Choose one setting Carter uses and discuss how it is significant in the telling of the story.

The Snow Child

The Snow Child in Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber is set in a snowy, midwinter forest reminiscent of European fairytales like Snow White and The Snow-child which were also set in forests. Carter’s use of the snowy forest contains elements of traditional Gothic storytelling, connotations to Marxism and may also be important in establishing an underlying allegory for marriage.

Carter’s use of the setting in The Snow Child contains characteristic Gothic elements to help develop her story, with the first instance of this being in its description “invincible, immaculate”. The use of these adjectives personifies the environment and gives the impression that the forest is beautiful while the idea of invincibility makes us think of it as strong and unbeatable, like a trap. Both entrapment and beauty are elements in Gothic storytelling, and often go hand-in-hand.
Another element of the Gothic that features here is the use of the supernatural or inexplicable, often for dramatic effect or indeed to aid the story. In terms of setting, we know that the Count just so happens to come across a “hole in the snow […] filled with blood”; Carter writes this into the story as if it is just a normal thing for the Count to come across which, in reality, it is not. This use of the inexplicably dark is a classic element of the Gothic.

There also seems to be underlying Marxist connotations within the setting of The Snow Child, which help to aid the view that the story as an allegory for capitalist manipulation of the Earth. The winter could represent the turmoil and struggle that the proletariat suffer, which may be apparent in the line “fresh snow fell on snow already fallen”. It could be that the layers of snow represent generations of working class citizens who have felt the tyranny of the bourgeoisie.
However, the snow may also have other Marxist connotations. It could be that the snow represents ash from the factories, and the fact that the ash now scatters the land (and does so heaps) could signify the way capitalism is wasting and destroying the planet. This is backed up by the line “the whole world was white” which emphasises how far capitalism has spread, or indeed seems to have spread.

The story itself could be interpreted as an allegory for marriage, which may be apparent given Carter’s history of divorce, and its setting could be used to help develop this allegorical point. For example, we know that it is “midwinter” and that the Countess isn't dressed for the occasion “glittering pelts” and “scarlet heels”, so we could assume that the midwinter represents how cold and dead the marriage between the Count and Countess have become.
Also, the description of the snow may represent divorce. Marriage in Victorian times and even nowadays in higher classes was /is considered a sacred union and divorce was/is not considered the norm. Perhaps, the description of it being “invincible” suggests that the Count and Countess have no way of escaping this marriage; that they are forever trapped.

In conclusion, it would seem that setting is a crucial element in Carter’s telling of the story in Snow Child. It not only provides an atmosphere to help set the mood for the story, but also gives us a strong and vivid image of themes which Carter may possibly have wanted to present, from the harsh realities of capitalism to the harsh realities of marriage.