Overall Analysis of The Courtship of Mr Lyon and The Tiger's Bride, Angela Carter and the Gothic for the AQA A2 Lit B Exam

Overall Analysis of The Courtship of Mr Lyon and The Tiger's Bride, Angela Carter and the Gothic for the AQA A2 Lit B Exam

Task 1.

1.How does carter transcend ideological limitations which fairy tales traditionally review?

 by having the Narrator refuse be the submissive one "carter subverts the gaze" and tradition "as the bride refuses to be undressed before the tiger, he decides to unveil himself." 

2. what is Freud's "famous polarity active/passive"?

This is Freud's belief that women were inherently passive and that in opposition to this men were active, from what I can tell Freud meant this throughout all relationships and society as a whole

3.instead of the 'masculine' and 'feminine' texts, what does carter suggest?

Carter apparently suggests "a fusion of the opposites; male/female, human/no-human, nature culture. She (apparently) suggests a new kind of gender, free from social constructions, a creation of an androgynous being" 

4. who was/is Pauline Palmer? (author of this article?)

She is currently a lecturer at Birmingham university, she describes herself as working "in the field of contemporary women's fiction and lesbian writing, discussing texts in the context of feminist and queer theory"

5.what is androgyny? 

It  is the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. Sexual ambiguity may be found in fashion, gender identity, sexual identity, or sexual lifestyle.

Task 2.

Fairy tales are generally about dominance and obedience, perpetuating patriarchal ideology, Carter writes to expose this and then to flip it on its head, to show female desire and sexual liberation, "playing a game with the reader.".

Carter sought to change and expose the binary opposites that are present in so many fairy tale, male/female culture/nature, Carter sought to do this by presenting her character as ambiguous, having a character present both sides of the binary opposites.

Carter reveals that Fairy tales are their to drill in behavioural and aspirational lessons, especially in women, Carter points out Man's wish that women almost become like the 'simulacrum' without subjectivity or how women are drilled to aspire to the right body in an almost narcissistic fashion.

Carter also shows us that beneath our layers and our "artificial skins" we are all the same, this is shown by the removal of the Narrator, in the tiger's bride, "artificial skins" and her "transformation into a beast" sharing her inner beast with everyone else's.

Carter wishes to remove all gender differences as social constructions and instead an androgynous creation, made up of a fusion of the opposites of human and non-human, nature and culture, one which "could transpose gender and sex"

1. reversal

2. contradiction

3. Indoctrinate

4. Masks

5. unification

The article is about Carters look at what she see's as Fairy tale's truly representing; binary opposites, patriarchal society and the repression and passivity of women in society by the patriarchal society. The article also discusses how Carter looks at these and then completely reverses them in her own take on Fairy tales. With active women, with characters having both attributes of a binary opposite cultured/natural e.g. the tiger and his mask. The article also discusses Carter’s proposal for a single androgynous gender in novels, composed of binary opposites, but also free from society’s gender constructions. (98)

The Tiger's Bride

Andrea Mantegna: 1431-1506, Italian painter and student of Roman archaeology. His most famous pieces of art are; the agony of the garden painted 1455, the Madonna of the cherubim painted in 1485 and the San Zeno altarpiece painted in 1457-1460.

Guilio Romana: 1499-1546. An Italian painter and architect, as well as a student of Raphael. He's most well known for five of his paintings: The stoning of St Stephen, the Adoration of Magi, the fire in the Borgo,the battle of Milivian bridge, and the triumph of Titus and Vespeasian.
Benvenuto Cellini: 1500-1571. An Italian goldsmith, sculptor, draftsman, soldier and musician. Some of his most famous works are: the statue perseus with the head of medusa, a life sized silver statue of jupiter and finally a gold enamelled sculpture called saliera

Assuage: make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense or to comfort
Awry: away from the usual or expected course or out of the normal or correct position.
Axiom: a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.
Capsico: Understand? (questioning whether someone understands)
Ciliate: a single-celled animal of a large and diverse phylum.
Civet: a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal (feline) with a barred and spotted coat
Desnuda: Naked, Bare, unclad, nude
excoriating: too damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).

expostulating: too express strong disapproval or disagreement.

eyrie: a large nest of an eagle or other bird of prey, built high in a tree or on a cliff.

gavotte: a medium-paced French dance, popular in the 18th century.

gracile: attractively slender or thin

megalomaniac: a person who has an obsessive desire for power.

metaphysical: a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it

minuet: a slow, stately ballroom dance for two in triple time, popular especially in the 18th century.

molto agitato: very agitated

Nascent:  just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.

obsequiousness: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

ostler:  a man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn.

