Facul ade de Filoloxía
T aballo de Fin de G ao
“Sexuali y is powe ”, o how he Ma quis became
Ma chioness.
Au o : An ón Ba io Caxide
Di ec o : J. Manuel Ba bei o Va ela
Xuño 2018
T aballo de Fin de G ao p esen ado na Facul ade de Filoloxía da Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela pa a
a ob ención do G ao en Lingua e Li e a u a Inglesas.
Table o con en s
●In oduc ion 2
●1. Chap e 1 5
1.1. The Fai y Tale T adi ion 6
1. 2. Be ween he sho s o y and he pos mode n ai y ale 13
●2. Ca e , eminism and he ai y ale 17
2.1. Angela Ca e 17
2.2. In luences 20
2.2.1. Ca e and he Second-Wa e Feminism (and e en Thi d) 20
2.2.2. Cha les Pe aul and he ai y ale adi ion 23
2.2.3. Julie e
(1797-1801) and The Sadeian Woman
(1978) 24
●3. Decons uc ing he ai y ale 27
3.1. Sexuali y in The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies 28
3.2. Gende inequali y and iolence in The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies 38
3.3. Vi gini y in The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies 43
●4. Ca e ’s in luence: eminism and he new adi ion 47
●5. Conclusions 51
●6. Bibliog aphy 53
1
In oduc ion:
The ai y ale gen e is a discou se wi h a s ong p esence o male chau inis ic and almos
misogynis ideas. In he con ex o he Second Wa e Feminism, Angela Ca e e iews hese
con en ions om a eminis pe spec i e, ein en ing he g ounds o a monoli hic and appa en ly
unal e able s uc u e. The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
, pe haps Ca e ’s mos amous wo k,
challenges he p esumed pa ia chal mechanisms and gende poli ics. In my opinion, and he e o e my
hesis o his TFG, Ca e ’s use o he ai y ale o e s a eminis e ision o he gen e wi hou al e ing
i s main ea u es.
The pu pose o his TFG is o show Ca e ’s success in achie ing a eminis in e p e a ion o
adi ional ai y ales, a gen e un il ecen ly ega ded by he c i ics exclusi ely a he se ice o
pa ia chal ideology. Such a eading will be explo ed in ela ion o he Feminis mo emen and o he
li e a y gen e ha his collec ion is pa o .
This TFG is di ided in o se e al chap e s ha will p o ide an explana ion o unde s and he
e ec i eness o Ca e ’s en e p ise. Chap e 1 will deal wi h he di e ences be ween sho s o y and
ai y ale and i will conclude wi h an explana ion o he choice o ca ego isa ion o he collec ion.
Chap e 2 will analyse Ca e ’s eminis ideology in ela ion o he use o he ai y ale and p esen he
igu e o he Ma quis de Sade and The Sadeian Woman and he Ideology o Po nog aphy
. Chap e 3
will compa e some o he ales om The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
and hei coun e pa s in
Pe aul and he G imm B o he s om a eminis pe spec i e and explo e he simila i ies and
di e ences ha I ind wi hin he di e en e sions. Chap e 4 will explo e he impac o his new
in e p e a ion in ela ion o he ai y ale gen e as o women’s w i ing and i s impac on he Feminis
mo emen in B i ain. Finally, he las chap e d aws on he main conclusions ex ac ed om each o
he cen al poin s co e ed in his TFG.
2
To achie e his, i s , I will con as Pe aul and he G imm B o he s na a i es wi h Ca e ’s,
in o de o show he main simila i ies and di e ences in he way hey po ay ideals ega ding he
ai y ale gen e. Once he main poin s ha e been ex ac ed om each na a i e, I will gi e an
explana ion as o why all he di e ences and simila i ies a e impo an in Ca e ’s concep ion o he
ai y ale gen e. Finally, I will explo e he impo ance ha Ca e ’s e sions ha e o he ai y ale
gen e.
The main sou ces will be The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
, Pe aul ’s His oi es ou
Con es du Temps Passé a ec des Mo ali és
and G imm’s Fai y Tales
by he G imm B o he s. Fo he
s udy o Pe aul ’s collec ion, I will wo k wi h Ca e ’s own ansla ion Li le Red Riding Hood,
Cinde ella, and o he classic ai y ales o Cha les Pe aul
(2008). I will use The Sadeian Woman
and he Ideology o Po nog aphy
o explo e Ca e ’s c ea i e p ocess and o he o he wo ks, no only
o o e a b oade unde s anding o he wo k, bu also because I will explo e hem as ideological
ea ises ha ex end he eminis ideas as o example The Passion o he New E e
. I will also use
eminis li e a y c i icism a icles on he ai y ale gen e and on he ela ionship be ween ai y ale and
eminism, such as hose om And ea Dwo kin, Alison Lu ie, Ma cia Liebe man, Lo na Sage, among
o he s.
I is my in en ion o o e a gene al o e iew o he his o ical backg ound o Ca e and he
Feminis mo emen , o be able o comp ehend he impo ance and he ele ance o he publica ions
du ing his pe iod. Also, he igu e o he Ma quis de Sade is somewha impo an o discuss in o de
o unde s and how Ca e engaged wi h his c i ical app oach o sex and po nog aphy. In ela ion o
his, I will in oduce The Sadeian Woman and he Ideology o Po nog aphy
, o cla i y he
misunde s andings ha su ound i s publica ion and deba e whe he c i ics we e igh o no o
accusing Ca e o engaging wi h he an i- eminis esponse o he mo emen . This wo k will also
3
p o ide a be e insigh in o he changes ha we e made in The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
in
compa ison wi h he o iginal ales.
4
1. Chap e 1
The i s chap e o his TFG explo es he cha ac e isa ion o he na u e o Angela Ca e ’s
e ision o adi ional ai y ales, The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
(1979). T ying o adsc ibe
Ca e ’s collec ion o a de e mined gen e o subgen e is a di icul ask o ca y ou , due o he
di e en labels ha he co pus uses o delinea e i s ea u es. In he s udy o Ca e ’s wo k, schola s
and c i ics exchangeably e e o i as belonging in he ealms o he ai y ale gen e and he sho
s o y. The di e ences be ween bo h li e a y o ms a e no clea and some o i s main ea u es appea
o cons i u e o mal ea u es o bo h phenomenons. The aim o his i s chap e is no o p o ide a
unequi ocal de ini ion o he ype o ex ha Ca e uses o na a e he s o ies, since i will de ea he
objec i e o he pos mode n idea o skep icism and cancel he me a ic ional eading o such ex s,
which a he same ime, goes agains Ca e ’s aim o p esen new eadings o adi ional ales and
my hs, o as Ca e (Wando , 1983, p.73) pu s i :
I eel ee o loo and ummage in an o icial pas , speci ically a li e a y
pas .... This pas , o me, has impo an deco a i e, o namen al unc ions; u he , i is
a as eposi o y o ou moded lies, whe e you can check ou wha lies used o be à la
mode and ind he old lies on which new lies ha e been based.
In his sec ion I will p o ide he eade wi h a gene al and app oxima e idea o he meaning
o hese e ms in ela ion o Ca e ’s ex s. Howe e , I will no es ic he di e en in e p e a ions o
he ex . I will de o e he i s pa o his chap e o he explo a ion o he ai y ale adi ion and he
wo ypes o ai y ale: o al and li e a y ai y ale. I base my s udy on he de ini ions ha di e en
au ho s p o ide o he e m, and ake hose pa s ha I ind in Ca e ’s ex s as de ining ea u es. I will
hen mo e on o he s udy o he pos mode n idea o ai y ale and sho s o y, as li e a y o m ha
p esen s elemen s om o he gen es and subgen es as i can be seen in Ca e ’s e ision. Be o e I
5
del e in he s udy o hese concep s, I would like o poin ou he ac ha , in he co pus o ai y ale
s udies, he concep o ai y ale is gene ally used as a synonym o li e a y ai y ale ― om now on I
will use he e m w i en o e e o he no ion o li e a y ai y ale, since I conside bo h o al and
w i en ai y ales as li e a y o ms.
