Tiger's Bride Research and Questions

Task 1 – Facts

Research the following people and include examples of their work.

Andrea Mantegna: 1431-1506, Italian painter and student of Roman archaeology son in law to Jacopo Bellini. His most famous pieces of art are; the agony of the garden painted 1455, the Madonna of the cherubim painted in 1485 and the San Zeno altarpiece painted in 1457-1460. Andrea often experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality. His flinty, metallic landscapes and somewhat stony figures give evidence of a fundamentally sculptural approach to painting. 

Guilio Romana: 1499-1546. An Italian painter and architect, as well as a student of Raphael. He's most well-known for five of his paintings: The stoning of St Stephen,the Adoration of Magi, the fire in the Borgo,the battle of Milivian bridge, and the triumph of Titus and Vespeasian. An Italian painter and architect. His stylistic deviations from high Renaissance classicism help define the 16th-century style known as Mannerism. Giulio's drawings have long been treasured by collectors; contemporary prints of them engraved by Marc Antonio Raimondi were a significant contribution to the spread of 16th-century Italian style throughout Europe.

Benvenuto Cellini: 1500-1571. An Italian goldsmith, sculptor, draftsman, soldier and musician. Some of his most famous works are: the statue perseus with the head of medusa,a life sized silver statue of jupiter and finally a gold enamelled sculpture called saliera. He was one of the most important artists of Mannerism. His first works in Rome were a silver casket, silver candlesticks, and a vase for the bishop of Salamanca, which won him the approval of Pope Clement VII.

Task 2; Definitions

Assuage: make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense or to comfort
Awry: away from the usual or expected course or out of the normal or correct position.
Axiom: a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.
Capsico:Understand? (Questioning whether someone understands)
Ciliate:a single-celled animal of a large and diverse phylum.
Civet: a slender nocturnal carnivorous mammal (feline) with a barred and spotted coat
Desnuda:Naked, Bare, unclad, nude
excoriating: too damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).

expostulating: too express strong disapproval or disagreement.

eyrie: a large nest of an eagle or other bird of prey, built high in a tree or on a cliff.

gavotte: a medium-paced French dance, popular in the 18th century.

gracile:attractively slender or thin

megalomaniac: a person who has an obsessive desire for power.

metaphysical: a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it

minuet: a slow, stately ballroom dance for two in triple time, popular especially in the 18th century.

molto agitato:very agitated

Nascent:  just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.

obsequiousness: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

ostler:  a man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn.

Patina: a green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period.

preternatural: beyond what is normal or natural.

Profligate: recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

settecento:seven hundred

shagreen:sharkskin used as a decorative material or, due to its natural rough surface of pointed scales, as an abrasive.

Simian: relating to or affecting apes or monkeys.

simulacra: an image or representation of someone or something.

soubrette:a minor female role in a comedy, typically that of a pert maidservant.

spar: to fight (in practice) or a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a ship.

spurious: not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

tantivy:a rapid gallop or ride

tintinnabulation: a ringing or tinkling sound.

viscera: the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines.

Task 3 Questions

1.      What are ‘the devil’s picture books’?

'The Devils Picture Books' refers to a deck of cards held by the payers during their game. They are made to be objects of evil, as they often lead to people gambling and losing their money, which is referred to in the bible as 'The root of all evil,'.

2.      What type of language is Carter using when the narrator calls The Beast ‘Milord’?

The language Carter is using when calling The Beast 'Milord' is sarcastic as it shows the narrators feelings towards him showing no love or enchantment when addressing him, suggesting her repulsion and bitterness. By calling him 'Milord' it presents a powers of sorts over the girl, as the term links to a patriarchal society; saying it sarcastically may suggest she a lacking respect for him. This signifies the pride and wit of this female protagonist, as it is uncommon for women to mock men of such high status

3.      When The Beast gives the girl a white rose. What do white roses symbolise in this collection and why are they used more than once (also in ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’)?

In this collection white roses symbolise romance as the Beast gives the girl a single white rose when first meeting her and then a bunch of them later on in the story. This to the girl is a romantic cliché and therefore she is unappreciative of his gift along with a lack of feelings for him and bitterness involved in her character. Purity may also be suggested by white roses however in this collection the girl 'gets his rose all smeared in blood' which could show how she is not pure as the colour changes from white to red, referring to danger and passion and of course the potential for corruption may have already been exploited. White roses are often associated with romance, and also purity and virginity due to the colour. It is first mentioned in the previous story, 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon,' as is here shown to be a gift for the Fathers 'girl child,' signifying his love for her. Within this story, the roses are used more than once. Firstly, they are given as a gift to the narrator form the Beast, seemingly as some sort of gift, to 'reconcile' any hurt emotions she may feel at being lost to the Beast by her Father. They are then used shortly afterwards as a symbol of a forgiveness from the narrator to her own father, to say that she has forgiven his misdeeds. However, when she hands over the rose which has been bloodied from her pricked finger, this symbolises the brokenness of the apology, and will act as a reminder to the father of his actions as the rose is now stained and tainted, never to be the same, much like the narrators feelings for her father.     

