Some key concepts in postmodernist writing:

(1)

Some key concepts in postmodernist writing:

• Scepticism towards «metanarrative» or

«grand narrative»

• Pastiche

• Intertextuality

• Metafiction

• Temporal distortion

(2)

ANGELA CARTER

«THE WEREWOLF»

1979

THE BLOODY CHAMBER

(3)

(4)

The Bloody Chamber (1979) is a collection of

subversively rewritten fairy tales. The stories are a feminist revision of the traditional stories.

Fairy tales began as oral folk stories. They were, as the scholar Jack Zipes states, “tales of

initiation, worship, warning and indoctrination”

(5)

In most fairy tales, women are represented as passive, docile beings having no part in the

construction of their world and of themselves.

In a traditional Gothic tale, the girl is often

chased by a male figure. Here, Carter reverses the pattern – it is the girl who, in her

conventional prey status, becomes the predator.

(6)

Carter’s reading of fairy tales is precisely an

attack on the version of women as blameless as having no part in the construction of their world.

The blameless woman is for Carter the

unimaginative woman.

(7)

Carter was often described as an author in the

«demythologising business».

As she stated: «I am all for putting new wine in

old bottles, especially if the pressure of the new

wine makes the bottles explode.»

(8)

“The Werewolf” imitates the style of the fairy tale.

It offers a different and provocative rewrite of the traditional story “Little Red Riding Hood”.

There are two versions of the story:

• by Charles Perrault-17

^th

century

• by Brothers Grimm-19

^th

century

But the story’s earliest version in the oral tradition is in fact not called “Little Red Riding Hood”, but

“The Story of the Grandmother”.

(9)

The Story of Grandmother

There was a woman who had made some bread. She said to her daughter:

"Go carry this hot loaf and bottle of milk to your granny."

So the little girl departed. At the crossway she met bzou, the werewolf, who said to her:

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking this hot loaf and bottle of milk to my granny."

"What path are you taking." said the werewolf, "the path of needles or the path of pins?"

"The path of needles," the little girl said.

"All right, then I'll take the path of pins."

The little girl entertained herself by gathering needles.

Meanwhile the werewolf arrived at the grandmother's house, killed her, and put some of her meat in the cupboard and a bottle of her blood on the shelf. The little girl arrived and knocked at the door.

"Push the door," said the werewolf, "It's barred by a piece of wet straw."

"Good day, granny. I've brought you a hot loaf of bread and a bottle of milk."

"Put it in the cupboard, my child. Take some of the meat which is inside and the bottle of wine on the shelf."

After she had eaten, there was a little cat which said:

"Phooey!... A slut is she who eats the flesh and drinks the blood of her granny."

(10)

"Undress yourself, my child," the werewolf said, "And come lie down beside me."

"Where should I put my apron?"

"Throw it into the fire, my child, you won't be needing it any more."

And each time she asked where she should put all her other clothes, the bodice, the dress, the petticoat, the long stockings, the wolf responded:

"Throw them into the fire, my child, you won't be needing them anymore."

When she laid herself down in the bed, the little girl said:

"Oh granny, how hairy you are!"

"The better to keep myself warm, my child!"

"Oh granny, what big nails you have!"

"The better to scratch me with, my child!"

"Oh granny, what big shoulders you have!"

"The better to carry the firewood, my child!"

"Oh granny, what big ears you have!"

"The better to hear you with, my child!"

"Oh granny, what big nostrils you have!"

"The better to snuff my tobacco with, my child!"

"Oh granny, what a big mouth you have!"

"The better to eat you with, my child!"

(11)

"Oh granny, I have to go badly. Let me go outside."

"Do it in the bed, my child!"

"Oh no, granny, I want to go outside."

"All right, but make it quick."

The werewolf attached a woolen rope to her foot and let her go outside.

When the little girl was outside, she tied the end of the rope to a plum tree in the courtyard. The werewolf became impatient and said: "Are you making a load out there? Are you making a load?"

When he realized that nobody was answering him, he jumped out

of bed and saw that the little girl had escaped. He followed her

but arrived at her house just at the moment she entered.

(12)

In the old version of the story, the girl is not

rescued by a male figure. Using her mental skills, she finds a way to get out of the house where

she is trapped.

(13)

17

^th

century Perrault’s version of the story ends

with the wolf’s words which highlight the moral

instruction of the story:

(14)

Moral: Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the

streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle

wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all.

(15)

19

^th

century the Brothers Grimm’s version of the story ends with the little girl saying she has

learned her lesson well and that she will always

stay on the path.

(16)

The ending of Grimm Brothers’ version of the story is as follows:

It is also related that once when Little Red Riding Hood was again taking cakes to the old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried to entice her from the path. Little Red Riding Hood, however, was on her guard, and went straight forward on her way, and told her grandmother that she had met the wolf, and that he had said good-morning to her, but with such a wicked look in his eyes, that if they had not been on the public road she was certain he would have eaten her up. "Well," said the

Some key concepts in postmodernist writing: