How far can you apply a feminist reading to Angela Carter's "The Snow Child"?

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 The Snow Child 

The Snow Child was a part of Angela Carters ‘’The Bloody Chamber’’ which was an anthology of short stories. The Snow Child is a story by Carter, where the association between fairytales such as 'Snow White’ and 'Little Red Riding Hood' are merged together with hints of feminism to add to the background of the story. Carter herself being a feminist is an influence to the feminist ideas involved in the story. The anthology was published in 1979 which was a time period where men had more power than women, which still happens today. Carter shows this by using present tense throughout the story, the reason as to why Carter does this to show that although through time women have been able to attain some rights, even today men control women which can be seen through The Snow Child. ‘’I’ll buy you new gloves’’, this implies that everything happens through what the Count desires, the Count has more right upon what the Countess wears more than she has herself.

            Carter constantly portrays masculinity in control of feminine identity; this can be seen through the way that anything the count desires becomes reality. ‘The Snow Child’ is not the ‘child’ of the Counts desires but is actually a creation of his sexual desire. The Count values the Snow Child as nothing more than a sexual object, ‘’As soon as he completed her description, there she stood, beside the road, white skin, red mouth, black hair and stark naked..’’ The Count di  .The Count controls the Snow Childs destiny, this links to the feminist idea that a man controls women’s destiny. The Count has power and dominance which is related to him being a male. The authority of the Count can be seen by the way that whatever he says is fulfilled. ‘’As soon as he completed her description, there she stood…..’’. Another prospective that this can be seen from is that the Count is in position of the author as he has the power to be able to do whatever he likes. Generally, the Counts attitude towards the Countess cannot be judged as the character of the Countess sounds as if she has power through her position.

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          However, the position of her as Countess has been given to her in relation of her being the Counts wife. Therefore this again shows that the power that has been given to her is through a male, which emphasises that she is nothing but an object. This can again be seen as he not only buys her the clothing that she wears ‘’I’ll buy you new gloves’’ but he is also able to dress her and undress her at his own will which again shows the strength of male dominance and the value of a ...

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