1. 1. The Fai y Tale T adi ion:
S i h Thompson (1977, p.8) desc ibes he ai y ale as
a ale o some leng h in ol ing a succession o mo i s o episodes. I mo es
in an un eal wo ld wi hou de ini e locali y o de ini e c ea u es and is illed wi h he
ma elous. In his ne e -ne e land, humble he oes kill ad e sa ies, succeed o
kingdoms and ma y p incesses.
The i s ime he e m ai y ale was used da es back o 1697 by he F ench au ho , Ma ie
Ch is ine d’Aulnoy. She coined he ales ha had magical o supe na u al ea u es as ‘con e des ées’.
The e m was la e ansla ed in o English as ‘ ai y ale’ and used wi h he same conno a ions in 1750.
As deba es su ounding his new coinage a ose in Eu ope, so did he appea ance o simila ex s ha
i ed in o he desc ip ion o hose ai y ales. This was due o he p esence o di e en an as ic
elemen s in o he na a i es and cul u es om ancien imes, passing h ough he Ancien Times o he
Middle Ages and he Renaissance. Examples o such ex s can be as di e en as ex s by Cal ino in
I aly o Ancien G eece legends. The p e ious examples show ha e en hough he coinage o he
e m da es back o he la e 17 h cen u y, his does no imply ha be o e ha ime he e was no
p oduc ion o li e a y pieces wi h elemen s ha cha ac e ise he ai y ale.
6
Fai y ales ac as an ai y suspension b idge, swinging sligh ly unde di e en
b eezes o opinion and economy, be ween he lea ned, li e ally and p in cul u e in
which amous ai y ales ha e come down o us, and he o al, illi e a e, people’s
cul u e… and on his b idge he a ic mo es in bo h di ec ions.
The eade can assume ha he o al ai y ale is he depa u e poin o he w i e o c ea e a
new e sion o ep oduce he o al ai y ale and p o ide i wi h a w i en eco d. His o ically, c i ics
and schola s ended o p i ilege w i en eco ds o li e a y p oduc ions, since he ma e ial o ma o
he ex seems o p o ide i wi h a supe io s a us. Wi h his open deba e on how o de ine and
cha ac e ise he o al and w i en adi ion o he ai y ale, ano he cha ac e ising elemen eme ges
when we y o analyze he na u e o Ca e ’s wo k.
1.2. Be ween he sho s o y and he pos mode n ai y ale
The eason o his sec ion o be pa o his i s chap e esponds o he ac ha he e ms
ai y ale and sho s o y ha e been used con e sely in he li e acy ha deals wi h he s udy o Ca e ’s
The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
. I seems impo an o me o gi e a b ie accoun o he
cha ac e is ics o he la e in o de o achie e a be e unde s anding o why does his happen. The
no ion o sho s o y has been de ined by Ian Reid in The Sho S o y
(1997, p.4) as:
A ic ional p ose ale o no speci ied leng h, bu oo sho o be published as a
olume on i s own, as no ellas some imes and no els usually a e. A sho s o y will
no mally concen a e on a single e en wi h only one o wo cha ac e s, mo e
economically han a no el's sus ained explo a ion o social backg ound. The e a e
simila ic ional o ms o g ea e an iqui y — ables, lais
, olk ales, pa ables, and he
F ench con e
— bu he sho s o y as we know i lou ished in he magazines o he
13
19 h and ea ly 20 h cen u ies, especially in he USA, which has a pa icula ly s ong
adi ion.
Reid poin s ou in his de ini ion ha he e a e o he simila ic ional o ms ha ha e sha ed
ea u es, and explici ly men ions hose o he olk ales. Relying on his accoun o he sho s o y, he
main ea u es ha cha ac e ise his o m o ic ional p ose do no seem o di e ha much om hose
ha de ine he ai y ale. The ac ha hese e ms a e used exchangeably could be based on he
assump ion ha hey a e equi alen . In my opinion, he e m sho s o y e e s o he physical medium
ha he au ho uses o na a e he e en s and ha se he bounda ies o i s leng h and cha ac e s,
wi hou es ic ing he hemes o he gene al a mosphe e o he na a ion. This a mosphe e would
he e o e be speci ied by each au ho acco ding o he ype o na a ion de eloped in he plo .
The e o e, why i is no ex ange o ind a ai y ale ha i s in he cha ac e is ics o he sho s o y,
ega ding he ea u es al eady men ioned. In my opinion, all he s o ies collec ed in Ca e ’s collec ion
a e ai y ales ― e isions o ai y ales ― and a he same ime hey ollow he p inciples o leng h
and cha ac e isa ion o he sho s o y. Ha ing said his, I do no conside he i s s o y om The
Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
as belonging o he ai y ale adi ion, since no he hemes, no
he cha ac e s, no he se ing i in o ha ca ego y.
Ano he aspec ha I ind o pa icula in e es when labelling his collec ion is he ac ha
Ca e engages wi h he eade s and demands om hem o c ea e hei own idea o he ex , o ake an
ac i e ole in he c ea i e p ocess. Ca e exp essed in On Gende and W i ing
(Wando , 1983, p. 69)
he ideas o how his in e ac ion should occu :
I y, when I w i e ic ion, o hink on my ee - o p esen a numbe o
p oposi ions in a a ie y o di e en ways, and o lea e he eade o cons uc he
own ic ion o he sel om he elemen s o my ic ions. Reading is jus as c ea i e an
14
ac i i y as w i ing and mos in ellec ual de elopmen depends upon new eadings o
old ex s. I am all o pu ing new wine in old bo les, especially i he p essu e o he
new wine makes he old bo les explode.
I ind his impo an because, o a ce ain ex en , Ca e combines he w i en essence o he
ex ― w i en ai y ale ― wi h he dialogue ― o al ai y ale ― be ween au ho (s o y elle ) and
eade (audience o younge gene a ions), main aining he co e idea behind his adi ion. The me ging
o old and new, and he espec o he o iginal pu pose o he ai y ale, engages wi h he pos mode n
ea u es ha a e p esen in he collec ion.
The ela ionship be ween Ca e ’s wo k and he pos mode n li e a y legacy is unques ionable,
he me a ic ional c ea ions mingle po nog aphy, ai y ale and he Go hic li e a y adi ion in a
p o oca i e and de ian manne . The al eady blu y bounda ies be ween he di e en gen es and
subgen es a e comple ely b oken in Ca e ’s wo k and she p esen s hem om a new sub e si e
pe spec i e in o de o con ey he eminis ideas. He aim was o ex ac om he o iginal ales hei
inne ha m ul ideology and la en con en oo ed in a adi ion ha pe pe ua es pa ia chal gende
poli ics. This implied a modi ica ion o he ea u es om he ai y ale adi ion ha she ega ded as
de imen al o he en e p ise. Ca e ’s du y owa ds he indica ion o women’s igh ul place in he
ai y ale adi ion ma ches Ad ienne Rich’s (1979, p. 35) idea o he du y ha emale w i e s ha e
ega ding he e ision o adi ional o ms o discou se:
Re- ision – he ac o looking back, o seeing wi h esh eyes, o en e ing an
old ex om a new c i ical di ec ion – is o woman mo e han a chap e in cul u al
his o y: i is an ac o su i al. Un il we unde s and he assump ions in which we a e
d enched we canno know ou sel es. And his d i e o sel -knowledge, o women, is
15
mo e han a sea ch o iden i y: i is pa o ou e usal o he sel -des uc i eness o
male-domina ed socie y.
C aig Owen (1985, p. 59) explo es he connec ion be ween pos mode nism and eminism, and
p aises he powe o women’s w i ing in ejec ing “ o alizing g and na a i es” and sub e ing powe
s uc u es and hei ep esen a ion o women:
Among hose p ohibi ed om Wes e n ep esen a ion, whose ep esen a ions
a e denied all legi imacy, a e women. Excluded om ep esen a ion by i s e y
s uc u e, hey e u n wi hin i as a igu e o - p esen a ion o - he un ep esen able.
