THE SCENT OF AIR: SPACE IN ANGELA CARTER’S THE BLOODY CHAMBER AND OTHER STORIES

Abstract

Space plays a crucial role in Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber (1979) and she skilfully utilizes it to create a sense of atmosphere and tension throughout her narratives. By carefully describing the physical surroundings, she immerses the reader in a vivid and evocative world, that resembles and, more importantly, draws from well-known fairy tales. The focus of this paper is to explore the symbolic significance of the chronotope and its ability to evoke characters’ memories or define their personalities through the use of scent within a given space. The experience of immersion allows the readers to grasp more fully the themes and motifs explored by the author in her writing (gender representation, patriarchy, power, identity), as well as to interpret the symbols she employs to express her perspective. The analysis of the three stories, The Bloody Chamber, The Courtship of Mr. Lyon, and The Tiger’s Bride, demonstrates that the spaces Cater portrays are often symbolic, representing the inner psychological states of her characters and through her meticulous attention to detail, the author transforms the environment into a dynamic element that enhances the overall impact of her storytelling. The portrayal of the dilapidated castle or mansion, along with the ailing inhabitants (in The Beauty and The Beast reinterpreted stories) serve as a metaphor for the conclusion of an era, signalling the decline of patriarchy and the revitalization of conventional gender roles, since the house flourishes after Beauty’s return or the girl transforms into her true shape. The ending of The Bloody Chamber reveals that a corrupt space can be purified and turned into a beneficial one after the wicked presence is removed.

Keywords

• fairy tale
• magical realism
• environment
• bloody chamber
• liminality