Explain how carter uses language to change the voice of the narrator throughout the bloody chamber

Later, the theme of sex is furtherly explored and language is used again to represent change in the narrator’s voice. For example, “her cunt a split fig” this is heightened language. This could indicate an imitation of the marquis’s attitude towards sex, confrontational and desensitized. Therefore showing that through a self realization of shame through her materialistic intentions and for where they led her, she may believe that she is no better than him, and therefore is acting like him. The juxtaposition of reaction towards sex in the novel could indicate that she perhaps is mentally damaged to an extent of which is relative to mental illness, and therefore could suggest that her account lacks reliability. Also, because the voice is referring to the past tense this could indicate that her taboo language is expressed through spite and discontent presently, and therefore because it is spoken retrospectively it defies the happy ending cliché evident in generic fairytales. Carter’s intention here was to emphasize the current emotional state of the narrator, and to therefore make the reader question her reliability as a source. Also, her intention could be to corrode the ‘happy ever after’ fairytale ending, because bluebeard featured this, through using intertexuality she brings a sense of realism into the story.

Carter uses language devices to depict change in the narrator’s voice. For example, “lamb chop” “appetite” “artichoke” are all words relative to the semantic field of food. Food is a necessary and regular requirement, and therefore the narrator feels that this is parallel to her husband’s libido. Also, food is something that is bought and owned by the buyer, this could questionably be relative to the narrators position, as what she wanted from him was purely materialistic and so her love has been bought by him, and she may feel like his possession and therefore obligatory to his needs.  This implicates his needs, but her passion isn’t evident and therefore the sexual area of their relationship is entirely his lust. Carter’s intention here was to show that men generally see and treat women as inanimate objects, and therefore when a woman’s opinion and attitude towards sex, among other things relative to a relationship is ignored, the relationship is unequal. And therefore Carter is emphasizing that unequal relationships are wrong.