As i can be seen om wha has been de ended in his chap e , he di icul ies o cha ac e ise
Ca e ’s wo k, and e en o e de ini ions o new li e a y o ms, aces se e al complica ions since he
na u e o he no ions discussed is no exclusi e o limi ed o a pa icula gen e o li e a y o m. The
pu pose o his i s chap e was o o e an o e iew o he ai y ale adi ion, and amilia ise he
eade s wi h he opened deba e on how o cha ac e ise Ca e ’s li e a y legacy. In his TFG, I will use
he e ms ai y ale and sho s o y in he same way he co pus in which I base my s udy has done
be o e, as synonyms and equi alen e ms.
16
Chap e 2. Ca e , eminism and he ai y ale.
2.1 Angela Ca e :
Angela Ca e bo n Angela Oli e S alke , May 7 h 1940, Eas bou ne (Sussex), is p obably
one o he mos in luen ial and g ea es B i ish au ho s o he 20 h cen u y English li e a u e and also
one o he mos con o e sial, no only in e ms o he li e a y p oduc ion bu also ega ding he
eminis ideas and he po nog aphical belie s, ha p o oked ha sh c i icism agains he and he wo k.
She spen he wa in Yo kshi e wi h he ma e nal mo he . He in e es in w i ing and English li e a u e
s a ed a ound 1959, yea in which she was junio epo e o C oydon Ad e ise
and s a ed eading
English a he Uni e si y o B is ol, whe e she became a specialis in he Medie al pe iod, be ween
1962 and 1965. A e he i s no el Shadow Dance
(1966), she s a ed o w i e he i s poli ical
wo ks. Wi h he publica ion o he second no el, The Magic Toyshop
, she won he John Llewellyn
Rhys p ise and he Some se Maugham Awa d o he hi d no el, Se e al Pe cep ions
. Be ween
1976 and 1978, she was appoin ed as A s Council o G ea B i ain Fellow in She ield and wo yea s
la e , she a elled o he Uni ed S a es o Ame ica and s a ed wo king on he W i ing P og amme a
B own Uni e si y, Rhode Island, as Visi ing P o esso . He li e a y p oduc ion is e y ex ensi e and
p oli ic specially om he 1970’s onwa ds, un il he publica ion, in 1991, o he las no el Wise
Child en
. He mos amous wo k, The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
, da es om 1979 and i
consis s o a e ision o he classic Eu opean ai y ales, mainly om Pe aul and he G imm
B o he s, om a eminis poin o iew. Tha same yea , Ca e published The Sadeian Woman and
he Ideology o Po nog aphy
, as a eminis non- ic ion book in which she exp esses he admi a ion o
he wo k o he Ma quis de Sade. This publica ion was e y con o e sial a he ime, as i is s ill
oday, om a eminis pe spec i e since i showed an open accep ance o po nog aphy as means o
libe a ing women om he ole as mo he s and b eeding beings, as exempli ied h ough he cha ac e
17
o Julie e, a s ong and powe ul woman ha de ies social con en ions, openly explo ing he
sexuali y in he 18 h cen u y F ance (de Sade, 1954).
Ea ly on in he ca ee , she g adually acqui ed an in e es in he way gende poli ics wo ked in
he cul u e and how eminism o e ed he possibili y o change ha si ua ion. I was no un il she
a elled and li ed in Japan, ha he ideas s a ed o eme ge in he li e a u e and became an impo an
pa o bo h he ic ion and non ic ion p oduc ion and o he ac i e poli ical ac ion du ing he 70’s and
80’s. As she he sel con esses, “ he wo yea s she spen in Japan we e wha adicalised he as a
eminis ”. In Japan, she ound he sel su ounded by a comple e di e en cul u e wi h hei own
3
adi ions and cus oms, and as she con essed in an in e iew o Independen on Sunday
, i was his
new app oach o a di e en cul u e, ha made he analyse he own and he e o e de ec he
sho comings ha needed o be add essed. Du ing his pe iod she w o e many o he essays, ha
4
sha ply c i icised Wes e n socie ies, and also mini-biog aphical sho s o ies, Fi ewo ks
in 1974.
F om he e y beginning o he ca ee as a w i e , Ca e aced he c i icism o he mos
conse a i e sphe es o he B i ish socie y, bo h in poli ical and li e a y sphe es, because o he sha p
c i icism o he gende oles p esen in socie y, he unusual o m o w i ing and he con en o he
p oduc ion. By he ime Angela Ca e w o e and published he no els, he Second-Wa e Feminis
mo emen was aking place and as some c i ics claim, she ook an ac i e pa in i , no jus wi h some
publica ions p omo ing and de ending he cause, bu also in he li e a u e, in which she ep oduced
h ough he cha ac e s he new alues and ideals o he mo emen .
3 Acocella, J. (2017). Angela Ca e ’s Feminis My hology
. [online] The New Yo ke . A ailable a :
h ps://www.newyo ke .com/magazine/2017/03/13/angela-ca e s- eminis -my hology [Accessed 17 Feb. 2018].
4 Ox o ddnb.com. (2017). Ca e [née S alke ], Angela Oli e (1940–1992), w i e
. [online] A ailable a :
h p://www.ox o ddnb.com/ iew/10.1093/ e :odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-50941? s
key=K0RXiN& esul =3 [Accessed 18 Feb. 2018].
18
The inspi a ion o he e ision o he g ea classic Eu opean ales came om he ansla ion
o Pe aul ’s collec ion, an accep ed commision o ansla e his ales in o English, in 1976. Du ing he
ansla ion o he amous ales, she s a ed o de ec ideas in di e en ales ha explici ly depended on
sexuali y. As she con essed in an in e iew wi h Ke yn Goldswo hy, wha she did was ex ac he
la en con en o he adi ional ai y ales, namely sexuali y, and place i a he cen e o he ales: "My
in en ion was no o do ' e sions' o , as he Ame ican edi ion o he book said, ho ibly, 'adul ' ai y
ales, bu o ex ac he la en con en om he adi ional s o ies and o use i as he beginnings o new
s o ies.". When he collec ion was published in 1977, Ca e added in he o ewo d a wa ning o he
5
eade s, whe e she claims ha “each cen u y ends o c ea e o e-c ea e ai y ales a e i s own as e”,
an icipa ing The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
(1979).
6
Ca e was diagnosed wi h lung cance in 1991, ha same yea she published he las no el,
Wise Child en
. She spen he las days in London, whe e she died on 16 Feb ua y 1992. A e he
dea h, he books s a ed escala ing he anks in bes -selle ca ego ies, and many sold ou . Yea s la e ,
se e al an hologies o he sho s o ies and essays we e published and ansla ed o a ious languages:
Bu ning you Boa s
(1995), con aining all he sho s o ies; The Cu ious Room
(1996), con aining he
o ays in o d ama; and Shaking a Leg
. The same edi o ial (Vi ago Edi o ial) ha commissioned he
ansla ion o he ales om Cha les Pe aul in o English, which would la e on du ing he li e ime
and a e he dea h, include he in one o he mos amous eminis opic based book collec ion. The
ecogni ion she did no achie e du ing he li e ime came all o sudden: she began o be s udied in
Uni e si ies and was ega ded as one o he mos in luen ial eminis o he cen u y, as Ma ina Wa ne
(2004) w o e, he p ocess eme ged as “a popula nec ophilia”.
5 Goldswo hy, Ke yn [May 1984]. 1985. “Angela Ca e ”. Meanjin
, 44, 1, pp. 4-13.
6 Ca e , A. and Wa e, M. (1977). The ai y ales o Cha les Pe aul
. 1s ed. London: Vic o Gollancz, p.5.
19
2.2. In luences
2.2.1. Ca e and he Second-Wa e Feminism (and e en Thi d)
Second-Wa e Feminism is he e m used by c i ics and schola s o e e o he second s age in
he e olu ion o he eminis mo emen . I appea ed as a esul o he es o a ion o women’s
domes ici y in he Uni ed S a es o Ame ica a e he Second Wo ld Wa . Due o Ame ica’s la e
pa icipa ion in he con lic and o he ac ha he wa was no ough in Ame ican e i o ies, i s
economy expe ienced a pe iod o economic g ow h, i we compa e i o he o he Eu opean coun ies
ha in e ened in he con lic . This economic expansion esul ed in wha i is known as ‘baby-boom’
and also in he mo emen o wo king-class amilies om he cen al a eas o he ci ies o he subu bs.
