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Christopher Story

Taylor McCabe

Writing 39B

February 12th, 2017

Bluebeard’s Horror

    The classic fairy tale Bluebeard, written by Charles Perrault, uses horror to engage children on the psychological level in order to teach lessons and provide tools to deal with fear. Fairy tales possess a rich substance for their young audience because these tales often carry messages, moral lessons, and even warnings. During childhood, an individual’s mind is extremely vulnerable to the influence of literature. Author, Maria Tatar, addresses the impact and the significance of fairy tales by stating , “Nothing can be as enriching and satisfying to child and adult alike as the folk fairy tales.”(Tatar 5) Fairy tales have much authority in the moral education of children and adults, which ultimately help them cope with real life obstacles. It is obvious that fairy tales are intended to relay their underlying meaning to the audience, however the nature of these messages can be interpreted differently. One example would be Bettelheim’s analysis of Bluebeard claiming that Perrault is telling a tale of “sexual temptation” to engage the young audience. Furthermore, Bettelheim's statements are arguable, and with close analysis of the rhetoric, rhetor, and audience, it is revealed that Perrault uses horror to reach the young audience, rather than lust.

   

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Psychoanalyst, Bettelheim, brings to attention the symbolism for sex and virginity contained underneath the surface of the rhetoric. He implies that the wife of Bluebeard was having sexual relations with her guests while Bluebeard was away on his business ventures. He also argues, “ The key that opens the door to a secret room suggests associations to the male sexual organ, particularly in first intercourse when the hymen is broken and blood gets on it.” (Bettelheim 300-301) Additionally the unremovable blood stains on the key is relating to the nature of virginity, once it is gone it cannot be retrieved; the process is irreversible. Upon discovery Bluebeard sends his wife to her death, but ultimately is stopped by her brothers. The symbolism in the tale paints the idea that loyalty, marital, and sexual infidelity is punishable by death, and this idea is represented by the social norms during the 17th century. Bettelheim concludes that Perrault’s tale is intended to teach the destructive aspects of sexual feelings in children through the symbolism contained in the rhetoric. While this argument is interesting, upon further analysis it has many faults.

Bluebeard was first published in a book that contained a collection of fairy tales written by Perrault, called “Stories or Fairy Tales from Past Times with Morales”. The majority intended audience was young children which can be supported by the fact that tales were written simple and easily comprehensible. In addition, tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood” obviously told moral lessons specifically pertained to children, as writing for children was a trend for writers during the 17th century. The sexual symbolism contained in Bluebeard is obvious and undeniable, however it is not intended to be picked up by the children audience. Perhaps this alternative idea told in Bluebeard is aimed at another demographic. It is most likely that this

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alternative idea was intended to entertain the parents reading this fairy tale to their children. Bluebeard is unique in the way that it entertains children and adults through the same text, but the rhetoric is comprehended differently between these two demographics. Young children are not going to notice the sexual symbolism let alone understand the concepts behind it. However, the more mature audience may see the sexual symbolism as an alternative theme to the tale, just as Bettelheim did. The significant theme of Bluebeard is indeed horror, and Perrault used horror to engage the children at a psychological level. Horror was also the appropriate choice in conveying the moral lesson, “ Curiosity… can bring with it serious regrets… and it always proves very, very costly.” (Perrault 148) The wife falls into the temptation of curiosity and has to face the deathly consequences when her husband discovers her disobedience.   

Additionally, Bluebeard’s elements are identical to the conventions of the horror genre, which still remain the same in modern day horror stories.The conventions of a genre are elements that are unique to a specific genre, such as setting and characters. Bluebeard’s setting takes place in an impressive castle placed deep in a forest near a small town; this is associated with the typical horror setting, an isolated/small community.It is important to keep the setting realistic so it can be relatable to the audience. Horror tales usually always have a dark plot and often possess elements of death or murder. In Perrault’s tale, the discovery of the murdered wives reveals the sinister plot and the murder element is reintroduced at the end, with the death of Bluebeard himself. A horror story often utilizes supernatural elements to build the unfamiliarity and fear among the audience, but also contributes to the storyline itself. In this case, the supernatural element can be identified in the key to the little room. No matter how hard

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the wife attempted to remove the blood stains off the key, the blood stains would return.  An important symbol in this genre is blood, it is used in many adaptations of horror and continues to be a powerful symbol in horror stories. Blood assumes a huge role in Bluebeard and serves many purposes to the rhetoric. Not only does blood notify the character and the audience of her mistake, foreshadow the protagonist’s fate, and set the tone of the tale by presenting

gruesome imagery, but it is essential to the progression of the plot as well.

