Response to "Bloody Chamber"

I thought this story was very interesting. I was confused at some parts and didn't quite understand the "moral" of the story, but it kept me intrigued throughout. What I thought was interesting about this story was the transistion from such an innocent little girl to a hardened woman in the end. I was also drawn in by the underlying "evilness" of the count. At first he seems like a worldly guy, but right away you get weird vibes from his character. Throughout the story you begin to realize that there is something really dark about him, starting from the girl's description of his appearance and building up to where she finally finds the tortured bodies of his ex wives. This story really makes me think about how I can give readers underlying emotions about the charcters in my own stories.

[from Mideya]

When i read Angela Carter's story The Snow Child from her book The Bloody Chamber, it really creeped me out. It was a very short story that really had no substance except for a man stating his dream child and then her appearing. What is the story trying to tell the audience? Why was the countess so jealous of a child? I mean, its not like her husband was wishing for the perfect woman he was merely stating what he wished his child to look like. So, why did the wife feel so threatened?? She was even threatened enough to try and kill the poor girl. And when she finally succeeds in killing the girl was their really a point for the man to rape her?? No, their wasn't it was just weird. By far one of the srangest stories i think i have ever read.

Response to "The Snow Child"

Upon beginning to read "The Snow Child" by Angela Carter, I recognized the allusions to Snow White instantly.  Having always been obsessed with Snow White when I was a little kid, I remember her skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood adn her hair as black as coal.  However, the story twists into quite the opposite of Snow White.  I was abolutely shocked by what occured at the end of this story. 

Upon reading this, I think that the girl in the snow that the count and his wife found naked in the snow is a result of the masculine sexual fantasy, and I find it interesting that once she's gone, all that is left behind is a rose, a feather and a bloodstain.  I think that this shows that in reality, the snow child was never real to begin with.  I believe that the entire story shows that a man would be more willing to fulfill his deepest fantasies instead of "settle" for the woman that he is with.  What this means is in the story, instead of being happy with his countess, the count would more willingly pursue a fantasy that does not exist.

The Snow Child

I read this through a few times. I'm not sure how i feel about it. Many times in life and in literature I shy away from things that are too graphic and too obscene. In some of the work that we have workshopped there were some lines that I would have changed around to sound more acceptable. But then i realized how much they grabbed my attention and I'm learning to appreciate blunt description. I feel like stories that are short and to the point with something that is awful to listen to have a deeper meaning. I'm not sure what Carter was trying to convey here...i have a few theories... but I think it's important to realize that it could be coming from a deep dark conviction she holds.

The Bloody Chamber

The Bloody Chamber was like no other story I've ever read. I couldn't really see any deep meaning, nor could I see any purpose to the story. I realize that saying this is not the purpose of the blog postings, but I am also under the impression that it's ok not to have an interpretation of the story. The only thing I could think of was it encourages paint attention to maternal instinct.

"The Bloody Chamber" Reflection

The beginning of the story actually made me think of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca for some reason. Maybe it was just the mention of a boating accident and the similarity in situations: a girl marries a man she knows little about and discovers his gruesome past. I thought I was going to enjoy this story, but I found myself a little disappointed. It definitely kept me guessing, but I didn't really get any satisfaction in reading it. The story just morphed into this not-so-subtle feminist fairy tale about a woman discovering her own self worth by escaping the man who objectified her in favor of someone who couldn't use her looks to control her. It was a really well-written story, and it's awesome that she was able to escape her terrible fate and find a husband who gave her a chance at love and equality, but it just didn't do it for me.