Feminism and sexism in The Bloody Chamber S5 from Steve

SOME THOUGHTS ON HOW TO HANDLE ESSAYS ON FEMINISM OR MALE SEXISM/CHAUVINISM-this comes out of the lesson today and may prove useful should either of these topics arise tomorrow.

Feminism-fem⋅i⋅nism–noun
1.
The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.

2.
(Sometimes initial capital letter ) an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women.

3.
Feminine character.
Carter uses language to develop her ideas on feminism. She has many of her characters espouse feminist ideals or themes through their actions/behaviour/attitude and viewpoint.

Issues that arise:

Objectification of women-almost all the stories
Subjugation of women-almost all the stories
The way society (especially a male dominated patriarchal society) treats women. Also how men and male society view women (objects/subservient (the Soubrette in Tiger’s Bride)/deferent/lacking in power or recourse to social justice or equality).
How women take power-through accepting their desires/animalistic/erotic/forceful side and combining it with their feminine qualities (Tiger’s Bride/Mr Lyon/Puss in Boots) or through supplanting men (Erl King).
Women as narrators empowers them.
The women espouse independent views-change and develop as the stories progress. They adapt show independence and change.
Female role models-the mother in the BC.
Does the Lady of the House of love espouse feminist views-dominant woman-though she needs blood (men) to survive.
Inversions-women seem to exist mainly as rivals to each other Snow Child/Puss in Boots/The Werewolf-the girl has to kill her grandmother to “prosper”-Carter is making a point about society. Some times the women have to be morally ambiguous to get to where they want to be.
Generally instead of supplanting men Carter espouses the idea that men and women living together in a mutually inclusive relationship of equals is the ideal/


Sexism/male society/pornographers/voyeurs/chauvinism

Carter points out the inequalities of society-it’s dominated by males/dynasticism/women kept down. Women have to work extra hard to get on.
List of male characters who display the above qualities to a greater or lesser extent:

Marquis (BC)-misogynistic/solitary/sexist/voyeur/pornographer
The Beast (T Bride)-wants to watch-though he needs the girl he wants to grow and change
The Count (Snow Child)-mounted/creates sex object/mistreats his women/incest-rape/look at the way the Countess is treated/the ultimate objectifier of women
The old miser (Puss)-lecherous/impotent/miserly/treats his wife as an object and a possession
Puss and his master (Puss)-lecherous as liquorice/libertines/forceful in sexual relationships/boots symbolise male desires/emotions and attitudes
As always try to focus on attitudes, viewpoints and values. Try to focus on a few stories and deal with them in detail. Remember women in a male world is a timeless literary theme.