Female Eunuch

Feminism during the first pages of ‘The Bloody Chamber’...

The initial introduction to The Bloody Chamber is one of vivid sexual imagery, one which is repressed beneath a variety of alternate meanings, all of which connote sex. The female narrator uses phrases such as “tender”, “ecstasy”, “great pistons”, “thrusting”, “bore me”, all which provoke highly erotic imagery. However the hidden meanings which contain this imagery suggests the idea of the female eunuch, the repression of women’s sexuality and the controversial arguments surrounding it.

There is also reference to the women narrator being merely an object, a female character which to fulfil her role in society, moving from “her child” to “his wife”. She appears to be owned, voided of all freedom and simply a possession. This could relate to further feminist arguments which debate over the true identity of women, and the fight for equal freedom.

However her mother appears to contradict this passive role of the women figure. She emphasises the idea of choice; “Are you sure you want to marry him”, which contradicts the idea that she doesn’t have any freedom or identity. Her mother also appears to be highly powerful, an abnormal female figure. She was described as being “eagle features”, eagles connote great strength and ability and the narrator quotes “Mother had outfaced a junkful of Chinese pirates” and “shot a man eating tiger” all of which holds imagery that we would normally associate with a man, thus creating the illusion that she is equal to men, equally powerful and equally capable. This could imply that the mother’s character reflects women’s fight for justice and equality and the struggle for independence.

Strong feministic views can also be seen arguably in the male figure, in the phrase “that face lay underneath this mask”. This phrase suggests the male figure is ‘faceless’, we as the reader can interpret him, put any face on him we like, therefore he can represent all men. This could suggest that this man is a negative portrayal of the species of man.