All hese ac o s p o oked he eappa i ion o he emale domes ici y, since hey we e no longe
needed ou side o he house by he end o he Wa . The main conce ns o he mo emen , added o
hose al eady p esen in he Fi s Wa e Feminis Mo emen (e.g. su age, p ope y igh s), we e
mainly sexual ha assmen in he wo kplace, women’s equal access o educa ion, equal job
oppo uni ies, sexuali y and ep oduc i e igh s, among o he s. Ca e included hese opics in he
wo k since he ai y ale adi ion, wi h i s la en sexual essence, played an impo an ole in he
ep oduc ion o pa ia chal pa e ns o beha iou . Reade s can also see Ca e ’s conce n wi h his
‘imp isonmen ’ in he ea ly wo ks and also in le e s published o collec ed in an hologies and
biog aphies o he au ho , a good example o his is Aidan G ay’s Angela Ca e : The Ra ional Glass
(1998).
He book The Sadeian Woman and he Ideology o Po nog aphy
(1979) co e s a new opic
ha was al eady eme ging in he eminism sphe es a he ime, bu ha had no been app oached om
ha pe spec i e ye : po nog aphy. This conce n, acco ding o he c i ics, ma ks he beginning o he
Thi d-Wa e Feminism. This hi d s age o he Feminis mo emen s a ed a ound he ea ly 1990s and
20
deal wi h issues such as po nog aphy and he conside a ion o ace among he eminis deba es.
Ca e ’s wo k was in he spo ligh in such discussions, due o he con o e sy ha he hough s a ose
in hese ci cles, especially hose dealing wi h po nog aphic depic ions o emale empowe men . This
non- ic ional book will be analysed la e on his same chap e , as i will help o achie e a be e
unde s anding o Ca e ’s a and The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
.
The in luence o he eminis mo emen and he si ua ion o women in B i ain, and in
Wes e n socie ies in gene al, was a majo conce n o Ca e and she con eyed he ideas in wo ks and
in e iews ha we e highly con o e sial. C i icism on Ca e and how she pe cei ed gende oles and
women’s ole in socie y did no ake long o a i e. As soon as he wo ks o 1970’s and 1980’s came
ou , she saw he sel imme sed in a wo ld o cons an examina ion and c i icism. Feminis ac i is s
such as And ea Dwo kin o Lo na Sage saw he ideas as ex eme and e en some imes an agonis o
he mo emen and a acked he app oach o po nog aphy, as de imen al and damaging o women
and he eminis mo emen .
7
The in luence o he mo emen in Ca e ’s wo k is p esen mainly in he choice o hemes and
opics ha she ackles in he collec ion. Violence and sexuali y we e main opics o discussion in he
deba es among eminis s be ween he 1960s and 1990s. A he same ime Ca e was ew i ing hese
ales, he eminis mo emen was igh ing agains domes ic iolence and gende inequali y si ua ions,
especially ega ding indoo s scenes o e e yday li e. Du ing his pe iod such opics we e ex emely
con o e sial and di ided eminis s. I should be bea ed in mind ha un il 1982 acco ding o he social
and legal sys em in he Uni ed S a es o Ame ica, women belonged o hei husbands, and ba e y and
ape we e commonly accep ed ― in ac ma i al ape was no ou lawed in all s a es un il 1993
(Eagle on, 2006, pp. 17-19).
7 Wa d Jou e, N. (2018). 'Mo he is a Figu e o Speech'. In: L. Sage and A. Smi h, ed., Essays on he a o
Angela Ca e
. London: Vi ago P ess, pp.151-183.
21
Whe e he Fi s Wa e Feminism ough o achie e he igh o o e o women, and he
Second Wa e Feminism campaigned along wi h he poli ical and social e en s ha a ec ed he wo ld
du ing he 20 h cen u y: Second Wo ld Wa , Vie nam Wa , equal oppo uni ies o women o access
he wo kplace and new policies ega ding sexual ha assmen , among o he s. The Thi d Wa e
Feminism mo emen lacked a common a ge due o he di e si y o issues ha needed o be
add essed: po nog aphy, gende iolence, ape and sexual ha assmen . This lack o uni y is also he
esul o he di e ences ha eme ged om he spli be ween adical ― o m o eminis heo y o
ac i ism which emphasizes mo e holis ic, sys em-le el o opp ession o women, i.e. pa ia chy ―
and libe al eminis s ― o m o eminis heo y o a s and wi hin he eminis mo emen ha
emphasizes wo king o women’s libe a ion and gende equali y h ough emo ing explici legal
cons ain s ― du ing he Second Wa e Feminis mo emen (Eagle on, 2006, pp.6-9). The di e ences
con inued o sepa a e bo h sphe es o he mo emen , and du ing he Thi d Wa e Feminis mo emen ,
his spli became mo e e iden wi h he appa i ion o many di e en endencies ― punk eminism,
glam- ock eminism and gi ly eminism a e jus a ew examples ― . Despi e he di icul ies o
Ca e ’s ask o openly exposing he ha sh si ua ion o women du ing ha ime, she succeeded in he
ambi ion o unmask he pa ia chal oo s o gende iolence and inequali y, as I will explo e in
Chap e 3.
Ca e exp essed in “No es om he F on Line” in On Gende and W i ing
(1983) he
di icul y o explain why and how did eminism in luence he li e a y p oduc ion:
I ’s been amazingly di icul , ying o so ou how I eel ha eminism has
a ec ed my wo k, because ha is eally saying how i has a ec ed my li e and I don’
eally know ha because I li e my li e, I don’ examine i … Oh, hell. Wha I eally
like doing is w i ing ic ion and ying o wo k hings ou ha way.
8
8 Ca e , Angela (1983). “No es om he F on Line
.” in On Gende and W i ing
. London: Pando a, pp. 1-77.
22
Despi e he a ie y o aspec s p esen in he collec ion, I ind ha he e is a gene al endency
ha uni ies all o hem. All sexual awakenings and encoun e s in ol e he ans o ma ion om human
o animal, om i gin o sexually expe ienced cha ac e . In he collec ion, all he sexual encoun e s
a e desc ibed in his ligh , as a sudden change o he p o agonis , ep esen ed in some ales h ough
me amo phosis (“The Tige ’s B ide”, “The Company o Wol es” and “Wol -Alice”). Ca e uses his
me apho o exp ess he idea o equali y in sexual ela ionships in he collec ion. Fo example, in “The
Cou ship o M . Lyon”, his me amo phosis occu s wi h a kiss:
She lung he sel upon him, so ha he i on beds ead g oaned, and co e ed
his poo paws wi h he kisses.
“Don’ die, Beas ! I you’ll ha e me, I’ll ne e lea e you.”
When he lips ouched he mea -hook claws, hey d ew back in o hei pads
and she saw how he had always kep his is s clenched bu now, pain ully, en a i ely,
a las began o s e ch his inge s. He ea s ell on his ace like snow and, unde hei
so ans o ma ion, he bones showed h ough he pel , he lesh h ough he wide,
awny b ow. And hen i was no longe a lion in he a ms bu a man...
Ca e , 2006, p.54.
As men ioned in he in oduc ion o his chap e , Ca e uses symbols o play wi h he wo
le els o in e p e a ion. The i s , he meaning de e mined by he pa ia chal s uc u es ha go e n
human hough , and he second, he own in e p e a ion, ha cancels he pa ia chal in e p e a ion.
Since he o iginal conno a ion o hese symbols is known o he eade , hei ans o ma ion ein o ce
Ca e 's message. Fo example, he symbol o he whi e d ess, ha appea s in he nex passage, ela es
o he p o agonis ’s innocence and pu i y, in con as wi h he Ma quis’ sexual expe ience, “ he whi e
d ess; he ail child wi hin i ” (Ca e , 2006, p.6). A his s age in he na a i e, he p o agonis is s ill
a naï e young gi l ha has no expe ienced wi h he own sexuali y. In con as wi h he adi ional
29
pa ia chal idea o women as innocen and naï e, as he na a i e mo es on, Ca e le s he he oine
explo e he own desi es and mo es om a la cha ac e o a sel -made woman, who lea ns he skills
o su i e in an opp essi e ma iage.
In “Wol -Alice”, he symbol o he d ess appea s again. This ime he p o agonis chooses o
wea he d ess, ins ead o i being a esponse o he Duke’s desi es. Due o he p o agonis 's animal
na u e, she is no subjec o pa ia chal domina ion and he conno a ions o he d ess a e used in his
passage o he s o y o con ey he idea o ma iage as a social cons uc . The p o agonis s a es a
he sel in he mi o and admi es he beau y o he d ess, no he meaning behind i , since i is
unknown o he (Ca e , 2006, pp. 144-145).
In “The Bloody Chambe ”, he he oine’s awa eness o he si ua ion p o okes he sexual
awakening. She disco e s he husband’s pas , he has been ma ied be o e and his makes he awa e o
he posi ion she is in. He s is no only an a anged ma iage, she mus also make up o he p e ious
wi es o he Ma quis and li e up o his expec a ions as submissi e wi e. The he oine quickly lea ns
he icks o su i e and ace he ea s, gaining expe ience ha will mean he sal a ion in he end.
This awa eness o he si ua ion esul s in he disco e y o he own sexual po en ial. She disco e s
how she can con ol he husband- o-be, hence hey ma y a e his disco e y o he p e ious wi es’
dea h, so she secu es he posi ion as wi e, “ he nex day, we we e ma ied.” (Ca e , 2006, p.6).
This awa eness is linked o he consciousness o he economic inequali y wi hin he ma iage,
which shows he ex en o which pa ia chal powe ela ions con ol human ela ionships. In “Puss in
Boo s”, he mas e , e en hough he embodies he adi ional idea o male abuse o powe , he is no
ich no has he economic powe o he Ma quis. In his s o y he idea o women’s objec i ica ion is
Ca e ’s main conce n. The mas e alls in lo e wi h he young woman, bu she is ma ied o Signo
Pan eleone. Ca e plays wi h wo o ms o pa ia chal domina ion: he mas e ’s assump ion ha
30
because he is in lo e wi h he , she will gladly co espond him; and he ep esen a ion o an ex eme
o m o objec i ica ion and en apmen ha has s ong links wi h he deba es on emale domes ici y
ha we e aking pa du ing ha pe iod, he young woman being cap i e. In my opinion, Ca e
p esen s in hese s o ies he di e en ools ha pa ia chy has o subjuga e women’s posi ion and
sexuali y.
Going back o “The Bloody Chambe ”, he Ma quis is unawa e o he p o agonis ’s loss o
innocence, as he exp esses when he says: “'Ha e he nas y pic u es sca ed Baby? Baby mus n' play
wi h g ownups' oys un il she's lea ned how o handle hem, mus she?” (Ca e , 2006, p.13). The
he oine uses he Ma quis’ unawa eness o he own bene i so ha she can plo agains him. A he
same ime, Ca e lea es open he possibili y o in e p e ing his as a co e ed c i ique o he
pa ia chal assump ion ha gende gi es in ellec ual supe io i y o men.
In ano he key passage in his sho s o y, Ca e e lec s on he ea abou he new sel , as i
appea s in he nex passage, whe e she can no e en ecognise he sel . The p o agonis is sca ed when
she ealises ha she is also a powe ul being, able o me amo phose in o a sexually independen
woman. She is no longe a naï e cha ac e , bu a sel made woman. Ca e sub ly hin s o he silencing
o emale sexuali y, he p o agonis oices emale libe a ion and su p ise when she inds ou ha she
can also be sexual.
No. I was no a aid o him; bu o mysel . I seemed ebo n in his un e lec i e
eyes, ebo n in un amilia shapes. I ha dly ecognized mysel om his desc ip ions o
me and ye , and ye – migh he e no be a g ain o beas ly u h in hem? And, in he
ed i eligh , I blushed again, unno iced, o hink he migh ha e chosen me because, in
my innocence, he sensed a a e alen o co up ion.
31
Ca e , 2006, p.17.
Ano he elemen ha has a s ong link wi h he opic o sexuali y is he e ol e , ha he
he oine’s mo he uses o end he Ma quis’ li e a he end o he s o y (Ca e , 2006, p.40). C i ics such
as Robin Ann Shee s (1991, p.653) unde s and he s o y’s end as an allego y o emale empowe men
h ough he app op ia ion o he phallus, ep esen ed by he Ma quis’ e ol e . The he oine’s mo he
comes o escue he and ends he illain’s li e wi h his weapon o annihila ion. In my opinion, his
passage cons i u es Ca e ’s g ea es eminis wis in he na a i e. C i ics, om a F eudian and
psychoanaly ic app oach, p aise his mo he -daugh e bond, which could no be b oken by he dis ance
be ween hem.
The ollowing s o y ha I am going o analyse is “The Tige ’s B ide”, a new e sion o “The
Beau y and he Beas ” by he G imm B o he s. In Ca e ’s e sion, e en hough he na a i e shows
how he p o agonis is los o he Beas by he a he in a ca d game, showing he p o agonis ’s
ulne abili y and subo dina ion o pa ia chal powe ; she is awa e o he own po en ial and sexuali y.
This s o y, as many o he s in he collec ion, did no ecei e he di ec app o al o he public o he
c i ics, especially om Dunke and Lewallen, schola s mo e conce ned wi h he depic ion o w ong
eminis alues. The as majo i y o he e iews poin ed ou he di icul y o combine he c i ique o
pa ia chal opp ession and he objec i ica ion o he emale cha ac e . As Ca e poin ed ou in The
Sadeian Woman: An Exe cise in Cul u al His o y
(1979), he en e p ise as a eminis was no o
ec ea e an u opia, bu a he o show how, by exposing pa ia chal s uc u es a eminis e ision o
he ale could be possible.
In he G imm B o he s’ e sion, he co e idea behind he na a i e is ha women’s sac i ices
will be e en ually ewa ded a he end by ma iage. This concep ion o women’s desi e o ma y and
happily e e a e , con as s wi h Ca e ’s p esen a ion o he p o agonis ’s sexuali y. Ca e e uses
32
he idea o ma iage as e e y woman’s d eam in he e ision, and cancels he possibili y o such a
eading. In he ollowing passage, he eade wi nesses how he p o agonis gi es in o he sexual
encoun e wi h he Beas bu a he ime acknowledging how bo h a e in an equal posi ion in he
sexual encoun e .
The beas and his ca ni o ous bed o bone and I, whi e, shaking, aw,
app oaching him as i o e ing, in mysel , he key o a peaceable kingdom in which
his appe i e need no be my ex inc ion.
He wen s ill as s one. He was a mo e igh ened o me han I was o him.
Ca e , 2006, pp.74-75.
This shi in he a i udes owa ds he sexual ela ionships in he s o y gi es he na a i e he
new eminis pe spec i e acco ding o he p inciples explo ed in The Sadeian Woman
. The ac ha
bo h cha ac e s ealise ha hei mu ual desi e is wha leads hem o ha e sex, cancels he o iginal
eading o ape and emale passi i y o he G imm B o he s and Pe aul ’s ale. In my opinion, he ac
ha Ca e p esen s he cha ac e as passi e in he beginning and as sexually expe ienced and awa e
o he own sel a he end, p o ides he eminis ein e p e a ion o he ale. The p o agonis was aised
as a submissi e igu e o he pa ia chal ule, bu she ees he sel om ha a he ly opp ession and
openly explo es he sexuali y. A he same ime, his exce p con ibu es o he e ec i eness o
Ca e ’s en e p ise as a o m o c i ique o he pa ia chal domina ion o women; and a he same ime,
o he subo dina ion o money ha mo i a es he a he o gi e he away. As Duncke claims, his
passage indica es ha he gi l akes he lead in he sexual encoun e . Bo h o hem a e sca ed o hei
sexual powe and Ca e desc ibes his momen as a sign o equali y be ween hem, a “peace ul
kingdom in which his appe i e need no be my ex inc ion” (Ca e , 2006, p.74), ins ead o po aying
he p o agonis as a “willing ic im o po nog aphy” (Duncke , 1986, p.12).
