Modernist features

 Postmodernist aesthetics:
o https://www.scielo.br/j/ides/a/HbwvyxfWYctg3d89qD7bMxJ/
o Dialogism or intertextuality, it is a text constructed through many different texts.
There’s a lot of secondary sources the narrator uses; the whole book is based on
external elements and secondary sources
 French Lieutenant’s Woman: The narrator has used external texts inside
this text. Epigraphs and footnotes. There are quotes at the beginning of
each chapter. The intention of the epigraph is the same, geves you clues, if
there’s one at the beginning of the book, there are clues about the whole
text, if there’s on at every chapter there are clues only for the chapter. The
narrator is responsible for choosing the epigraphs at the chapter, the one at
the beginning is being chosen by the author. Difference between narrator
and author is marked by the epigraphs, and there’s a point in the novel
where the narrator, describing himself looks very similar to John Fowles
but is not John Fowles, that is used to mark the fiction of the novel. The
narrator belongs in the world of fiction. These epigraphs and the footnotes
are taking us into an specific direction. Thomas Hardy, Karl Marx, Charles
Darwin, Matthew Arnold, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Jane Austen are
pointing us to the past, the 19th century. There’s a mixture between fiction
and essay writing, Hardy, Arnold, and Austen are essay writers, Marx,
Darwin and Tennyson are essay writers about politics and philosophy we
have fiction and politics from the past at the same time, fiction and non-
fiction elements constructing the text. The text is constructed through very
different voices (dialogism). We see the more marginal works of Thomas
Hardy (poet). Coral authorship of the text, intertextuality. All text are at
the same level amongst different kinds of text and placing context.
Footnotes in order to clarify Victorianism, because the text is not written
in the Victorian period.
 Bloody Chamber: The adaptation changes in tune with the times. Every
rewriting has to do with a feminist reading or a Marxist reading of the tale.
Deconstructing the binaries. Is it possible? It’s not gender politics in a tale
but the tale itself is the gender politics.For example, The Bloody Chamber
– “bluebeard”. Test or trust obedience and demonization of curiosity. This
story sets the mood, the themes and the atmosphere for the proposal Carter
wants to share with the readers. “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”, “The
Tiger’s Bride” – “Beauty and the Beast” (domestication of sexuality), he
improves because she is sacrificial. “The Werewolf, “The company of
Wolves, “Wolf Alice” – “Little Red Riding Hood” meets Alice in
Wonderland (straying off the path). “Puss in boots” (comical, light). “The
Earl-King” obscure folklore. “The snow white” – “Snow Whites meets
medieval fables” (mother’s jealousy for younger competitor) always
 competition for male attention. “The Lady of the House of Love” –
“Sleeping beauty” meets Gothic tradition of vampires (female passivity).
“Above the syncopated…snow” image of a lion hunting. “He was older…
by the year” Remembrance of The Picture of Dorian Grey, from
Victiorianism. Wearing the mask is a postmodern symbol, there’s also a
reference to Beauty and the Beast where behind the mask of the beast
there’s a prince. “I was seventeen…” cliché, being naïve… “Dead
three…” References to Rebecca, she’s perfect bcs she’s dead. References
to Jane Eyre. “The tiger will never lie” meaning that although he has
appetite you should defend yourself. “All the better to see you”, it reminds
us when ‘Caperucita Roja’ was gonna be eaten. “Of her apparel” quoting
Baudelaire. Image of mirror to offer multiplicity, possibility of becoming
multiple characters.
https://www.academia.edu/download/38956278/Intertextuality_and_the_F
airy_Tale_in_Angela_Carters_The_Bloody_Chamber.pdf
o Homage/parody, parody in postmodernism is imitation (writing in the style of);
the narrator consciously writes as a Victorian, in order to bring the attention of the
reader that there’s a specific way of writing on every age (Victorian) and a
different effect on the reader.
 French Lieutenant’s Woman: Sarah’s anticipation of freedom women have
in the 20th century, more than in Victorianism. “Computer in her heart”
and the anticipation of freedom are prolepsis. Text that’s using
Victiorianism as an excuse to write about speculation. What if we place a
woman with the knowledge of the 20th century into the 19th century. A
novel about contrast. Distinction between Victorians and modern society,
if you place a moder thinking woman in the Victorian society there’s
disruption. It’s science fiction ‘a traveler from the future’. The difference
is that she is not aware or conscious that she’s a modern women and
thinker. Form this moment the novel becomes completely different from a
Victorian tale. It’s a novel about alienation, freedom and evolution (Marx
and Darwin). Karl Marx, when tells us that life is about alienation and
Darwin as the philosopher of evolution.
 Bloody Chamber: Use of language: interested in mimicking writers of the
17th century. She uses language in a convoluted and sophisticated way.
How she goes to places in order to make women be in control of their
story. The women are in absolute control of the narrative, the story, she
takes power from the narrator and gives it to the female character. She
turns the tables. There’s provocation, graphic and violent content. Carter
has interest in narrative models that pre-date the novel: fairytales,
folktales, and other forms that develop by accretion and retailing (Lorna
Sage). She goes to models that escape this kind of technique and liberates
it from this idea. Folktales have more to do with a certain community and
its certain community, and tales old by adult to other adults. Fairytales are
 more for children. Fable is about speaking animals. Fairytale is based on
retelling. The tale has already been subject to adaptation, it can be adapted
an readapted, told and retold.
http://www.openaccess.hacettepe.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/
11655/1270/3db3c71f-ff92-4a8f-b603-484b225f4af6.pdf?
sequence=1&isAllowed=y
o Metafiction, it doesn’t matter what the text is about, it’s always about making
fiction, it’s fiction about fiction, a product and there’s no interest in imitating
reality:
 French Lieutenant’s Woman: pastiche.
http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol03/11/17.pdf
 From Victorian tale to science fiction.
 Bloody Chamber: Magic realism: written in a realistic style, something we
can relate to, but introducing magic elements. A way of reimagining
reality, a way of introducing a kid of utopian though into reality,
establishing a blurring of boundaries. Gothic fantasy: mistery, horror,
darkness, death, castles. Still in contemporary times. It’s still on
contemporary times because it’s about darkness. Science fiction: about not
the future but the present, asking what is this happening. It proposes what
if, by changing the status quo. Taking the debate somewhere else. Fairy
tales, eroticism (topic works and reworks on eroticism although the target
of fairy tales are children. Surrealism, Shakespeare, music hall… Style
influenced by Japanese culture (travelled in 1969).
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26809407?read-
now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents