How does Carter present women in her story collection 'The Bloody Chamber'?

As exemplified in her story 'Wolf Alice', Carter rescues women from the "Old bottles" of outdated patriarchal ideals with the "new wine" of her Second Wave Feminist agenda. In contrast to the traditions of the fairytale genre, in 'Wolf Alice' (the final story of the collection) titular Alice saves her male counterpart the Duke from his crushing state of limbo, allowing him to find his identity and escape the identity imposed upon him by society: "with her soft, moist, gentle tongue, finally the face of the Duke." As the final story in the collection, Carter uses this as a key structural event, allowing the collection to close upon an image of female empowerment, thereby refuting the common fairytale trope of the damsel in distress.

JR
Answered by Jenny R. English Literature tutor

6971 Views

See similar English Literature A Level tutors

Related English Literature A Level answers

All answers ▸

Compare how the barriers of love are presented in at least two texts you have studied.


What is the best way to structure a one hour exam essay on Shakespeare?


How do I use a quote successfully in an essay?


Compare the Portrayal of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning