The Bloody Chamber: AS & A2 York Notes

Through her often negative portrayals of marriage (see ‘The Bloody Chamber’ and ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’), Carter challenges the historical idea that men have the right to control women through marriage.

The stories reflect sexuality as exciting yet frightening, passive yet destructive, and explore how female independence can create different views of human relationships.

A recurring theme is that beauty can, but should not be, bought by wealth; Carter suggests that male power and financial wealth corrupt beauty.

Carter explores how two natures can exist in one person, and how transformation can reveal some idea of truth.

Man is shown to be disconnected from nature, while woman is potentially a creature of nature: woman can resolve the differences and be a creative life force.