The corruption of innocence and the acquisition of experience are common aspects of Carter's stories in "The Bloody Chamber", which are applied to many themes such as sexuality in The Tiger's Bride and The Bloody Chamber, self-awareness in Wolf-Alice, and horror in the collection's namesake. This loss of innocence contributes to the development of the protagonist, as new experiences allow him to free himself from the chains of patriarchy. This idea is linked to Carter's desire to subvert the gothic conventions of women in literature, who are often given the passive role of victim, in an attempt to transform them into powerful figures who are in control of their own identities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Innocence and experience are a key theme of the first story, The Bloody Chamber. From the start, it's obvious that the heroine is not entirely innocent: "I'm sure I want to marry him, I say." This shows that even though she knows the Marquis is dangerous, the heroine is intrigued and excited by the danger presented by a female character who controls her own destiny. This determination stands in contrast to classic Gothic literature, where many women are forced to do what male characters say, with Carter already beginning to introduce feminist ideas early in the story. Besides, her mother does not prevent her daughter from marrying the marquis; it is unclear whether the mother is initially aware of the marquis' dangerous nature, but her decision to remain silent shows that the heroine has the freedom to do whatever she wants. Carter also challenges traditional perceptions of corruption: "I felt within myself a potential for corruption that took my breath away." Traditionally, women are taught to fear corruption, which is subverted by Carter who creates a female character who is not afraid of the consequences of her desires. On the contrary, it excites and arouses the heroine, implying that some women take pleasure in submitting to the desires of men. This reveals the complexity of the female psyche, as the heroine's independent and decisive nature is juxtaposed with a desire to be corrupted. However, at the end of the story, the heroine's experience with the marquis has clearly marked her: "I'm glad he can't see [the red mark]... because it spares me the shame ". It is a constant reminder to the heroine that desire and temptation can terrorize her as much as they can empower her, showing that not all experiences are pleasant. In this context, the heroine is not empowered by her loss of innocence, suggesting that she feels unfulfilled because she has not completed the final act of consummation, which was to be "penetrated." by the sword of the marquis. Although her character is considered unusual compared to women in Gothic literature, her desire to sacrifice herself for the Marquis suggests that she is not as independent as initially thought. It is clear that she will not be able to fulfill this desire in her life with the piano tuner, implying that she will feel incomplete due to the lack of enthusiasm in her later life. The idea of ​​becoming experienced is also explored in The Tiger's Bride. At the beginning of the story, the relationship between the heroine and La Bestia is transactional, since her father lost her in a game of cards: "You must not think that my father valued me unless the ransom of 'a king; but no more than a royal ransom.” This presents the reader with a heroine who is instantly objectified at the beginning of the story, but a heroine who is also incredibly insightfulactions of the male characters. This shows that the heroine's innocence is overestimated by the male characters and changes the reader's perception of her, since women are usually depicted as shy and naive in Gothic literature. As the heroine spends more time with La Bestia, her intrigue for him grows: "I felt my chest tearing as if I had suffered a wonderful wound." In the context of the story, this highlights the heroine's observant nature, as she is wary of La Bestia's unnatural beauty. It is evident that La Bestia is not all that he appears to be and the oxymoron, "wonderful wound", shows that while the heroine feels betrayed, she is also excited by her true nature. It also shows that sex and violence are inextricably linked and fetishizes the idea of ​​inflicting pain or being subjected to pain, once again revealing the complexity of female sexuality and suggesting that sadomasochism does not is not shameful. At the end of the story, the relationship between the heroine and La Bestia becomes consensual, the heroine revealing herself to be a tiger: “I shrugged off the drops of my beautiful fur”. This shows that the heroine has gained experience in liberating herself sexually. In the story, sexuality is embodied by the tiger and the heroine has therefore achieved freedom by embracing her animal side; by freeing herself, this leads her to become the “Sadian Woman” because she now controls her own sexuality. The shift from a transactional relationship to a consensual one shows that there is now an equality between the heroine and La Bestia, as she has been encouraged to embrace her true nature and live, metaphorically and literally, like a tiger. The loss of innocence is also a major aspect of Wolf-Alice, but for different reasons. Wolf-Alice is described as a wild child who "grew up with wild beasts", which reflects her innocence as she does not see the danger these wild animals pose, unlike others. This animal nature is all Wolf-Alice has ever known as she has yet to be introduced to humanity. As a result, she finds comfort in wild animals rather than humans, as she has only been able to learn from them and is therefore ignorant of what human nature is, despite being human. Wolf-Alice begins to lose her innocence as soon as she begins to menstruate: “Her first blood disconcerted her.” This shows that her journey to self-awareness focuses on puberty, as menstruation indicates that she is now becoming more feminine and is now capable of being corrupted by male desire. Puberty also teaches Wolf-Alice the concept of time: “The moon has disappeared; but, little by little, he reappeared.” The discovery of time allows Wolf-Alice to become more self-aware, as she now realizes that she has lived in the past and will live in the future, instead of merely occupying the present. The moon is also a symbol of femininity, again showing how puberty contributes to the development of one's character. The lunar cycle also teaches Wolf-Alice to prepare for menstruation instead of being put off or confused by it. As a result, Wolf-Alice is made more human by learning more about herself and her surroundings. The mirrors also serve to educate Wolf-Alice and allow her to become more aware of herself: “She saw with irritation, then with amusement, how he imitated each of her gestures”. It is clear that Wolf-Alice is still very innocent when she first examines the mirror, as she does not realize that the reflection is of her. Wolf-Alice's reaction to her reflection is similar to that of wild animals, very defensive.