Objectification of Women in Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber” and “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”

Abstract

Angela Carter’s feminist approach to violence and brutality of bestial men overpowering women is a result of the influence of the second feminist movement. Her works challenge the conventional presentation of women as housewives, whose only job is to take care of the house and bear children. The paper exposes how Carter converted canonical folktales and fairytales to fit adult literature by forcing contemporary themes and assuring feminist implications. The paper is concerned to the novelette “The Bloody Chamber”, in which Carter discusses the objectification of women at the hands of an elderly wealthy man. It also tackles the objectification of women in the story of “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”. Although “Beauty” (the heroine), is treated elegantly, she is well aware of this objectification throughout the text. Angela Carter believes that women are portrayed in a demeaning way that neither pleases nor elevates them. Thus, through her stories, Carter hopes to inspire women to take action against patriarchal oppression and assert equality.