The notion that women are inherently susceptible to corruption is one that is commonly explored in the Gothic genre, which in this case of ‘The Bloody Chamber’, heightens the sense of foreboding and gives the reader considerable cause for concern as to the fate of the narrator.

The juxtaposing colours, the white with connotations of innocence and the red with connotations of evil and lust, demonstrate the possibility for corruption that makes the narrator so vulnerable to the Marquis. Colour semiotics are so often used to depict characters in Gothic fiction, and here it is no different. Perhaps the most telling indicator of the narrator’s character is her clothing: ‘the white muslin’ and the ‘crimson jewels…bright as arterial blood’. The short story takes the form of a first person narrative, and this form introduces the reader to the other main character, this familiar pattern of Gothic narrative allowing the reader a greater insight into her character, as she undergoes a period of transition from childhood to womanhood, the catalyst being her impending marriage. Here, Carter creates an overwhelming sense of foreboding, something that Gothic writing often depends upon to achieve one of its foremost aims: to frighten the reader. This is emphasised through Carter’s use of floriography in comparing the Marquis to ‘a lily’, a funeral flower, foreshadowing that he will be the death of her. Human or not, Carter makes it clear that Marquis is a danger to the narrator. The repetition of the animalistic imagery leads the reader to question whether or not the Marquis is fully human, with the knowledge that the Gothic genre typically includes aspects of the supernatural. The allusion to beastly qualities made so early on in the narrative is stark, as the narrator describes the ‘the leonine shape of his head’ and ‘his dark mane’, likening the Marquis to a lion, indicative of his predatorial nature. The narrator gives a detailed description of her lover, and it is from this that the reader is so easily able to predict the fate of the narrator, since the Marquis displays numerous qualities of a typical Gothic antagonist.

This passage in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ provides an introduction of the two main characters to the reader.

In the bloody chamber