The Bloody Chamber: What To Compare It To (OCR A Level English Literature)

Topic sentence

Both Carter and Stoker present their stories from the perspective of naive narrators who initially appear ignorant to their fate, but later learn of it

Evidence and analysis

The Bloody Chamber

Dracula

The narrator is a 17-year-old girl who has just been married and who is sexually naive

Our first narrator, Harker, is oblivious to the danger of the Count, even when he is warned

The narrator is oblivious to the danger that the Marquis possesses:

• She does not think she is in any danger or that her engagement is a risk, even when her mother asks her if she is sure about her marriage

The use of multiple narrators is effective as it complicates the narrative further and makes it harder for the reader to understand what is happening:

• We are as naive as the characters

She has feelings for the Marquis but is unfamiliar with what she is feeling, which reinforces her innocence

Every narrator, especially at the start of the novel, is naive and they do not really understand the danger they are in:

• This is ironic as they are all highly educated, especially Harker and Dr Seward

When she enters the forbidden chamber, her innocence is shattered as she is confronted by the Marquis’s dark secret

The naivety of the narrator and their reluctance to accept the supernatural occurrences is a reflection of the impact of the Enlightenment and the limitations of their education and science

The story is written in past tense (hindsight) and by the end of the novel we see that the narrator has now matured:

• This is a contrast to her innocence at the start of the story

The reader is on a “journey” with these narrators

Topic sentence

Both Carter and Stoker use traditional Gothic settings to create an eerie atmosphere and a sense of suspense

Evidence and analysis

The Bloody Chamber 

Dracula

The story takes place in a Gothic castle that is surrounded by the sea, making the castle isolated from the rest of society at certain points during the day 

The setting in the first few chapters of the wilderness and Dracula’s castle creates suspense and terror

The narrator’s bedroom being “surrounded by so many mirrors” adds to the sense of confinement and suppression:

• The overwhelming sense of isolation that the narrator feels is an essential element of the Gothic genre

Stoker has removed the narrator from their familiar place to somewhere unfamiliar, which leaves them vulnerable

When the narrator locates the “chamber”, she comments on the “absolute darkness”:

• Darkness is a classic Gothic convention as it symbolises the unknown and the narrator is completely in the dark, literally and figuratively

The labyrinth of the castle could reflect Harker’s internal labyrinth and struggle as he realises he is a prisoner

The chamber is described so gruesomely and vividly that it has all the elements of the Gothic genre – darkness, blood and metaphors such as “the door of hell”

The ruined abbey at Whitby and the graveyard/tombs also add an eerie Gothic atmosphere

However, Stoker also moves the narrative to London, which is a contrast to Transylvania:

• By doing so, he creates even more terror in the Victorian reader as it implies that Dracula has now infected their homeland, making him all the more threatening and sinister

Topic sentence

Whilst both Carter and Stoker use characters who are the heroes of the story, Stoker stays true to the stereotypical image of a hero while Carter subverts it

Evidence and analysis

The Bloody Chamber

Dracula

The Bloody Chamber is a reimagining of a fairy tale, but it does not follow the standard template of one:

• It does not have a male hero to save the female (the handsome prince)

Stoker mainly presents the classic, stereotypical male hero whose purpose is to save the female in danger (damsel in distress)

The narrator’s mother is the hero of the story, which changes the typical passive role of the mother or the wicked stepmother into a strong female figure:

• She carries a gun, kills wild animals and rides on horseback to save her daughter

However, he also highlights how the typical educated man is no match for supernatural forces and how a reliance on science will limit understanding

The mother also defies patriarchy and status for love, which means she lives a life of poverty as her family are not accepting

Van Helsing, who is not a typical Gothic hero, embraces religion, superstition and folklore to defeat Dracula, which makes him the real hero:

• The middle-class Englishmen in the novel do not consider and cannot comprehend anything that science cannot explain

At the end of the story, when the narrator is in trouble, her mother arrives and kills the marquis to save her daughter

Mina is also a hero in her own right as she takes a proactive approach in organising the documents and diary entries in order for the men to be able to track down Dracula

The narrator’s description of her mother’s actions at the end of the story with “one hand on the reins” of the horse and the other hand “clasped by father’s service revolver” portrays the mother in a very dominant and typically masculine way. She has taken the role of hero

