Frankenstein can be seen as a novel that attempts to subvert the patriarchal system of the time.

Mary Shelley’s status can not be ignored as the daughter of feminist Mary Wollstonecraft author looking for some type of feminism.
Although on first reading Frankenstein is male heavy. The three male protagonists are Victor, Walton and the monster there are feminine undertones.
Elizabeth ‘angelic’ elevates her status of that of a God. She is a symbol of goodness whereas the three central males all have flaws. Victor creates monster, monster kills, Walton is power hungry on the same path as Victor.
Even in modern times the purpose of women is to recreate. Victor tries to remove women’s role in society by creating the monster. However this results in horror and tragedy showing women’s importance in society
The monster is portrayed in a sympathetic light. His otherness/ inferiority to Victor a symbol of the patriarchal system can be related to women’s inferiority. Victor is educated, from a respectable and wealthy and takes of control he can be viewed as a representation of the Patriarchal system. Whereas is lonely, and without rights, equality or respect.

Key themes within ‘The Bloody Chamber’ collection.

Predator versus prey
Innocence versus naivety
Roses and blood- closed roses symbolise virginity, in general symbolise romance. White rose symbolises virginity. Blood shows violence and corruption
Virginity and its power. Linked to feminist and Marxist ideas of women having power through their sexuality. And Marxism the idea of power misbalance in relationships.
Solitude
Entrapment and freedom image of keys and cages
Sex and violence
Musicality – enhanced through onomatopoeia and technical musical language
Anthropomorphism
Vanity as a flaw. Mirrors a symbol of the supernatural as well as an association with egotism
Nature (winter, mirrors emotions) flowers- lilies death, roses virginity, sea calm
Feminism, ‘are you not a lady of honour’. In the Tiger’s bride women’s role in society is questioned, idea of duty.
Crude language, ‘Cunt’. Used as a shock tactic.
Empathy with the ;villain’ Bloody chamber, erl-king, courtship of mr lyon.
Rejection from society.

How Crter subverts gothic genre

Carter subverts the gothic genre by altering the traditional structure of a gothic text. In stories such as ‘The Tigers Bride’ the typical gothic structure has been altered. The heroine transforms into the beast she has longed to become, ‘I shrugged off my beautiful fur’, and the structure consists of the protagonist suffering to succeeding. This mimics the style of a fairy tale rather than that from the gothic genre which conventionally end tragically, demonstrate din Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’.

Although Carter uses gothic language to set a chilling atmosphere there are also references which jump out to the reader as being not gothic. She uses phrases from different fairy tales within the text, which links to the contextual background of the stories being based on the fairy tales by the French writer Perraut. For example in, ‘The Bloody Chamber’, the well known quotation from ‘little red riding hood’ is used ‘All the better to see you’ and in ‘The Lady of the house of Love’ the phrase form ‘Jack and the bean stalk’ ‘fee fi foe fum’ is used. As a reader one can immediately recognise that these phrases have been selected form the fairy tale genre and therefore are not conventionally gothic however the effect of using them can create a shocking effect suitable to the gothic nature. Immediately before the fairy tale reference in ‘the Bloody Chamber’ Carter has built up the suspense in a gothic style and uses ellipsis to show the hero is giving into the fear building inside of herself, ‘’ I stammered foolishly: We’ve not taken luncheon yet: and, besides, it I s broad daylight…’. By suddenly incorporating the contrast of an opposing suitable for young children this makes the gothic elements more apparent, and the perversity is shocking for the reader – a desirable effect of a gothic novel.

Feminism is strongly portrayed through the stories, which is not a gothic element, and is complimented by the female voice used in many of the stories; notably ‘The tiger’s Bride’. Carter draws attention to the feminine tendencies she incorporates within a gothic style by repeating, ‘Are you not a woman of honour,’ This reinforces the concept that the female protagonists has a duty to fit in with that in order for women to be deemed respectable the y must submit to men. Again reference is made to women dutifully obeying men through the typical gothic nature of using a dubblegagner; ‘That clockwork girl who powdered my cheeks formed; had I not been allotted only the same kind of imitative life amongst men that the doll-maker had given her?’

As well as feminism themes of sexuality are strong and alliteration is used to highlight this, ‘beasts in bondage’. Direct use of perverse sexual practice is explored within ‘The Bloody Chamber’, and Carter writes about having sex with her husband on the, ‘bed on which he had been conceived, ‘ the repetition of calling his lover after having sex with her ‘baby’ , ‘have the nasty pictures cared Baby? Baby mustn’t play with grownup’s toys…’ highlights the theme of sexuality. In addition the word ‘cunt; is used which is powerful as the strong masculine ending compliments the protagonists feeling of contempt for her lover and it is shocking for a reader due to the negative connotations surrounding the word. In ‘wolf Alice ’ active verbs such as ‘erect’ are used when not being openly explicit demonstrating Carter’s skill to subtly suggest the under lying themes of sexuality within a gothic text.