Patina: a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period.

preternatural: beyond what is normal or natural.

Profligate: recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

settecento: seven hundred

shagreen: sharkskin used as a decorative material or, due to its natural rough surface of pointed scales, as an abrasive.

Simian: relating to or affecting apes or monkeys.

simulacra: an image or representation of someone or something.

soubrette: a minor female role in a comedy, typically that of a pert maidservant.

spar: to fight (in practice) or a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a ship.

spurious: not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

tantivy: a rapid gallop or ride

tintinnabulation: a ringing or tinkling sound.

viscera: the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines.

Task 3:
1.The Devil's picture books are cards, so called for their images and their purpose of gambling (a sin)
2. Carter is using shortened language, as if uneducated or subservient, in the way it's used the Narrator means it to be sarcastic, a hit at the Beast to indicated that while he may have won her she won't show subservience to him.

3.White roses symbolise innocence and romance, the colour indicating the innocence and purity of Beauty or the Narrator of the tiger's bride and the rose a typical symbol of romance or courting. It is used repeatedly to emphasise their innocence and the romance surrounding these stories. The Roses are also symbolic as symbols of change, such as "he gets his rose  all smeared with blood" a white rose turned red, this indicates loss of some innocence whether it be feelings towards her father or her approaching loss of innocence and purity.

4. The use of the verb "fleeced" is significant as it foreshadows the ending of the novel as well as the symbolism of the novel that the clothes, fleece are removed. The verb "fleeced" foreshadows the conclusion of the novel, where the narrator refuses to wear her fleece (her clothes) as does the "simian" valet and "the beast" all remove their fleeces to reveal who or what they truly are.
5. Red Riding Hood, where little Red Riding Hood asks why her grandmother/wolf has so big a teeth to which he responds "all the better to gobble you up with.". It's referred to as a reference to the novels conclusion where the Beast appears to lick her, either killing or transforming her.
6. The Reader learns that the inhabitants are not driven by appearances or luxuries, by how the Beast keeps his castle. With the Beast having "given his horses the use of the dining room" and the beams that hold up the roof being "scabbed with last summer's swallows nests". It is also shown by the condition the Beast keeps his home in, with "gaping doors and broken windows let in wind everywhere", the Narrator describes it as "if the palace was dismantled" or as if someone "had never properly moved in" finishing it with "the Beast had chosen to live in an uninhabited place" thus showing that the inhabitants are not driven by appearance or luxuries.
7. The fresco is significant as it shows man and animals living in harmony together, a theme that is refuted in this novel shown by the transformation of the Narrator at the conclusion of the novel. The fresco is also significant as it is not naturally possible for fruit and blossom to "grow on the bought together" at the same time, this hints towards the novels magical realism where things we would not accept as normal, are accepted as natural there.
8. It suggests to the reader that she is an animatronic figure, a machine of clockwork. It suggests to the reader of the inhuman nature of the Beast and all the inhabitants of the Palace. The maid is also described as the Narrators "twin" or "double", the fact this seeming replica of the Narrator is inhuman, foreshadows the conclusion of the novel where the Narrator herself becomes something not human (inhuman?) as well.
9. The Narrator compares herself to the animals many times, such as "then six of us- riders and mounts both- could not boast among us one soul." saying that in the eyes of religion/god she and the animals are equal without souls. The Narrator also repeatedly compares herself to the lamb amongst tigers, this is to highlight her difference, however the final reference to her as a lamb shows her becoming closer to the tigers (animals)

stating that she as the lamb "The lamb must learn to run with the tigers" thus stating that she must become more like a 'tiger' to survive.
10. The phrase ‘The tiger will never lie down with the lamb; he acknowledges no pact that is not reciprocal’

meant that the tiger would never stay or look after the lamb as he gained nothing from it. This phrase is significant in the novel as the Narrator openly refers to herself as a lamb, stating at one time "The lamb must learn to run with the tigers.". The ending of the book seems to confirm that that a tiger and a lamb can not lie together, after what the tiger wants from the lamb is gone (seeing the Narrator without clothes), the Beast appears to change the Narrator from the form of a 'lamb' to something else "each stroke of his tongue ripped off skin after successive skin, all the skins of a'life in the world, and left behind a nascent patina of
shining hairs.". The ending seems to suggest that once the Narrator accepts herself without clothes and starts "to run with the tigers" she changes and the Beast just shows this for how she looks.