However, Mina takes a maternal role with the men, which reinforces the Victorian belief that women can be knowledgeable and helpful but only to fulfil their roles as wives and mothers

Topic sentence 

While both Carter and Stoker use language that is suggestive and sexual, Carter uses it to liberate women whereas Stoker uses it to suppress women

Evidence and analysis

The Bloody Chamber

Dracula

Carter reclaims the male gaze by using a female narrator who does not use subtle language when referring to female sexual parts and desires

The sexual language used in Dracula is much more subtle and is only used to reinforce the idea that those desires are unholy, repulsive and transgressive (for example, Harker with the female vampires)

The reader also gets an insight into the narrator’s thoughts and feelings about intercourse and her fears around it

Any suggestive moment is seen through a male narrator, which reinforces the male gaze

The narrator also uses vivid language. For example, when she finds the Marquis’s erotic book, she uses explicit language to describe genitalia and compares female genitalia to a “split fig”

The use of male perspective removes the power from the woman and re-establishes the patriarchy

The language that Carter uses helps reclaim female sexuality from men and liberate women:

• For example, when the narrator tries to be “seductive” as a weapon against her husband

Lucy states that she wishes to marry as many men as she wants and, as a result, she is punished and infected by a male and no other man can save her

The female narrator is not punished for her use of sexual/suggestive language, unlike Lucy in Dracula, but is actually saved and liberated at the end

Blood could also symbolise intercourse and Lucy has four blood transfusions from four different men before she dies:

• This reinforces the idea that women who stray and are unchaste will ultimately be punished

Text

Summary

Key comparisons with The Bloody Chamber

"Rebecca" by  Daphne Du Maurier (1938) – set text list *first assessment June 2024

This novel centres around a young narrator who is haunted by the memories of her husband’s first wife. It delves into the themes of jealousy, the past and identity

• The novel is set in the 1930s and follows a woman called Mrs De Winter (the narrator) who marries a widower

• The narrative takes the form of a flashback

• The narrator is haunted by the ghost of her husband’s first wife, which is having an impact on her married life

• The novel deals with issues around femininity and the role of women/wives

• It deals with the issue of people claiming power over others through language

“Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen (1817)

This novel follows the story of Catherine Morland, a young and naive girl who is introduced to society in Bath. It is a coming-of-age story that explores the themes of love and social class

• The main character in Northanger Abbey is a young, naive girl of 17 who is trying to navigate through societal pressures and romance

• Both the Bloody Chamber and Northanger Abbey deal with feminist ideas such as women trying to be independent in a society where men are trying to dominate and be powerful

• The novel is about the protagonist’s personal growth and self-discovery

“The Italian” by Ann Radcliffe (1796) – set text list

A Gothic novel that is set in 18th-century Italy. It explores the themes of love, deception and the power of the human spirit

• The novel revolves around the character of Ellena Rosalba, a young and virtuous woman, and Vivaldi, who is a nobleman

• They are both in love and wish to get married

• However, various characters try to prevent the marriage

• The novel explores the trials and tribulations faced by a couple who wish to marry against people’s wishes

• This is different to The Bloody Chamber, as the narrator in the short story is stuck in a loveless marriage to a man who only married her to satisfy his male gaze and perverted hobbies

“Carmilla” by J Sheridan Le Fanu (1872)

This novel explores the relationship between Laura and her strange guest, Carmilla. It explores the supernatural, sexuality and the blurred lines between danger and desire

• This is one of the first novels that depicts a female vampire

• The character of Laura lives in wealth and privilege and is targeted by the vampire, Carmilla

• It explores the idea of sexuality and forbidden passion

• The novel deals with a loss of innocence and the concept of a girl becoming a woman

“Wuthering Heights” by  Emily Bronte (1847)

The novel explores the idea of revenge, social class and passion in Victorian England, as two lovers are unable to marry due to familial and societal pressure

• The narrator, Mr Lockwood, rents a house near Wuthering Heights and learns about the people who inhabited the estate

• The two characters, Heathcliff and Cathy, are madly in love but cannot marry

• Heathcliff was adopted but still feels like an outsider because of his dark skin and his unknown roots

• This novel explores the supernatural and how passion and love can lead to ruin if it is not socially acceptable

• The novel also examines the roles of men and women during a time when gender roles were rigid and restrictive