How Is Male Dominance Presented in the Courtship of Mr Lyon?

585 Words3 Pages
The Courtship of Mr Lyon is a gothic retelling of the traditional fairy tale Beauty and the Beast (1740), by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, with a modern twist on the female role of Beauty. The story opens with Carter playing on a gender stereotype, placing Beauty in the kitchen. There is imagery of snow to suggest innocence and purity using pathetic fallacy, as well as a hint towards matrimony at the end with the simile of “bridal satin”. The girl is described as “lovely” with emphasis on her physical attributed rather than personality. Any preconceived ideas however are changed when the character of her father is introduced. The father’s absence is apparent as Beauty (now in first person rather than third) wishes for his safety. He is described as inadequate as his misfortunes are listed. The narrator comments: “She had asked for so little and he had not been able to give it to her.” He is clearly unable to provide for the daughter described as his “girl-child.” The father’s incompetence later continues after he steals a rose for his daughter and is confronted by the Beast. The aggression and animalistic nature of the Beast forces the father into submission with little retaliation, however the picture of his daughter calms the Beast and changes his mood. The Beast clearly asserts his dominance over the father with his imperative demands: “Take her the rose, then, but bring her to dinner.” A sociological critic may see this as a the Beast claiming ownership of Beauty, as he lives in a materialistic world of wealth, a “place of privilege.” Just as Beauty's father is the proud owner of his “girl-child, his pet”, the Beast is accustomed to being the owner of beautiful and valuable objects. The gender stereotype of Beauty is developed in the Beast’s presence, as she passes the day reading, doing embroidery or walking in the gardens. Despite The Beast’s

More about How Is Male Dominance Presented in the Courtship of Mr Lyon?

Open Document