In my seminar, which
dealt with British literature, we discussed an interesting short story by
Angela Carter called The Snow Child,
and I would like to share some of my ideas concerning it.
In the short story The Snow Child two female characters the
Countess, the Count’s wife, and the Snow Child, are objectified in order to
portray the masculine control over female identity. In the opening sentences
the Countess is described only physically. She is wrapped in the glittering
pelts of black foxes, and she wears high, shining boots with scarlet heels. She
seems to exist only “through” her husband; she is the Countess—the wife of the
Count. Her own personality is not important. While they are riding during the
midwinter “fresh snow fell on snow already fallen,” which could be interpreted
as foreshadowing: the replacement of the old by the new; the Countess will be
replaced by the Snow Child. It seems that every sentence, every word in the
story carries meaning: midwinter is described as “invincible” (superiority of
the Count and the Countess) and “immaculate,” which could stand for innocence
of the Snow Child.
In a further section the Snow Child emerges as
an objectified sex symbol, as materialization of the Count’s wish: “She was the
child of his desire.” He has the authority and power over the Countess and over
the Snow Child: “As soon as he completed her description, there she
stood.” The red color which is evoked
many times in the text (the Countess’ scarlet heels, the child’s red mouth, the
hole filled with blood) symbolizes vagina, or rather femininity in general. The Snow Child pricks her finger on the torn of a
rose. Then she bleeds, which can be seen as a symbol of menstruation. She
becomes capable of sexual act. She has fulfilled her purpose as sexual object
and now she can die. What remains of her are a feather, a bloodstain, and a
rose—a small collection of objects.
While the Count is raping the Snow Child’s remains the Countess cannot
do anything because she has no power at all.
In the final scene, the Countess has all her clothes again on (earlier in
the story she was undressed by his will; he could do with her ,and all other
women, whatever he wanted to), and the Count hands her the rose which could be
read as kind of her triumph. However, she is not happy; she says: “It bites!”
The rose symbolizes their besmirched love. This love was constructed of the
male power and destructed by the emergence of the other female (the Snow
Child). Femininity means suffering and being inferior to men.
