy of the character, as the captured women are beautiful and free, whilst the woman is trapped in a hideous shell. The 'Erl-King's' search for love and affection could derive from the idea the woman is not seen as a woman and wishes for people to think of her that way. These possible links to the transgender community shows that one fixed identity is unsustainable. Carter, fighting for equality, may have added this subtle idea to show that difference within sexuality and gender is something to be accepted and explored. However, if we do not look as deeply, the Erl-King could simply be an effeminate character used to show there are several sides to man, not just the violent, controlling and strong traits shown in several other stories. This idea links to the gothic convention of entrapment in a way that has not been explored within her other stories, making it original and creative, thought provoking and incredibly innovative, as it touches on many different themes, ideas and ideologies, as well as the difference in gender and character traits. 

Entrapment is a theme used throughout the collection of stories, whether it is physical entrapment within a castle, or emotional entrapment from not being able to escape a marriage. 'The woods enclose and then enclose again' demonstrates how Gothic the setting within 'The Erl-King' is. The repeating of the word 'enclose' emphasises the physical boundaries the narrator finds herself struggling against, and this is then continued further within the simile 'like a system of Chinese boxes, opening one into another', implying that the dangers she finds herself in are inescapable. The forest can be seen as an allegory for marriage; the Erl-King is her husband. 'It is easy to lose yourself in these woods' shows us that once you enter the world of marriage you can never escape, portraying men as 'devastating' and controlling; traits found in Carter's other stories also. 'Magic lasso of inhuman music' links to the story of the Pied Piper and his ability to lure children away; something the Erl-King demonstrates he can do, by enticing his victims and locking them in cages. However,  it is not the use of entrapment that makes this story unique, it is the sometimes complex and  poetic language used (as displayed in the given quote), that explores the idea so comprehensively, making it the most creative and  one of the most developed stories within the collection.  

Although there are many similarities between the collection of stories, 'The Erl-King' is simply hypnotising. The choice of language, the structure of the narrative and the narrative perspectives all collaborate to explore the boundaries of sexuality and gender as well as the feminist views of equality and empowerment. 'The Erl-King' is definitely 'Innovative and experimental' as it lends itself to the Gothic genre, contrasts with the fairy-tale and breaks conventions that are used in narratives not only by Carter, but universally.