THE BLOODY CHAMBER
THE COURTSHIP OF MR LYON.

3. The girl is described as pale, to an almost unhealthy degree, and pure girl. She's described as "pallor remained" "she,too, was made of snow" pallor is rarely ever used to describe someone who is healthy, it is used more often to describe someone who is extremely pale, almost deathly pale. She's also described as "white and unmarked as a spilled bolt of bridal satin" indicating towards her being a virgin as well as completely pure. The implication of this description is that she is extremely pure and very beautiful, the 'perfect' wife. This is developed by the Girl almost losing her purity once her father becomes rich and she becomes corrupt and 'less' beautiful. This is also developed by her later marriage to the beast once she seems to realise what she was losing and she remembers her promise, so she rushes back to him.

4. The father is first described as wearing an "old sheepskin coat" suggesting that he is relativity poor and has been for a while, as sheepskin is considered poor quality as a coat, combined with "old" suggesting that he has had it for a long portion of time. This relates to the court case we later learn that the father has been waging for many years to try and regain his wealth, though never directly told, it is suggested that he lost the money in either risky ventures or by gambling. The father is described as having "another whiskey" considering how strong whiskey is, this suggests that the father is under a large amount of stress, despite just being rescued by the owner of the manor, the beast. "the garden seemed to hold its breath in apprehension. But still, because he loved his daughter, Beauty's father stole the rose." This seems to suggest that Beauty's father does not have the strongest morals, as despite knowing it is stealing and could easily go badly, which it does, he steals the flower for Beauty. This again gives more clues as to how he may have lost his once large wealth, as if he has few or weak morals he could have lost the wealth in long-term gambling.

7. Mr Lyon's property is described in a heavily Gothic manner "a miniature, perfect palladian house that seemed to hide itself shyly behind snow-laden skirts", with many Gothic conventions such as a seemingly abandoned Manor house, yet it has the crystals containing flowers, the Gold clean knocker and the single light in an upper room of the Manor house. It's described in this way as a direct comparison to where Beauty lives a small house where she, a tenant and daughter of the owner, is the servant and maid doing chores. Where as Beast lives in a Manor that appears to belong in age past, (16th century)

11. The story is narrated in the third-person, but it occasionally uses first person perspective to narrate the story. The change in narrative perspective affects the reader, with the use of first person narrative, to give the reader an insight into the character and their thoughts "father said he would be home before nightfall", "I hope he'll be safe.". These bits of first person narrative (some of the only first person narrative in the novel) show us Beauty's care for her father and a deep insight into her and her personality.

12. The occasion of direct speech on pages 44-45 is of the speech from the mechanic and Beauty's father. There is a change at this point in the story to give an impression of the "master" who we learn to be the Beast. It gives the reader the impression of the "master" as a charitable, be it mysterious, person. It influences the light through which we later see the Beast, as this sets the readers first impression of him.
The use of direct speech on pages 50-51 occurs in two places "all he is doing is kissing my hands" and "you will come back to me? it will be lonely here, without you
These two uses of direct speech show Beauty's changing feelings towards Beast and the continuation and confirmation of Beast's feelings towards Beauty. Beauty's realisation that Beast is kissing her hand, shows the reader her change in how she views Beast, less of how his name describes him, but more as a person with emotions and feelings, showing us the first change in her interactions, which continues,towards him.
Beast's wish for her to return soon confirms to the reader and adoration he has for Beauty, causing the reader to become sympathetic and pity Beast over Beauty's leaving.

13. Beauty goes through a large personality change from when she lives in the mean "household" where she is described as pale and innocent "she,too,was made of snow" as well as humble as shown by her doing "her chores in the 'mean' kitchen.". Alongside her financial changes, her personality goes through a similar change from humble too " a spoiled child" who becomes "a mite petulant" when things don't go her way, a far cry from a humble young girl doing chores in the kitchen. She also changes not just in her personality but in her appearance going from pale and innocent too, her "pearly skin of hers was plumping out.". Overall these show that just as her surroundings change so does her personality, as if becoming corrupted by the wealth and decadence (Marxist critical perspective)

15. The Beast helps Beauty and her Father because he is in love with Beauty and wishes to impress and make a good impression upon her, as well as keep her with him, as long as possible. Beauty saves the Beast because she finally realises she loves him. Overall the reason they help each other is because they care and love each other and will do whatever is necessary for each other. Carters overall message about their actions is that if people try their hardest, love will conquer all.