The element that most profoundly declares Bluebeard as a horror story is a the character Bluebeard himself. The man with the blue beard embodies almost everything that makes a great antagonist in horror. He appears to be a decent fellow (besides the blue facial hair) and he is human, not something supernatural. This gives the tale realism which allows it to be more relatable to the audience. When a literary character is more realistic it evokes more emotions and this will subsequently increase the desired response to the horror tale. The fact that his beard is blue is significant to his character development. On the one hand, the blue beard physically isolates him from the norm and foreshadows his deeper sinister abnormality. On the other hand, the blue beard unsettles the audience and prepares them for what is to come. Bluebeard’s unusual facial hair serves an internal text and external text purpose that is fundamental to the tale. “There is often a monster/evil that the main characters have to face or defeat” ( Harriet Edwards) Bluebeard appears to be just a man, but his psychopathic behaviors and sinister intentions reveal that Bluebeard is not just a man, he is the monster in this horror tale. He performs disgusting and horrendous actions with no remorse proving to the audience he has an illness, the illness pertaining to the psychological monster harbored inside of his poisoned mind. Bluebeard’s

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insanity is the torque behind this fairy tale, it drives the message to the audience with no lack of explicitness. The fact that Bluebeard’s character is not unfamiliar but is relatable to real life serial killers, intensifies the fear of this tale. A fear of our temptations to yearn for the truth of the known and yearn for the knowledge of the unknown. A fear that a child’s instinctive behavior to explore and discover may lead him/her to an unfortunate fate. A fear that is strong enough to implant the moral message of the fairy tale that Perrault is intending to relay to the children.

This genre is powerful in the way that it attacks the reader’s fears which results in a strong response, making the message of the story easily comprehensible.

Lastly horror is significant because it serves many psychological functions to aid the healthy mental development of a child. According to writer Greg Ruth, “Plainly put, horror provides a playground in which kids can dance with their fears in a safe way that can teach them how to survive monsters and be powerful, too.” ( Greg Ruth) Ruth is simply stating that horror allows children to place themselves as the protagonist while being immersed in their fears as a means of coping with the terror of the story. The protagonist or hero usually defeat the monster and emerge victorious, concluding the story in a “Happily Ever After” ending. The child reader experiences this victory as if it were their own; in a way transferring power from the strong and evil to the weak and virtuous. Everything in early childhood appears to be more powerful than you are, most infrastructure is designed for the giants they know as adults, and almost everything in society seems to be unobtainable without the help of adults. The world from a child’s eyes can be terrifying, but this transfer of power presented in horror provides a coping mechanism to children that is beneficial to their development. Horror tales also have a lot of knowledge to offer

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to the young audience by immersing them in realistic danger. Many fairy tales including Bluebeard immerse the reader in a terrifying situation that is sometimes relatable and not far from reality. This often triggers an innate response of flight which could determine an individual’s survival in a real life scenario; this literary strategy serves as a way to teach children to avoid certain dangers without subjecting them to these dangers in real life. Social fears and anxieties exist in the psyche of most people, but are especially present during childhood. Fears, anxieties, and  inner emotions that inhabit the unconscious mind, can be hidden and often difficult to cope with. Stories with elements of fear provide a mechanism to consciously relinquish these inner fears by serving as a catharsis, relieving stressful and hindering inner conflicts. The elements of fear and disgust presented in Bluebeard are significant to a child’s psychological development because it also serves as a mechanism to help a child deal with real life fears, dangers, and obstacles.

It is important that Perrault’s tale was presented as horror, for this allows for an immediate response and a lasting impression on the children reading it. The sprouting of fear in child readers would effectively deter them from seeking their wild curiosities. Children are vulnerable and are often susceptible to temptations, the result of which could vary, but Perrault argues that it is better to be safe than sorry. A single entertained temptation could risk a child’s well being. However this lesson of curiosity is not only directed towards children, but also towards adults. The warnings of the dangers that accompany curiosity is beneficial to adults as well.  Even though an adult’s psyche is more mature and developed, an adult is still just as susceptible to the temptations of curiosity, which is presented by the wife’s curiosity in

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Bluebeard. With maturity, comes sexual development both mentally and physically. Bettelheim's claims about the presentation of sexual symbolism suggest a theme of marital infidelity and is directed towards the children as well. However, this is unlikely due circumstances of the rhetor and the maturity of the child audience. It is more likely that this theme of sexual and marital infidelity is directed towards the adult audience. Not only do adults have a higher level of maturity, they also have  higher reading comprehension which allows them to analyze the rhetoric, and understand the sexual symbolism. Lastly, Perrault uses the conventions of a good horror story, especially in the characterization of Bluebeard. Along with the setting, plotline, and element of blood, Bluebeard himself drives the element of fear and disgust down the spines of readers. This fairy tale serves to remind the readers that the world is not always designed to allow temptations, because there is always a “Bluebeard” out there.

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Bibliography - Works Cited

Book with Author:

Tatar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales: Texts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, n.d. Print.     

Book with Author:

Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1976. Print.

Article from Website:

Ruth, Greg. "Why Horror Is Good For You (and Even Better for Your Kids)." tor.com N.p., 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.    

Presentation from Website:

Edwards, Harriet. “Conventions of Horror Genre” prezi.com. N.p., 21 Nov. 2012. Web.

Article from Website:

Cherry, Kendra. "What Is Catharsis? Review Your Psychology Terms." Verywell. N.p., 08 June 2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.