33
Angela Ca e in The Sadeian Woman: An Exe cise in Cul u al His o y
summa ised his
ac i e ole o women owa ds hei own sexuali y and sexual in e cou se. She explains how “ o be he
objec o desi e is o be de ined in he passi e case. To exis in he passi e case is o die in he passi e
case - ha is, o be killed. This is he mo al o he ai y ale abou he pe ec woman.” (Ca e , 2013,
pp. 76-77). Ca e b oke wi h he idea o women as ep esen ed in he ai y ale adi ion, gi ing
powe o hose who uly needed i , wi hou po aying an un ealis ic iew o he eali y su ounding
he cha ac e s.
In “The Company o Wol es” (Ca e , 2006, pp.129-139), Ca e explo es he wo sides o he
human condi ion h ough a me amo phosis o he human being in o we ewol es. She plays wi h he
a ional and he beas ly side o ep esen sexuali y. The ole o sexuali y in his s o y o s o ies is
in oduced h ough he explo a ion o such me amo phosis on wo di e en le els: he Beas -Human
dicho omy and he Vi gin-Woman dicho omy. Zipes in Don’ Be On The P ince
(1986, p.227)
desc ibed his ai y ale as a “na a i e abou ape”. The p o agonis o he i s s o y has no sexual
expe ience and he e a e se e al cases o abuse om bo h o he husbands’ side. Ca e uses he e m
‘wol ’ o gi e he animal side o man a new dimension o b u ali y and i a ionali y. C i icising
iolence o any kind in a pe iod in which he deba e on gende iolence was one o he main conce ns
o he Second-Wa e Feminis s seemed challenging a i s , bu Ca e ’s wi y language and in ica e
plo wis s p o ide his c i ical app oach o he opic. In his s o y, iolence mo i a ed by he
woman’s own desi e o ge ma ied again a e she conside s he husband dead connec s wo o he
issues ackled in bo h he Mo emen and he collec ion: iolence and ma iage. The iolen ac is
mo i a ed by he belie ha women a e a possession o men, and ha is why he does no unde s and
he desi e o ema y. I will come back o his s o y in he nex sec ion dealing wi h gende inequali y
and iolence.
34
The second s o y o his collec ion, which is a e ision o “Li le Red Riding Hood”, di e s
om he o iginal ale in he mo al o he s o y. In he o iginal ale, he p o agonis ’s appa en innocen
decision is used as a mo alising elemen in o de o show gi ls and women he igh ening side o wha
is ou side, o he unknown and he consequences o disobeying he ules. The eade can see a pa ody
o his a he end o he s o y:
MORAL
Child en, especially p e y, nicely b ough -up young ladies, ough ne e o
alk o s ange s; i hey a e oolish enough o do so, hey should no be su p ised i
some g eedy wol consumes hem, elegan ed iding hoods and all.
Now, he e a e eal wol es, wi h hai y pel s and eno mous ee h; bu also
wol es who seem pe ec ly cha ming, swee -na u ed and obliging, who pu sue young
gi ls in he s ee and pay hem he mos la e ing a en ions.
Un o una ely, hese smoo h- ongued, smoo h-pel ed wol es a e he mos
dange ous beas s o all.
Ca e , 2008, p.3.
Pe aul ’s e sion blames he young gi l, o being “ oolish” and us ing s ange s, ins ead o
s essing he de ilish side o he wol - man - and his in en ions. Pe aul emphasises he ac ha
“p e y gi ls, especially” should pay mo e a en ion o he possible h ea s o he ou side, a he han
blaming he mu de e and adop ing a c i ical pe spec i e on he a oci y. In he G imm B o he s’
e sion, he sal a ion o his p oblema ic si ua ion comes om “a hun sman [ ha ] was jus passing
by. He hough , "The old woman is sno ing so loudly. You had be e see i some hing is w ong wi h
he ." (Pi .edu, 2018). In hei accoun o he ale he pa ia chal display o powe lies in he ole o he
sa iou . The sa iou ha comes o escue bo h ladies is a man, ha no only sa es hem, bu also ells
hem wha o do once hey ha e been sa ed. The ac ha ad ice comes om he hun sman in
35
G imm’s ale c ea ed an unequal si ua ion o powe . This is jus ano he o m o submission h ough
he ale’s pe pe ua ion o pa ia chal ideas o he ale and he expansion o gende poli ics ha
su ound he o iginal ai y ales.
In Ca e ’s e ision, he mo al uncion is kep , bu changed. In o de o con ey he eminis
idea o he s o y, Ca e blames he husband and allows he p o agonis o own he own body and
inne sexual powe . Ca e e ases he man’s ole as sa iou . In his s o y i is he gi l who sa es
he sel , seducing he wol and p esen ing he sel as a s ong cha ac e . Ca e places he wol in an
equal posi ion o he gi l o he s o y. They bo h a e awa e o hei ca nal desi e, and a e no a aid o
explo e hei sexual appe i e, as Ca e desc ibes in he ollowing passage:
Wha big a ms you ha e.
All he be e o hug you wi h.
[...]
Wha big ee h you ha e!
All he be e o ea you wi h.
The gi l bu s ou laughing; she knew she was nobody’s mea .
She laughed a him ull in he ace,
she ipped o his shi o him and lung i in o he i e.
Ca e , 2006, p.138.
The p o agonis is no longe a passi e ic im no a naï e cha ac e , she is ully awa e o he
sex appeal and knows wha is going o happen o he i she does no ac quickly and wisely. She
ealises ha he animal na u e o he wol could be seduced by he unco up ed body, he e o e she
gi es in he sexual desi e and ends up ha ing sex wi h he wol . Ca e shi s he powe om he wol
o he he oine, p o iding a new pe spec i e o he o iginal ale o submission and agili y. Ca e
36
sub e s he o iginal in ended message o punishing o shaming he young gi l and she celeb a es
sexual he desi e and passion. By doing his, Ca e b oke wi h an old- ashioned and pa ia chal
s o y elling adi ion, esul ing in a new o m o ai y ale ha emphasised he powe o ou cas s om
he classic ales. He ideas o equali y and emale empowe men o igina ed a new o m o ew i ing
adi ional my hs and sha ed cul u al na a i es. Sa a Mills explains he link be ween male sexual
desi e and animal me apho s as ollows: “Male sexuali y is o en desc ibed in e ms o me apho s o
10
animal beha io , as an animal’s, and as li le unde con ol. The desc ibing o sexuali y in hese e ms
means ha ex eme male beha io such as ape may be unde s ood o be only ‘na u al’.” (Mills, 1995,
p. 137). Ca e ep esen ed bo h cha ac e s in an equal posi ion, celeb a ing emale and male sexual
desi e and he sexual ac as an exp ession o a mu ual ag eemen . Ca e uses hese me apho s o
con ey he idea o he unconscious desi e ha leads he p o agonis s o ha e sex, she does no equa e
human and animal sexuali y.
Ca e ’s use o di e en de ices ― animal-human me amo phoses, language, symbols,
me apho s, among o he s ― helped o e e se he depic ion o emale sexuali y as aboo and b oke
wi h an old adi ion o emale annihila ion. C i ics ha e p aised and c i icised Ca e o he
con o e sial use o women’s sexuali y, since some imes i could be in e p e ed as ano he o m o
women’s subjuga ion o male dominance. The main p oblem Ca e aced was he way in which she
deal wi h he pa ia chal aboos o emale sexuali y and empowe men . Acco ding o Pa icia
Duncke and A is Lewallen, Ca e ails o ep esen he he oines as beings wi h au onomous desi es,
hey a e po ayed as dependen on men’s sexual ape i e and on hei po nog aphical an asy. Ca e
did no deny he exis ence o sexual desi e and animal na u e in human beings and celeb a ed he
combina ion o bo h in he s o ies. In my opinion, he main p oblem when dealing wi h Ca e ’s sho
s o ies is he way in which she app oaches sexuali y and he ela ed aboos ha she ound in he ale
adi ion. I ind Duncke ’s analysis o Ca e ’s ex s e y simplis ic and as a mo e con o e sy seeking
10 Ca e uses animal me apho s o des oy he pa ia chal gende oles, as I will poin ou in he nex
sec ion (3.2, pp. 42-43)
37
eading, han an in o med and c i ical app oach o Ca e ’s wo k. Ca e campaigns o he
ede ini ion o sexuali y, which is a ha d ask o eminis s and ce ainly he mos di icul poin o
emb ace in Ca e ’s e ision. As he exube an and lamboyan desc ip ions some imes may mislead
he in ended message. Bu , I ag ee wi h Makinen’s (1992, p.7) idea ha hey se e o embellish he
na a i e while s ill gaining possession o e women’s libido.