16. Beauty's transformation in London. Beauty's transformation from how she was when she lived in her old home or with the Beast to how she becomes when she goes to London and her father showers gifts and money upon her. Beauty starts out as pale,innocent "she, too, was made of snow" and humble "pauses in her chores in the mean kitchen" girl, but transforms almost into a different person when she goes to London. Beauty stops being humble being described as becoming "a spoiled child" who becomes "a mite petulant when things went not quite the way she wanted them too" and instead of a beautiful pale girl she changes "that pearly skin of hers was plumping out.". The way her change is described it is as if the very city itself has corrupted Beauty and changed her for the worse.

Task 1

leonine: appearing as or looking like a lion.

Fugue: in music fugue refers to a piece which is started by one person, but as it develops picked up by other people  or by being interweaves with other parts.In psychiatry fugue refers to when a person loses awareness of their identity often coupled with panic, hysteria and possibly epilepsy.

Rococo: A particular fashion of architecture developed in the eighteenth century as part of the baroque movement, it is highly elaborate, often involving asymmetrical patterns motifs and scroll work.

Minimalist: a person who practices/enjoys minimalism, a type of art from the 1950's characterized by the use of simple massive forms.

Chamber music: instrumental music played by a small ensemble with one person per part, the most important being the string quartet (first violin, second violin, viola, cello)

Florid: either having a red or flushed complexion

Angela Carter 1940-1992. Angela carter lived all over the world. She lived in England, Japan, as well as spending a large amount of time travelling the USA, Asia and Europe.

Carter's link to Jane Eyre is that not long before she died, she was working on a sequel to Jane Eyre following Jane's stepdaughter Adele Varens, however she died before she could start writing it, only leaving a synopsis.

Carter wrote in many genres, traditional and Gothic fantasy, science-fiction, satire and even Shakespearean comedy

she was ranked tenth in a list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.

Some of Carter's influences were Chaucer, Shakespeare, Lawrence, Wordsworth, Blake,Coleridge,Mansfield, Woolf,dickens,Keats,stoker,carrel.

Task 3:

Perault was lived from 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703

He's famous for inventing the fairy tale literary genre as we know it today.

Peraults' most well know book was called tales and stories of the past with morals or more commonly known as tales of mother goose.It was published in 1697 in Paris, France.

Perault got the basis for his idea's from Madame d'Aulnoy's tales, which she coined the term fairy tales for.

In tales of mother goose he published eleven stories, eight of them were his own new ones and the other three were stories which had previously been written in song.

The brothers Grimm fairy tales were published in Germany in 1812. The first volume contained eighty six stories, the second volume had seventy stories published in 1815.

The Grimm brother's were inspired by stories they heard as children and whilst the younger one was ill.

Task 4:
Charles Baudelaire lived from April 9th 1821 till August 31st 1867.
He lived and worked throughout France spending time in Lyon and Paris, he also travelled the world by visiting India for a short period of time.
The way Baudelaire is different to his romantic predecessors is that while the previous Romantics wrote about the goodness of man and the supremacy of Nature, Baudelaire wrote about individual morality, Vices, aesthetic and sensual pleasures as well as the use of the urban scene instead of a more nature bound scene.
He is like the earlier Romantic poets in how he structured his poems, In that he paid particular attention to the formal features of a verse.
His most famous poetry collection is called flowers of evil ,it was published in 1857.
The principle themes of his poetry collection was; sex ,death and corruption and lost innocence.
It's believed that when his step-father arrived, no longer being his mother's main attention left Baudelaire with a trauma that may have explained his later excesses.
Baudelaire was a opium and laudanum addict which contributed to the stroke which led to his death two years later (his mother died four years after he did.)

Task 5:
Marquis de Sade wrote many books including  Justine, or the Misfortunes of Virtue; Juliette; The 120 Days of Sodom; and Philosophy in the Bedroom.
Marquis de Sade's views on sexual preference were libertine to say the least caring little for gender and seeming to care very little for age, having a sexual relationship with a fourteen year old. The Marquis also appears to have enjoyed Dominating others sexually to a large degree including holding people captive and beating them. 

Vocabulary:
aesthete: someone who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty
aigrette: a headdress consisting of a white egret's feather or other decoration such as a spray of gems.

avarice: extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Baroque: relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that followed Mannerism and is characterized by ornate detail. In architecture the period is exemplified by the palace of Versailles and by the work of Wren in England.