Perhaps the most unusual theme in combined with the gothic elements adopted by Carter, is the element of comedy. ‘Puss-in Boots’ is comparable, to a farce, which Carter has herself said was intentional when writing, as there are with elements of bawdy humour, ‘And if he don’t like me to knead his nipples…’ The comedy is further enhanced and at times verges on absurdity by the use of a cat as a narrator, ‘A tom, sirs, a ginger tom and proud of it. The ‘happy ending’ traditionally used in a ‘Fairy tale is perhaps most evident in this tale as well, ‘so may all your wives, if you need them, be rich and pretty’, ultimately down playing the gothic nature in this piece entirely.

In conclusion Carter’s influence from fairy tales can not be ignored. Whether or not this can be interpreted as making her stories less fitting with the gothic genre or that the contrast in the genres makes the gothic elements stand out, depends on the individual story. For example I feel that it is more suitable to describe ‘Puss in Boots’ as fitting with the fair tale genre; however this is not the case for all the other stories. The incorporation of themes of feminism and sexuality add a contemporary layer to the gothic genre and are methods used to make the reader feel repulsed which is suited to the gothic genre. Despite Carters unique approach to the gothic genre after reading stories such as, ‘The Bloody Chamber’ and ‘The Lady of the house of love’ you are left with the gothic experience which justifies her work as literature that fits in with the gothic genre.

teh snow child

Personal response to the snow Child

Due to the short simplistic style of the narrative it took a while for me to gather my thoughts, I was shocked the story had ended so suddenly! I think Carter used elements of the fairy tale genre effectively. The stark contrast between the gentle and sheltered nature of fairy tales traditionally used to send young children to sleep; and the incorporation of the dark theme of jealousy, attempted murder and necrophilia are relatable to the gothic genre, create a powerful tension which resulted in me feeling tormented. Unlike when reading Frankenstein and Macbeth were there is a strong sense of the steady progression of horror throughout I felt that Carter approaches the task of creating fear in a different way. Without any clear indication to the horrific event of the Count having sex with the dead girl the reader is taken unaware which in turn is more dramatic. Similarly to Frankenstein and in some respects Macbeth there is the notion that the victims and villains are not clearly defined, which is challenging for a reader to relate or empathise. This style of detachment differs from the way in which Shelley and Shakespeare explore gothic themes, as they both empathise on feeling sympathy towards different characters. There is a sense of voyeurism when reading the snow child which allows the reader to adopt a critical view of the power relationships which is more relatable to a feminist text rather than one from the gothic nature.

Why are the witches in the play?

The inclusion of the witches at the beginning, middle and end of the play, provides a constant reminder to the audience of the supernatural elements that are present throughout the play. In addition as conventionally witches are associated with teh dark arts and being evil they add to the Gothic nature of the play. The sing-song manner in which the text is presented is hypnotic perhaps suggetsing that they hold a certain influence over Macbeth. The witches personify corruption aoing against nature and being women with beards, so when Macbeth asks for their advice in act VI this shows clearly to the audience/reader how he is progressively siding with evil. Their inclusion also questions Macbeth's motivation - is he simply a cold herated murderer, or is he being toyed with by greater forces? They are also included for dramatic purposes - their presence contrasts the generall naturalism of dialogue between charcters, as their speech is rythmical often rhyming and in the stage directions it describes how they 'dance'. There inclusion creates variety and is an example of surrealism which ensures teh audience's/readers interest is maintained.

