An idea is presented that a students perception by education can change in four years. I am already seeing evidence of this, dramatically, after 3 years here at Miami.
Presenting a discussion on the Bloody Chamber and other stories, by Angela Carter
The courtship of Mr. Lyon seems very similar to Beauty and the Beast. Beauty goes through more transformation in this version, she stays pure in Disney version. This story is about what it means to be human. Is this similar to a parable? It should be read with the thought: There is something real that corresponds with each of the magical things in the story. The story distorts the real so we can see it.
The fairy tale is distorting reality so we can really see it, discuss it, and think about it.
What is Mr. Lyon? Like any young man, he is coming of age and facing manhood. Beauty is fascinated and revolted by Beast, especially his paws. As a gender discourse, are women horrified by masculinity? Does the process of becoming a man include taming the beast in boys. The male potential for violence is horrifying, and men find this horrifying about themselves. Something has to happen within the male psyche to help them come to terms with their violent potential. With Mr. Lyon, it is redemption, being loved anyway despite his wildness.
Bloody Chamber explores our own potential for violence.
What potential for corruption is there in relation to females? Do males only have a potential for violence? Think of the blind piano tuner in the story who lives life in music, has a very ethereal existence, yet he is a male with potential violence. How “male” is he really? What are the symptoms or showcasings of masculinity? We also see darkness in a rich man’s life, in the Bloody Chamber. By giving the key to the girl, is this a symbol of a females potential to unlock violence in males? Feminist view: bloody chamber=uterus. (Goodness sakes, I have to get used to these Woman’s Studies classes) Room also sounds like womb. The act of consummation on the honeymoon, she had visions on the honeymoon of “dozens on grooms impaling dozens of brides.” So the act of consummation equals stabbing. She has to be killed for taking agency to get in the room, unlock sexuality, and taking charge of herself and her sexuality.
If this is a parable about man and women coming into a relationship, what is the mother?
This might be a representation of ten minutes between a man and wife, but it’s more real than true reality. Could this story be a representation of what every marriage has to go through?
