The Tiger’s Bride – Flashcards
Flashcard maker : Amari Finch
“my father lost me to the beast at cards”
Shows the daughter as the property of her father, with no free will of her own. As the opening sentence of the story, it sets a feminist tone that continues throughout the text as Carter uses the story to analyse the role of women in society.
“at war with nature”
The stories in The Bloody Chamber draw upon the conflict between the civilised and the unicivilised world.
“the lion lies down with the lamb”
clear biblical imagery, also portrays the girl as an innocent creature (a lamb). This contrasts with the end of the story when the girl becomes a tiger, implying an equality in their relationship that is not present in human culture.
“always the pretty one”
she is favoured because of her looks, and no reference is made to her intellegence despite the impression we gain of her from the narrative being that of a very intellegent and bitter woman.
“old wive’s tales, nursery fears!”
Carter brings up the theme of superstitions constantly within the Bloody Chamber.
“humiliating bargain”
shows how little care is given toward women, as the beast’s request to see her naked does not consider her humiliation – it is a purely selfish demand.
“megalomaniac citadel”
uses strong, if melodramatic, language to describe The Beast’s home.
“clockwork twin”
The fact that the girl can be replaced by an unfeeling machine in society shows how little her role is – since she is not allowed to express her emotions or act for herself, her role as a person can easily be replicated by an emotionless double.
“far more frightened of me than I was of him”
This is a typical phrase used when dealing with animals – not only does it show The Beast’s animal nature but also reverses the role of a timid female and a dominant male, showing that in this environment and relationship the daughter can finally express herself.
“nothing human lives here”
Carter hints that the daughter can be considered inhuman because of her gender – her role in society deprives her of the qualities that would make her human.
“a reek of fur and piss”
Carter uses disgusting imagery abruptly and within an eloquent, elegant text to give it more impact. As the phrase refers to animalistic subjects, she shows the lack of culture in the animal kingdom.
“two-dimensional”
When pretending to be human, the character the beast portrays does not seem real – is Carter criticising the unrealistic gothic male protagonist in this way?
“carnival figure”
Uses a similie to show how ridiculous and false he looks – despite his animal nature, he is not usually presented as intimidating in the story.
“crude clumsiness”
More derision of his character, making him a particularly unintimidating gothic villain.
“dark, bitter city”
Personification
“malign barn of a church”
Critical of religion, shows it as a very hollow, soulless part of this culture.
“the furious cynicism peculiar to women whom circumstances force mutely to witness folly”
The first person narration portrays the heroine as a very intellegent and bitter character. This particular phrase seems to echo Carter’s own views and experiences.