3.2. Pa ia chal gende oles and iolence in The Bloody Chambe and O he S o ies
Violence and pa ia chal gende oles cons i u e ano he o he main opics ha Ca e
explo es in he collec ion. In his sec ion, I will explo e he e e sal o gende inequali ies and he
ep esen a ion o iolence o he o iginal ales in Ca e ’s collec ion and how his esul s in a
ede ini ion o he concep o gende . To unde s and Ca e ’s ede ini ion o gende , i is impo an o
know i s meaning. Acco ding o he Ox o d English Dic iona y (OED), gende is
he s a e o being male o emale as exp essed by social o cul u al
dis inc ions and di e ences, a he han biological ones; he collec i e a ibu es o
ai s associa ed wi h a pa icula sex, o de e mined as a esul o one's sex.
OED (online), 2018.
As I will explo e in his sec ion, Ca e uses di e en de ices o ede ine he idea o
gende , o example, using animal me apho s and cha ac e s, by e e sing gende oles and h ough he
use o symbols.
In “The Bloody Chambe ”, he hemes o obscene iolence and gende inequali y cons i u e
he co e idea behind he e o mula ion o he classic ale “Bluebea d” by Cha les Pe aul . The
38
Ca e explo es he men’s desi e o i gins and he concep o i gini y om a pa ia chal
pe spec i e. The young gi l is he Coun ’s c ea ion, no he Coun ess’, which con i ms his desi e o
i gins, since i can be in e p e ed ha he has had p e ious encoun e s wi h hem. The symbol o he
snow alling on op o o he laye s o snow ep esen s women’s subjuga ion h oughou his o y and
he hole in he snow ull o blood symbolises women’s mens ua ion. The combina ion o bo h
symbols se e Ca e o exp ess he way in which men end o o e look and conside i gins as naï e,
asexual and passi e beings. Ca e sub e s he adi ional pe spec i e on emale i gini y by c ea ing
sexually conce ned and willing o expe ience women.
In he p e ious li e a y adi ion, i ginal cha ac e s ha e been p esen ed wi h demeaning
ea u es, especially in he di e en e sions o Li le Red Riding Hood, linking i gini y o he emale
cha ac e . In Ca e ’s e ision, i gini y is indeed cen al and ega ded as special o he p o agonis s,
bu he main di e ence be ween Ca e ’s s o y and he p e ious adi ion lies in he subjec who
alues i gini y. T adi ionally, i is he wol who alues he i gini y o he young gi l and ies o ea
he . In Ca e ’s e ision, i is he young gi l who alues he own i gini y and gi es in o he sexual
desi e wi hou es ain . In my opinion, his di e ence ma ks Ca e ’s g ea es achie emen in his
s o y, he ake on i gini y ies o eshape he un eal idea o i gini y and he i gin, p esen ing he as
a cha ac e wi h sexual desi es, as opposed o he de ini ion o he i gin as a passi e and submissi e
being subjec o pa ia chal con ol.
In “The Lady o he House o Lo e”, Ca e shi s he adi ional depic ion o he agile and
passi e woman and p esen s he Coun ess as a ie ce and sexual woman, whe eas he soldie
inca na es he alues o pu i y and i gini y. This e e sal impac s he eade who hinks ha he
i gin cha ac e will be he Coun ess. As i is he case in “The Snow Child”, Ca e ’s eminis wis
does no only depend on he di ec decons uc ion o male chau inis ic ideas, bu a he on he quasi
ca ha ic e ec ha he w i ing p o okes on he eade , and he subsequen analysis o Ca e ’s
45
message. By his I mean ha , in his sho s o y, Ca e wan s he eade o ques ion his ole e e sal
wi h he and lea n om i . In my opinion, o he o he impo an ea u es ha emphasizes he eminis
eading o his ex , and explo es women’s sexual desi e, can be ound in he desc ip ion o he soldie
as “ho , hung y, hi s y, wea y, dus y…” (Ca e , 2006, p.113). Ca e plays wi h he wo ds ‘ho ’ and
‘ hi s y’, ha ha e s ong sexual conno a ions, and pu s hem in he Coun ess’ mind. By objec i ying
he soldie , Ca e in e s he adi ional objec i ica ion o women by men. By doing his, Ca e does
no engage wi h he pa ia chal s uc u es o powe , bu a he o e s a c i ical app oach o such
s uc u es as s a ed by a woman.
This sec ion explo ed Ca e ’s idea o i gini y and showed how wo ks in a di e en way han
he decons uc ion o p e ious opics in his chap e . Ins ead o p esen ing he eade wi h a di ec
c i icism on he issue, she lea es he eade o hink and econside gene al assump ions o gende ,
sexuali y and i gini y.
46
4. Ca e ’s in luence: eminism and he new adi ion
Ca e ’s in luence on li e a u e and eminism has been o e looked by he adical app oaches
o he la e and he exube an s yle. As I ha e explained in Chap e 2.1, Ca e ’s li e a y and poli ical
app aisal appea ed a e he dea h and since hen, he popula i y inc eased o be conside ed one o he
mos in luen ial w i e s o he 20 h cen u y. F om he li e a y poin o iew, she engaged wi h he
adi ion o emale w i e s ha unde s ood he impo ance o claiming women’s place in li e a u e and
adi ional na a i es. F om he socio-poli ical pe spec i e, he ideas on sexuali y, women’s sexual
desi e and he a i ude owa ds po nog aphy ueled he deba es on hese opics and p o ided he
Feminis mo emen wi h new pe spec i es.
Despi e he ha sh c i icism ha Ca e ’s wo k and ideology ecei ed du ing he li e ime, he
impac is no able in many ways: he combina ion o adical eminism and poli ical li e a u e,
con ibu ed o women’s empowe men in di e en a is ic mani es a ions - cinema, li e a u e, music.
She engaged wi h he p edecesso s in he des uc ion o poli ical and social con en ions ha o ced
women o con o m o pa ia chal ideals. In his chap e , I will summa ise Ca e ’s impo ance o he
Feminis mo emen and women’s place in li e a u e.
Ca e ’s ake on eminism was con o e sial and i me ha sh c i icism ea ly on in he ca ee ,
due o he di icul y ha he ideas p esen ed o he Feminis mo emen . C i ics and eminis s opposed
The Sadeian Woman
, as I ha e s udied in Chap e 2, bu a he same ime, i ueled new deba es ha
ques ioned he ole o women in sexual ela ionships ha in ol ed posi ions o powe . He in e es in
how po nog aphy shaped human ela ionships was cen al in he deba es du ing he Thi d-Wa e
Feminis mo emen . Feminis s such as Pa icia Duncke o And ea Dwo kin claim ha Ca e ailed
in he a emp o make o he li e a y p oduc ion a weapon o igh agains pa ia chal s uc u es o
powe . Acco ding o Dunke (1984, p.3), Ca e saw “women’s sensuali y [as] simply…a esponse o
47
male a ousal” and she c i icises Ca e o engaging wi h he p e ious ai y ale adi ion, since he
“disa ming o he agg essi e male sexuali y by he i uous b ide is [al eady] a [i s] oo ”. In my
opinion, Dunke ’s in e p e a ion o Ca e ’s wo k e lec s he di icul ies ha eminis s ound in
Ca e ’s indica ion o women’s sexuali y and sexual desi e. Dunke unde s ands Ca e ’s indica ion
as ano he o m o submission and pa ia chal domina ion in sexual e ms. Dunke ’s eading o
Ca e ’s wo k esul s in he ejec ion o he celeb a ion o sexual ela ionships be ween men and
women. Ca e p esen s s ong and esou ce ul women in he ai y ales, who, ins ead o accep ing
hei eali y, igh back and change i . In my opinion, he impo ance o Ca e ’s s ance in ela ion o
he Feminis mo emen is ound in he p esen a ion o women’s sexuali y as an independen eali y. I
is hei desi e ha mo i a es hem o be ac i e pa icipan s in he sexual ac . As Ma ga e A wood
(2007, p.135) explains, in Ca e ’s p oduc ion:
Me cy, pi y, peace and lo e, and especially chas i y and
mo he hood, go ou o he window; in come u hlessness,
lasci iousness, he sepa a ion o sexual pleasu e om p oc ea ion,
and deligh in he pain o o he s.
