The Bloody Chamber (Blog 1)

I have been told I have to blog about each of the three texts we are studying next year at beginning, middle and end. So this is my impressions on the beginning of 'The Bloody Chamber' by Angela Carter. When I say beginning I mean the whole of the first short story which is included in the book, which is the title story, 'The Bloody Chamber'.

I was really interested to start reading this book after we looked at the different kinds of feminism in class, and so am on the look on throughout my reading! =D So anyway I read the bloody chamber and I found it really interesting yet also very very strange. I'm confused as to when these stories are supposed to be set as they would appear to be set in like the 18th century onward, but I then cars etc are mentioned. Who knows.
But I did like the story in which a young innocent girl marries this older man who has had three previous wives. He gives her a key to his secret room but tells her not to go in it whilst he's away on business. So naturally she goes in and discovers his previous three wives dead in what is basically a torture chamber, for example one is still bleeding in the iron maiden. Lovely. He then comes back and he notices blood on the key and so knows she disobeyed him. So he goes ape and says he's going to chop her head off with some form of long sword (as you do). However then the girl's mum comes in and shoots this weirdo in the head. Woo. Happy times, women prevail =D.
I enjoyed the story (especially the short length of 40ish pages) and as expected was shocked by the totally random and detailed description midway through when the girl discovers her new husband's graphic pornography  and as Holly would say the 'C-bomb' is dropped. Hahaaa.However as we discussed in lesson this is done on purpose to shock you and show the characters shock as well at finding such things and being thrown into this suddenly very adult world.  There is a very Gothic feel throughout and the sensuality in the first story was painted as almost painful and very unpleasant. I am confused as to why this girl married this man whom she appears to be repulsed by when they are intimate, yet the story has feminist undertones. Food for thought. Overall I think I am going to really enjoy analysing these stories further and looking into deeper meanings which I will almost certainly of missed first time round!!

Cool, so I will read until exactly half way through and then blog again.