4.      What might be significant about the verb choice ‘fleeced’?

The verb 'fleeced' is significant as it allows the reader to understand how awful the girls life was before meeting the Beast, due to her having nothing as her father gambled it all away which makes the reader feel sympathy because they are able to gain insight and background instead of making judgement. They were 'swindled' out of a great deal of money, as they were overcharged and taken advantage of by the people of their new town. However, 'fleeced' also suggests that they were covered with a material, perhaps made blind to the open world and were not allowed to see the on goings of their surrounding ‘true’ world.

5.      Which fairy tale does ‘gobble you up’ come from and why is it referred to?

'Gobble you up' comes from the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood and is referred to because it links to the Beast and the idea that all this man/lion wants is sex from the young girl, which repulses her as he is an animal figure. Yet as we learn later all the Beast wants to do is to look at the 'pretty lady unclothed nude', suggesting the reader may have judged him from this reference to the fairy tale. 'Gobble you up' is a line from another common fairy tale 'Three Billy Goats gruff' where a troll is trying to eat 3 billy goats as they cross the bridge trying to escape with their lives, they trick the troll, and in the end the troll is killed. Within this story, it could be said to have connotations of rape or assault, and is used as a threat to the narrator, suggesting that something sinister awaits her.

6.      What tells the reader that the inhabitants are not driven by appearances or luxuries?

The reader is told the inhabitants are not driven by luxuries or appearances as the Beast is seen as unhappy even though he has wealth because of him wanting more than just materialistic objects or looks. This is suggested in the introduction of the girl as it is her love he strives for throughout the story and therefore shows he is not driven by luxuries or appearances but romance.

We are told that the Beast 'bought solitude, not luxury,' which tells us that the Beast thinks little of material possessions and appearances, and we can also see that the inhabitants of his home seem happy enough without the luxury, as the horse 'trotted' into the great hall. This suggests that the Beast is searching for something more than wealth to bring him happiness, perhaps a woman like he has summoned.

7.      What is the significance of the fresco ‘where fruit and blossom grew on the bough together’?

The significance of the fresco ‘where fruit and blossom grew on the bough together' is it shows unity and how the house brings people together, which is foreshadowed at the end of the story as the girl finally accepts the Beast allowing them to develop their relationship as she is able to feel close to him.It suggests the Beasts strong belief of nature and humans coinciding peacefully. It also suggests he feels as though animals should be treated as equals, showing that he has clearly been mistreated due to his animalistic nature and wishes he would be treated similarly to other humans even though he is not one.

8.      What is the description of the soubrette supposed to suggest to the reader?

The description of the soubrette suggests to the reader that she is there to show the girl depth into her life as she is described as a 'clockwork twin' due to her features being exactly the same as the girls, who allows her to see when she first arrived at the Beast's house and her and her father’s actions. This means the girl is able to change the way she acts so that the soubrette is no longer a resemblance of her.The description of the soubrette machine suggests to the reader that the Beast does not like to have many human servants around, similarly to Mr Lyon from the previous tale, as it reminds him of his inhuman self. The Soubrette seems also to be a perfect image of femininity, and also is described to look the same as the narrator, which could tell of the Beasts pleasure of the female which may be why he wishes to see the heroine naked.

9.      How does the girl compare herself to animals?

The narrator compares herself to animals as she states that she 'wished she had rolled in ray' so that she could be alike to animals in the way that they do not have to endure humiliating rituals such as this one. She also later goes on to say that she 'larruped and harrumphed' on her way to the stables, likening herself to a horse, perhaps suggesting her desire to be free and wild instead of confined to the Beasts home.

10.  In light of the end of this story, analyse the phrase, ‘The tiger will never lie down with the lamb; he acknowledges no pact that is not reciprocal’.

The phrase 'The tiger will never lie down with the lamb; he acknowledges no pact that is not reciprocal’ suggests that even though this being is a Beast, he would not bring harm to her as it was never his or her wish.

Essay Titles – select one of the tasks below (optional)

1.      Compare and contrast the male characters in ‘The Bloody Chamber’ and ‘The Tiger’s Bride’.

2.      How does Carter present virginity in ‘The Tiger’s Bride’ and one other story from this collection?