Beir: a movable frame on which a coffin or a corpse is placed before burial or cremation or on which they are carried to the grave.

Billets-Doux: A love letter.
carillon:a set of bells played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism similar to a piano roll
carnal: relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities.

catafalque:a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state.

chthonic: relating to or inhabiting the underworld.

dolorous:feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress.

eldritch: weird and sinister or ghostly.

enfer: Hell, Inferno, Underworld.

gourmand: a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much.

immolate/immolated: kill or offer as a sacrifice, especially by burning.

importunate: persistent, especially to the point of annoyance.

interdiction: To prohibit or place under an ecclesiastical or legal sanction.

jinn: an intelligent spirit of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and to possess humans.

lisle: a fine, smooth cotton thread used especially for stockings.

loge: a private box or enclosure in a theatre.

loquacity: the quality of talking a great deal; talkativeness.

lustratory: ceremonial washing or other rite of purification

missal: a book containing the texts used in the Catholic Mass throughout the year.

nacreous:

parure: a set of jewels intended to be worn together.

Rictus: a fixed grimace or grin, (usually associated with a corpse and death)

sacerdotal:relating to priests or the priesthood; priestly/relating to or denoting a doctrine which ascribes sacrificial functions and spiritual or supernatural powers to ordained priests.

sadomasochism: The derivation of pleasure from receiving or giving of physical or mental pain upon oneself or another person
sardonic: grimly mocking or cynical.

trousseau: the clothes, linen, and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage.

vellum: 

fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf.

vicuña: cloth made from the wool of the vicuña or an imitation of it.

viscera: the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, 

voluptuary: a person devoted to luxury and sensual pleasure.

Basic questions:

1. Carter presents the choker as a both a symbol of authority over the narrator as well as a sign of superiority. Its usage as a sign of superiority is shown in this phrase " like an extraordinary slit throat". This is a reference to the terrors, a period of time during the French Revolution when tens of thousands were killed most notably by the Guillotine. The choker is a sign of superiority as it sits exactly where the blade of a Guillotine would have passed and coloured red to represent a "slit throat", the choker is used to symbolise that the Marquis's family survived the terrors and flourished, superior to so many upper class families who were killed and wiped out. 

2.The fact that she refers to herself as in "exile" would suggest that she believes that her getting married to the Marquis means she will never return home, even to visit, as exiles may never return to their homeland. It also suggests that our Narrator believes that she will be forever lonely once she is married. The fact she refers to herself as "exiled" would also suggest that she believes this.

3. What seems to return power and confidence to the Narrator is the keys to the castle given to her by the marquis. Read from a feminist critic perspective, the returning of power and confidence being gifted from the man shows the patriarchy in the society at the time, as this appears to suggest that without a man there to give the Woman her power and confidence she would not have any. However a Marxist critic would read this as showing the oppression of the lower classes, represented by the narrator, by the upper classes, the Marquis, as it appears to show that only the upper classes can give any confidence and power to the lower classes.

4. The usual hero structure is altered in two ways. One that the Hero is female, unusual in most novels especially Gothic novels. It is altered in that the Narrator is the hero in this sequence not the male Jean-Yves who in fact the female hero,the narrator protects. The second alteration to the usual hero structure is, where as in the standard structure of a hero novel, the hero stands up and doesn't deny his actions, the hero in this story, the narrator, does so. She attempts to hide the fact that she found the red room and tries to seduce her husband, the Marquis to distract him from this fact.

5. The duke appears to view women as little more than objects there for entertainment or pleasure, but he does not view them as equal in any way to them. This is clearly shown with his Red room where his previous wives lie dead in various states of decomposition. The duke's view of women is symbolised by the picture by Rops he owns called "reproof of curiosity" where the male figure delivering pain seems to be receiving all the enjoyment, where as the women who is receiving the pain appears to be receiving no pleasure, simply being used as a way to achieve the male's pleasure.

Developed questions: 

1. I would say the description is more uncomfortable than anything else. The description is uncomfortable in how the Narrator compares herself to the painting by "Rops" of the "child with her stick like limbs" being stared and examined by the "old monocled lecher.". It is also uncomfortable in how the Narrator refers to herself as some object that has been purchased "and so my purchaser unwrapped his bargain"or as a piece of food "as if he were stripping the leaves off an artichoke." This is uncomfortable as it suggests that the Marquis sees the Narrator in this light and probably most women in this way, as little more than "artichokes" or bits of "lamb." Another way in which this description is so uncomfortable is in how detached it seems by both the Narrator and the Marquis, with the Narrator seemingly describing herself as more of an item than a person in this encounter, whilst the Marquis seems quite detached in how he undresses her, as the Narrator tells the reader to "not imagine such finesse about it" as she describes the Marquis as seeing her as "no particular treat for the diner."

