Postmodern Feminist strategies “Bluebeard’s Egg” as an Example

Feminisms 1. women's positions in patriarchal society and discourses 2. history of feminist movement & writings 3. Feminisms and Gender Studies: Radical Feminism, French Feminism, Post-Feminism, (Lesbian Feminism, Taiwanese Feminisms) 4. Postmodern Feminist strategies

Feminist strategies: Examples Social/ Theoretical in the 60’s – 70’s Gender equality in public sphere A. Separatism, lesbianism B. Sexual Liberation Literary Criticism Sexual Politics in traditional lit.; Androgyny A. Exclusive focus only on women’s writings B. Celebrating femininity, feminine writing and desire Gender Studies

Feminist Artistic strategies: Some Examples Critiques: reveal gender biases 菊豆 Empower female characters and their works; Examples: “Granny Weatherall” Celebrating femininity; Discovering Female Desire: The Piano; Georgia O'Keeffe；”野獸派” feminine writing: Films by Lea Pool and Rozema, poems by 夏宇 Revising tradition:姜嫄 Open accusation: Barbara Kruger

Postmodern feminist literary strategies: the use of duality (2) Themes: Construction of identity through relationships; blurring of gender boundaries; dual identity (腹語術，The Piano). Alternative world: Fantasies, magic realism, utopia or distopia Style: revision of history or traditional texts, parody, mimicry and metafiction Dual language: irony and ambiguity; or feminine writing (subversive of binaries and fixed meanings).

Postmodern Feminist Artistic strategies: Dual language Open rebellion or ventriloquist and implicitly co-opting? Open accusation: Barbara Kruger; (accusation+mimicry)ㄐ一ㄢ視 Revising male texts/tradition such as fairy tales to allow female space: Atwood’s “Blue Beard’s Egg”; “腹語術” Irony: “Rape Fantasies”; “重金屬” Parody: some feminist paintings﹔”某些雙人舞” Parody + intertexuality: Mermaids Mimicry; Cindy Sherman, Madonna

"Bluebeard's Egg“: Background—the fairy tales 1.the fairy tale: "Blue Beard's Egg": p. 137; wizard, three daughters, forbidden room, the egg – an important symbol 2.the fairy-tale setting and the other motifs of fairy-tale or child play: forest, sauce, playhouse, prehistoric windbreaker, games (Monopoly 132, Pick Up Sticks p. 145) egg: fertility symbol; forbidden area+ blood//women’s loss of virginity revising the fairy-tale, and scrambling of the other fairy-tale elements.

"Bluebeard's Egg“: Background—the marriage 3.Sally, the third wife of Ed. The previous two wive--reasons for departure unknown: pp. 117; 131 4.Ed, a heard doctor. --> heart, another important symbol in this story

Sally's marriage 1 : Her relationship with Ed 1.her view of Ed, her husband: p. 116 (reversing the blonde tradition); p. 117; influenced by fairy-tales and murder mysteries 2.insecure about her identity, but actually strong and patronizing/mothering the men around her: 122-23 3.her relation with Ed.: 118; Ed as the center of her life 4.worry about her being a "nothing" like Marilyn in marriage p. 122

Sally's marriage 2 : Sally's worries, misunderstanding and misgiving. . . I. in terms of fairy-tale motifs: p. 121-- the other women and Sally's worries p. 130--The women will chew him up. (A reversal of the Bluebeard plot) Ed like a Russian doll 133; wandering in a forest--like Hans or the Little Red-Riding Hood who gets lucky? 133 the ice-made house breaking apart 134

Sally's marriage 3 : Clues to Ed's hypocrisy Ed’s stupidity or indifference? pp. 117, 125; indifferent to her e.g. the heart machine episode p. 128 p. 129-- mechanical love-making Marilyn's remarks p. 120 (Ed as a shiny button); p. 142 (getting a seeing-eye dog for him)

Sally's growth (or initiation) 1. Feminist ideas emerging in Sally take courses to interest Ed, 125; real reason: to distract herself from him 134 Her joke about heart surgery 126. Her reading of the fairy-tale on p. 137 Sally is asked to revise the story of Bluebeard.

Sally's growth (or initiation) 2. Turning point The party: Sally prepares the meal while thinking about Ed as the egg p. 140 the discovery p. 144 Multiple interpretations 1. Really happened? 2. Ed intoxicated? 3. "Possibly Ed is not stupid. Possibly he is enormously clever." (145)

Sally's growth (or initiation) Turning point fairy-tale forbidden area Ed as the egg p. 140 Actually filled with chopped up women. Ed being the womanizer

Sally's growth (or initiation) 3. ambiguous ending a heart--in black and white-- that will go on and on, over which she has no control. an egg which suggests new possiblities