“in the Stories in the Bloody Chamber Carter Is Excessively Interested in Violent Instincts.” How Far Do You Agree with This View?

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Molly Proctor 12/03/15 ! “In the stories in The Bloody Chamber Carter is excessively interested in violent instincts.” How far do you agree with this view?! Carter’s certainly takes an interest in violence making violent instincts prevalent within The Bloody Chamber and other stories. However, Carter does introduce readers to a number of themes beyond the apparent “violence” which formulates a debate as to what extent the violent becomes “excessive” within the texts. Various other themes include: love, pride and the oppression of women.! The first of the Bloody Chamber stories, ‘The Bloody Chamber’ introduces us to a chamber of bodies, fresh with the “blue imprint of his strangler’s fingers.” and therefore suggests a violent instinct. Indeed, this in itself unveils an extremely shocking projection of the violence taken towards women as the word “fingers” echoes murder being a definite instinct of the Marquis, as he is able to do it with the brutality of his own hands. However, It could be argued that it is not Carter’s fascination with violence that is prevalent in her writing, but her criticism of the complicit and passive nature of women, accepting the dire consequences of curiosity. Thus, violence is not as “excessive” here, but plays as a stimulus to present Carter’s feminist view. However in contrast with this Carter presents us with a very uncanny male protagonist, and his compulsion to the “ruby choker.” During the honeymoon, he is shown to “kiss them before he kissed” her. Carter is said to have used his obsession to the jewels in order to foreshadow the plans of beheading the young girl. And therefore it could be said that the Marquis’ constant fixation with the choker represents his inherit violent nature, and so Carter abolishes the readers expectations of love and passion and links it with the Marquis’ thirst for the murder of young women. In addition
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