2.The language to describe the painting is extremely graphic and explicit, with the Narrator description going into explicit and crude description of the painting such as "her cunt a split fig below the great globes of her buttocks". The painting symbolises the control the Marquis wishes to have over his wives and as the painting puts it their "reproof for curiosity." The painting also symbolises the Marquis sexual enjoyment of control and giving pain, the sadist side of sadomasochism. The painting also foreshadows the fate of the Narrator with the "reproof for her curiosity" going to him punishing her for her curiosity, in this case the punishment being death.

3. "coloured stones"  This suggests that to the Marquis they had little value and that the Narrator seems to believe that he bought her for cheap with these "coloured stones" which are insulting the narrator by calling her cheap.

"white, voluptuous cheese" This is used to the effect to reference the Narrators recently lost innocence, usually symbolised by white, purity, It is also used to reference the difference between the Narrators and the Marquis's wealth, where the Narrator could not have afforded "voluptuous cheese"

"acrid black coffee in precious little cups" This is used to the effect to suggest the darkness (black) possible and inherent in all man-kind, shown especially in the Marquis in this novel.

"purple velvet curtains drawn against the night" This is used to the effect of darkening the room beyond the night outside, as the night may be lit by moonlight, but with "purple velvet curtains drawn against the night" no light will come in, darkening the room to almost pitch black with only the flickering fire. This is used to the effect of emphasising the darker and more negative turn the book takes from this point on.

"little poiret shift of white Muslim"  This is used to emphasise the Innocence which the Narrator has just 'lost', 'taken' by the Marquis. The innocence which the Marquis seems to so enjoy.

"soft white doves that sleep, each with a pink eye open" This is used to the effect of yet again referencing her lost innocence, with white the colour of purity, and doves the birds traditionally released at a wedding. The pink also refers to the old myth that when a woman first loses her virginity she bleeds, pink referring to the blood.

4. The phrase "all the better to see you with" is from the tale of Red Riding hood. Which when it was first written a tale of both listening to parents and bewaring of entrapment of young innocent girls by evil 'wolves.'

The quote itself is said by the wolf, who in Charles Perraults version of the tale convinces the Girl through lies and entrapment to get into bed with him,the wolf. This is used to the effect of referring to the Marquis who through a false veneer has convinced the Narrator to get into bed with him. And only now is the Narrator starting to see what is beyond the disguise to see what he really is, and question it, to which he "answers all the better to see you with" 

More complex:

Appearance is important in the story as they reveal what the characters are really like, with their looks showing what they really are and their clothing the appearance they or someone else are trying to give.

This is shown with the Marquis who dresses smartly described as wearing a "smoking jacket" and a "monocle." and yet the Marquis described as leonine, like a lion "as if all his shoes had soles of velvet" referencing cat's and therefore lions paws "pure silver in his dark mane" "heavy eyelids folded over eyes".These all describe as an animal in paradoxical contrast to the clothes of finery he wears. The Narrator is forced to wear the choker given to her by the Marquis "with trembling fingers, I fastened the thing around my neck.It was as cold as ice and chilled me" the choker is forced upon her to show the Marquis's control and authority over her. This is further reinforced as she does not wear the choker despite being told to do so, this shows us that the Narrator has thrown off his control and authority of her symbolised by the ruby choker This shows the way in which appearance is important in this story as it is used to both hide what that character truly is, the marquis hiding that he is truly an animal, as well as used to show the effect characters have upon one another with the Marquis's choker symbolising his authority and control over the Narrator and eventually his loss of such control and authority.

Magical Realism is a genre where Magic and the supernatural are accepted as a natural part in the realistic environment of the novel or work of fiction, it is often not specified as it is a part of that world and such does not constitute explaining to the characters and inhabitants of that universe. The novel accepts magic as real as any other force within nature and does not feel the need to codify or explain why, expecting the reader to simply accept the magical realism. It is described by Professor Matthew Strecher as "what happens, when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something to strange to believe". Magical realism is possible within the universe of the Bloody chamber though it is never explicitly said. It is hinted in the leonine descriptions of the Marquis "his dark mane" "had soles of velvet." It is also hinted at, in the control that the Marquis seems to at first wield over the Narrator.