Despi e he c i icism ecei ed by o he eminis s ― especially hose belonging o he
an i-po nog aphy wing, such as And ea Dwo kin and Ca he ine Mackinnon ―. I no e ha in he
wo ks, Ca e ees women om hei own limi a ions, no eal limi a ions, bu hose c ea ed as a
esul o cen u ies o pa ia chal opp ession o women. She gi es hem back he powe o sel -de ine
hemsel es and explo e hei bodies, ou side he con ol o pa ia chy. As Ca e claims in The
Sadeian Woman
(2013, p.19), she opened he pa h o u u e gene a ions o eminis s o c ea e “a
wo ld o absolu e sexual licence o all he gende s”.
48
Rega ding he explo a ion o Ca e ’s in luence in wha I labelled ‘new adi ion’ , I will
11
highligh he impo ance o he w i ings owa ds he inclusion o women’s oice in di e en a is ic
mani es a ions, mainly ocusing on ilmic adap a ions.
Ca e 's in luence in he li e a y scene joins he al eady p esen mo emen o women w i e s
like Vi ginia Wool , Jean Rhys and Syl ia Pla h, who aised hei oices o claim he impo ance o
he ole o women in li e a u e and in socie y. In hei “P e ace o he Special Issue on Fai y Tale a e
Angela Ca e ”, S ephen Benson and And ew Te e son (2008, pp.4-6), acknowledge he impo ance
o Ca e ’s p oduc ion in he di e en e ellings and e isions o ai y ales and e e o Angela
Ca e ’s The Bloody Chambe
as a “s o y collec ion ha has had a p o ound and pe asi e impac on
ou unde s anding o and engagemen wi h ai y ales”. Benson (2008, p.2) labels he gene a ion ha
came a e Ca e and ha was in luenced by he as ‘Ca e Gene a ion’. This gene a ion includes
w i e s such as Olga B oumas, Fay Weldon, Ma ga e A wood, Ane Sex on, Te i Windling and Jane
Yolen.
Those w i e s in hei wo ks openly w o e abou women’s speci ic conce ns. In
T ans o ma ions
, a collec ion o poems based on ai y ales “wi h a socie y-mocking o e lay”, she
ocuses on women cas in a a ie y o ic i e oles – he du i ul p incess daugh e , he wicked wi ch,
he s epmo he ” (Sex on, 2012, xx iii) – and w i es “openly abou mens ua ion, abo ion,
mas u ba ion, inces , adul e y, and d ug addic ion a a ime when he p op ie ies emb aced none o
hese as p ope opics o poe y” (Maxine Kumin, 1988, p.438). Ma ga e A wood’s Bluebea d’s Egg
(1983) “explo es hemes p esen in ea lie ales, like in ideli y, abuse o us , and concealmen , by
placing he ai y ale in o an e e yday, middle-class en i onmen ” (Rao, 2009). In The Li e and Lo es
o a She-De il
(1983), Fay Weldon explo es he opics o open ma iage, in ideli y, and women’s
subo dina ion o hei husband. In my opinion, he no el’s mos impo an opic is he c ea ion o a
11 By ‘new adi ion’ I am e e ing o he new e isions and a ia ions in adi ional ales and my hs
ha eme ged in he las 40 decades o he 20 h cen u y and ha a e s ill ele an oday.
49
new iden i y o he p o agonis . A e she hea s abou he husband’s a ai , she adop s a se ies o alias
o ake e enge on him, by adop ing new pe sonali ies she disco e s he ue sel a he end and is able
o egain con ol o he li e.
As I ha e analysed in his sec ion, I ind ce ain simila i ies in his gene a ion’s wo ks ha a e
also p esen in Ca e ’s: ma iage, women’s subo dina ion, he aim o o e new eadings o adi ional
ex s and he e e sal o pa ia chal gende oles. They w o e abou women’s eali y in he 20 h
cen u y and how hey s uggled o su i e in an unequal and male-cen e ed socie y. Thei plo s
explo e how hese women came o unde s and he impo ance o hei own li es and become s ong
and powe ul women. These w i e s con inued and s ill con inue wi h he ask o e u ning o he pas
o claim women’s igh eous place in his o y and li e a u e, bu also o w i e new u u es o hem. As
Ad ienne Rich (1979, p.35) claims: “ e ision… is o women mo e han a chap e in cul u al his o y:
i is an ac o su i al”.
50
5. Conclusion:
Ha ing analysed Ca e ’s e ision o adi ional ai y ales, I will now summa ise my
conclusions.
As explo ed in his pape , Ca e ’s e ision challenges he p econcep ions o he ai y ale
gen e, as a monoli hic li e a y o m o he se ice o pa ia chy. She des oys he s ong pa ia chal
elemen s in adi ional ai y ales using a ious de ices such as symbols, me apho s and
cha ac e isa ion. As I ha e shown in his wo k, Ca e 's eminis ideology clashed wi h hese elemen s,
gi ing ise o he add essing his si ua ion wi hin he wo k. He knowledge o he o iginal s o ies
allowed he o analyse hem “and ex ac he la en con en om he adi ional s o ies and o use i as
he beginnings o new s o ies", as she explained (Ca e , 2006, ii- iii). In he wo k, she sub e s he
o iginal message om he ales h ough he ein en ion o symbols and cha ac e s ha he eade
ecognises, p oducing an inno a i e and g oundb eaking eading.
On he one hand, he ein en ion o symbols om a eminis pe spec i e allows Ca e o
con ey he eminis ideas and p o ide a new in e p e a ion o hem wi hou ha ing o al e he basic
s uc u es o he ai y ale. The eade can s ill ecognise he o iginal ale in Ca e ’s e ision, e en i
he i les a e no he same. This is due o he p esence o se e al memes ha connec he ales and ha
a e known o he eade .
On he o he hand, he cha ac e s a e he same as in he o iginal ales, so ha he eade can
s ill de ec he ela ionship be ween hem. Ca e in uses he cha ac e isa ion wi h he eminis ideas,
p esen ing s ong and esou ce ul women ha con as wi h he passi e and agile women om he
o iginal ales. A he same ime, she oices hei own expe iences and le s hem explo e hei
sexuali y.
51
As I claimed in he In oduc ion, Ca e manages o o e a eminis e elling o classic ai y
ales wi hou changing he basic s uc u es o each ale. In my opinion, he changes ha Ca e has
made do no in ol e a change in he de ining ea u es o he ai y ale. He e ision upda es and
adap s he na a i e elemen s o he own belie s, bu hey a e s ill ai y ales. The p esence o magical
elemen s, animals, an as ic se ings and mo alising endings can be de ec ed in Ca e ’s ales. He
combina ion o mode n li e a y o ms like he sho s o y o he Go hic subgen e, wi h ancien o ms
like he ai y ale, makes Ca e ’s e ision s onge , since i opens he way o u u e e ellings o
adi ional my hs and na a i es.
In conclusion, despi e he ha sh c i icism ecei ed om eminis s and c i ics due o he adical
app oaches o he ields o sexuali y, gende oles, i gini y and po nog aphy, Ca e ’s wo k
in luenced new gene a ions o women w i e s. They ound in Ca e ’s e ision he op ion o change
adi ional na a i es and shi pa ia chal powe s uc u es ha con eyed ideas ha elega ed he ole
o women and silenced hei oices.
52
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54
