The Bloody Chamber

          "The Bloody Chamber" is a short story by Angela Carter that is based on the fairy tale "Bluebeard." It is a more detailed account of the tale with a twist. The wife is still a young girl who becomes attracted to a wealthy mysterious man. She follows the tale of opening that one door he asked her not to and she also drops the key in the dead wives blood. This room is filled with torture equipment instead of only the bodies like in "Bluebeard." The husband presses the key on her forehead which leaves a red heart brand. As soon as he was about to kill her, the girl's mother rides in on a horse and shoots the husband dead. This story by Carter both upholds and subverts the female gender stereotypes. It upholds the patterns because they make the girl disobey orders like Eve did from the beginning. She is also subordinate since the husband thought he can punish her in anyway he thought necessary. The girl was not able to save herself, but instead waited on someone to come and rescue her. This is where the story subverts from the typical female stereotypes. It was not a prince, brother or the blind friend that saved the girl from her pending doom. It was her mother taking charge, riding a horse and carrying a gun. We see a strong female character that was described through out the story as defeating man eating beasts etc. Although the girl had to be saved, she was saved by another woman; which subverts and upholds the patterns of women in fairy tales.