She looks as if she
were 'made all of
snow' that 'resembles
bridal satin'
suggestion of virginity
and purity, the
inevitability that it will
be corrupted
'Spilled' uncontrolled-
foreshadowing her self-absorption in
London
She describes
herself as: 'Miss
Lamb, spotless,
sacrificial'
Sex as dirty
and
corruptive
etc
'The pearly skin of hers was
plumping out a little with
high living and
compliments... she looked at
herself in mirrors a little too
often , these days.'
The mirror is
an object in
which we see
women in a
defined role as
'Beauty'
Vanity as
negative as it is to
please how others
(males) see her?
Father
'Beauty's father'
'Do not think she had no
will of her own... she would
gladly have gone to the
ends of the earth for her
father whom she loved
dearly.'
Comparing to tiger's Bride-
her father appears
blameless
Argues that this is not an act of
female subjugation, but one of
choice?
Mr Lyon
'his shaggy mane'
symbol of masculine
strength and power
'...He sprang from
the room and she
saw, with an
indescribable shock,
that he went in all
fours.'
The constant battle to contain
beastly nature
literally externalising the
internal nature of
humans, accepting their
own beastly nature
'Beauty and The Beast',
the two characters are
polar
Yet a level of unity and equality by the end
Thus Carter is extracting the latent content
Thus intending to cross the liminal space into our minds by shocking etc
Symbolism
The rose
'one last, single,
perfect rose.'
connection
with the girl-
perfection,
innocence etc
Yet in this story, her
corruption of innocence is
one of vanity, the influence
of wealth
Materialism, external reflecting
the internal
Form and structure
Comes just before The
Tiger's Bride, which
appears to be a complete
reversal of this story
Begins in 3rd person, yet slips
into 1st person by end
Perhaps reflects Beauty's transformation to
become somewhat selfish and vain when she
moves to London
Setting
Mansion
'seemed to hide
itself shyly'
Reflects the outcast Beast
himself- victimised, shamefully
hiding
Otherness, outcast
'Pervasive
atmosphere of a
suspension of reality'
Reflection of
rich living under
a different set of
rules
The rich transcend society's rules
Marxist
'So many, many flowers... that it
seemed the whole of spring drew
him into its warms with a refund
intake of perfumed breath.'
Entrapment/
intoxication that
beauty causes
Both pain and
pleasure,
entrapment yet
happiness
Like 'pretty cages'? Erl King
Feminine place
London
'you are never at the
mercy of the elements in
London, where the
huddled warmth of
humanity melts the snow
before it has any time to
settle.'
the Beast is a victim as he is
trapped in the mansion, away
from
Place of masculinity and corruption?
'Mr and Mrs
Lyon walk in
the garden.'
Pre-lapsarian?
Still not fully
accepting of
fallen state and
thus fall is
inevitable and
necessary?