The Snow Child (continued)

Fetishism: 
Liking certain parts of a womans body, compartmentalising their appearance

Patriarchy - Natural order of things 
Feminism - fight for quality
Radical Feminist - Overthrow patriarchy and reverse gender roles  


WHO ARE WE?
WHAT DO WE RUN?
WE RUN THE WORLD
WHO RUNS THE WORLD? GIRLS (GIRLS) 

• Feminist theory focuses on the nature of gender inequality through the construction of sex and gender roles, in white middle class society
• Feminist activists campaign for women's rights, gender equality, reproductive rights and the protection of women. Some claim mens liberation is a necessary part of feminism, as they too are harmed by sexism and gender roles

Feminists oppress other people as they only focus on white middle class women, but are racist towards other countries and races. 

Ideal woman in the snow child is perfectly white; racist towards non-middle class non-white people. 

The Countess: 

• "Black" - dark connotations, contrasts with the whiteness of the snow child, un-pure colour due to marriage, symbolic of harshness she treats the snow child with
• "High, black, shining boots, with scarlet heels and spurs" - described as a provocative being, we can infer she is not wearing anything underneath her "black fox pelt" coat, decadent, dressed for her husband

The Snow Child: 

• "White skin" - described as perfect woman, british view
• "Red mouth" - depiction of beauty, connotations of love, however also blood and death 
• "Stark naked" - perfect woman is seen as a sex object, only there for mens' pleasure and desires 
• She isn't explained in great detail, showing men don't particularly care about what women look like, they're only with them for sex

The Count:

• "Grey mare" - white horse, untarnished reputation as man can do no wrong; women are the ones blamed and accused
• Ominous figure, not described physically 
• "I wish I had a girl" - possessive, sexually 'had', no romance, instant gratification. 
• 'Girl' - implies child, not woman; younger child is the more masculine thing to have. 
• 'Wish' - we can never live up to their expectations, makes women feel worthless, gives them masculine power

The Snow Child

Allegory: 

A story that can be interpreted t reveal a hidden meaning, usually a moral or political one 

Feminist in 'The Snow Child': 

• Count creates the perfect woman - "stark naked" ideal woman
• Events within the story happen because it is the Count's wishes, not the Countesses - Patriarchal society
• Constructed of what society tells us - Daughter has sex, the mother hates her, father sleeps with daughter, daughter dies. 
• The mother is jealous of her own child; is it jealousy or is it trying to shield her from the same fate she suffers from? 
• The child has no voice because she is not married, women need a husband in order to be taken seriously and have some form of wealth and role in society
• By completing the act that is associated with giving life, her father kills her - ironic, yet could also symbolise how women lose their freedom, self-worth etc when completing this act of passion

Other Components: 

• Darkness Vs. Light - The black mare and the grey one, contrast between the girls black hair and white skin 
• Setting - falling snow, forest, pool of blood, 
• Creation of fear 
• Influence of the past - Links to ideologies of the victorian times, links to fairytale
• Male and female roles - Patriarchal society 
• Blurring of fantasy and reality - unrealistic things do not cause any problems for the characters in believability (see TBC and the protagonists reaction to finding the room full of dead bodies, instead of instantly screaming or breaking down in tears, she appears curious and touches the embalmed wife)
• Psychological traits

"THESE ARE MY OWN STORIES, THEY ARE NOT MY VERSION OF THE FAIRYTALE"

Angela Carter was a feminist herself 

Even though the gender roles are the way they are due to patriarchy - the man goes out to work, the woman provides children and stays at home - the Count in this story is the one who controls reproduction and the production of the story. 

Gothic setting: 

• "Midwinter - Invincible, immaculate" - cold, dark harsh, can't be banished or defeated, alliteration 
• Fresh snow - metamorphosis, changing the scenery, could symbolise generations of fallen women (just like the snow child) loss of their purity, influence of the past
• Juxtaposition between a typical christmas scene and terror 
• "Hole filled with blood" represents birth (ew)
• Imperfection of the blood on snow, imperfect natural cycle, men tell you the cycle is a weakness, foreshadows the pool of blood in the death of the snow child

Possible allegory of marriage, wander off into the world of marriage and become someones wife, coldness greets you; there is no love in marriage, younger beauty is found, defilement, loss of virginity, the husband has found his new ideal woman.