Director's blog act I scene III

TAking a contemporar7y approach to teh direction of Act I scene III I have seelcted the theme of powerful manipulative women specifically Lady Macbeth and teh three witches and would like to empaphasise how using ones gender is a contributing factorr to teh evil plottings. i alos believe that a more provaocative and physcaicl interpretation of teh paly would be more accessible toa wide audience. I would have the three witches tehn to be young and attractive female showever dressed ina gothic style ina blacjk heavy grungy dresses with long dirty greasy hair, I woukd also liek tehir dresses to be revealing and for them to be very overly made up, these women shpuld allude sleaze and the darker side of sexuality. A gothic scene is established immediatley as the stage directions state, 'A Heath. Thunder', the out door setting supports the theology of witches being at one with nature and a heath suggests wildness andthe potential for supernatural forces to be at work. In addition the sound effects of thunder accompainied by a flash of a strobe light would help create the idea of ominious wetaher conditions which in turn compliment the sinister scene. I would want teh actors to be wet when performing which would create a more realistic atmosphere as well as cause their make up to run whivh would distort their faces. The first scene in which the witches are introduced is also outside, 'an open space' and there is , 'thunder and lightining', a continual dark theme is established by the time scene III is staged as the setting motif is repeated in scene III. The idea of continuity is further emphasised as a question starts scene 1, not only does this help enforce the ominous aura the witches posses but intrigues the audience as they are immediatley wondering what is the answer to said question. The witches address eachother as 'sister', which suggests a strong bond and to emphasise this bond I would place the actors very tightly to create a claustraphobic, uncomfortable and provocative atmosphere for the audience which will make an excellent setting for the brutal line, 'killing swine'. An equall short sharp delivery should be adopted by the actor to compliment the violence intended to be portrayed. The section of spech in rhyming couplets depicting teh tale of teh murdeert of a sailor is in loose rhyming couplets ansd as a adierector i would want this rhythm to be identified and used t o cretae aritualistic style chant which in turn could be complicated by movement portraying the story. not only would the steady beat make it easier for a modern audience not neccessarily familar with teh shakesperian language, but the movement teh physical representation of teh words would aid thE audience ina more wholistic understanding. Some of teh language in this riddle like section haveaggressive connotations such as, 'quarters', 'drain', 'hang' which is a direct example that could be high lighted with movement. An element of comic relief could also be introduced as weak verbs are used to describe his actions such as, 'dwindle', 'peak' 'pine', the witches could adopt awhiny voice to imitate the sailor which would be particuarly effective when delivering, 'pine' as when whining there is an element of onomatampia similar to the word 'pine'. In the line directly before Macbeth's and Banquo's, 'Peace! - teh charm's wound up', evil connattions are apparent as peace cereates a hissing sound an dteh verb wound reminds teh audience of asnake coiled up. I would direct teh actrress to embellish the hissing sound behind the delivery of the line and perhaps to curl he rfinger around her hair not aonly to draw attention to teh power of her feminimity but to symbolise the image of something being wound. In addition I would perhaps direct her throughout teh scene to have a flickering tounge to suggest sexuality and teh fact that she uses her feminomity to manipulate men and ugliness of the apparance and personality, at this point I would encourage a flick of the tounge to further the image of a snake.

A marxist approach to, 'The Crucible'.

Abigail’s social background directly effects her actions and by the reader taking a Marxist approach to Act 1 pg28-30 the concept that Abigail has a more powerful status then John Proctor can be challenged.

On face value it seems that the Play Wright, Arthur Miller, intended Abigail to be perceived as flirtatious and struggling to become dominant over John Proctor, who is light heartedly trying to diffuse a potentially antagonistic situation developing, ‘(his smile widening): Ah, you’re wicked yet, aren’t y’!’. Seemingly, Miller has Abigail instantly take control by opening the section by addressing John Proctor, ‘Gah! I’d almost forgot how strong you are, John Proctor!’, the inclusion of more than one exclamation mark in the opening lines is significant as it suggests to the actor that a considerable amount of emphasise should be used which in turn supports the idea of Abigail trying to gain a higher status from the very beginning. However by taking a Marxist approach to the character analysis of Abigail and considering her social factors a contrasting conclusion can be created. Abigail’s parents are both dead and grotesque imagery is used to portray their death, ‘I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads’. Conventionally parents are expected to nurture, love and teach a child morals and enforce order; therefore with the absence of such crucial figures and the life lessons they teach, it is reasonable to suggest the odds are against the outcome of a disciplined and moral citizen. As well as such an event being disturbing to witness arguably the outcome of such a great loss would have a detrimental effect on the child which in turn might explain Abigail’s desire for attention of a considerably older respected man. In a more sensitive approach to the text, including ‘dear’, augments the reflection of a loving paternal relationship as does the intimate setting, ‘on the pillow next to mine’ which is literally [smashed] and leaves Abigail emotionally shattered. Although Abigail is cared for by her Uncle, she still does not feel accepted or loved, ‘Do you begrudge my bed, uncle?’ In the context of the scene could argue that Abigail merely says this in an attempt to emotionally blackmail her Uncle and prevent further interrogation about the suspicious dancing in the forest. However equally her inner turmoil must not be over looked as the stage directions state, ‘With ill-concealed resentment at him’. Re visiting the excessive use of exclamation marks, one could interpret that this highlights an unloved child craving attention, and invites the desired response of caring attention from John Proctor and in fact receives, ‘looking at ABIGAIL now, the faintest suggestion of a knowing smile on his face.’ Taking these factors into consideration, the representation of Abigail being on the surface a manipulative woman trying to seduce an honourable hero can be transformed in to a young impressionable girl, confused and desperate to find a loving father figure.