Harold Bloom's Theory of 'Revisionism' and Angela Carter's Fictional Treatment of 'the Fairytale'

Abstract

This thesis explores the mechanisms, conditions and controversies over revision in the light of Harold Bloom's Theory of 'Revisionism'. It also attempts to highlight this new trend in writing fiction, and its impact on postmodern culture. It investigates the influence of violating the canonical (original) fairy tales into revisionary ones on the ideologies of gender in the nineteenth and twentieth century culture. And how these fairy tales have existed as a challenge to feminist authors such as Angela Carter. As Perrault, Grimm, Anderson and others gave these texts proper names, they began to exist as texts of masculine mastery. Focusing on the work of feminist revisionist authors such as Angela Carter, the thesis explores the way these works of masculine literature have existed as a challenge to feminist authors.

Chapter one delves deeply into the theory of revisionism, looking at the different aspects of the theory as defined by the literary critic Harold Bloom. Chapter two illustrates the history of the representation of the female in literature and in society. The chapter then addresses how Angela Carter serves to break through fairy tale cannon by identifying the varying differences between the themes present in Carter’s works and the last iteration of fairy tales. Chapter three focuses on the violence of gendering present through Carter's revisions The Magic Toyshop, The Bloody Chamber, and The Passion of New Eve. Chapter four stresses the explanation of the theory of feminist intertextuality and its relation to revisionism through the reworking of the Bluebeard fairy tale. Key Words: Anxiety of Influence. Revisionism. Feminist Revisionism. Fairytale. Feminist Intertextuality. Violence of Gender.