Sensualidad, deseo y perversión en “The bloody chamber” de Carter y Barbe bleue de Nothomb

The present work proposes a comparative reading of the short story “The Bloody Chamber” (1988) by Angela Carter and the novel Barbe bleue (2014) by Amélie Nothomb, with the aim of analyzing the rewriting operation both authors perform, using Charles Perrault’s famous tale “Bluebeard” as the hypotext. Both Carter and Nothomb revisit a genre traditionally considered minor, the fairy tale, and offer a subversive and innovative perspective, particularly concerning the construction of female subjectivity. This is a deconstructive gesture that characterizes various contemporary women writers who, as critics have pointed out, have delved into the problematization of generic models inherent in traditional narratives (Juliano, 1992; Secreto, 2013; Bacchilega, 1997 and 2013). In this regard, we believe that, through their protagonists, both versions challenge gender stereotypes while allowing a deeper exploration of aspects related to female desire, inseparable from self-discovery, perversity, and even the death drive. Even though both works exhibit an exaggerated sensuality and a decadent atmosphere imbued with irony, “The Bloody Chamber” stands out for its questioning of all forms of binarism and the enjoyment of sadistic sexuality (Piña, 2012), whereas Barbe bleue highlights the undermining of the victim’s role and the implications of setting the story in the present day (Locic, 2019).