The tale of Bluebeard has fascinated writers, directors, photographers and artists throughout history and beyond national borders . Coming from the European oral tradition, the first and most famous written version is Charles Perrault's La Barbe Bleue, published in 1697. Developing the story of a murderous aristocrat whose wives have all mysteriously disappeared, Perrault's tale inscribes patriarchal power structures; elevating the male figure by emphasizing female oppression and silence. By appropriating Perrault's Bluebeard, feminist writers have been able to subvert traditional assumptions about knowledge and power to critique the tale as a discourse that produces disparate representation of genders. In her short story The Bloody Chamber (1979), Angela Carter takes the essence of the original tale and reworks it so that its social contexts of patriarchal power dynamics become meaningful to modern readers. Jane Campion's film The Piano (1993) also tells the story of Bluebeard in the context of nineteenth-century New Zealand. Both Carter's and Campion's texts engage with late 20th century feminist values ​​and principles. In both texts, the prevailing notion of female curiosity, traditionally perceived as disobedience, is explored. But instead, knowledge of one's desires is used to empower, not punish, the female protagonists. Complicated female voices are also present in both texts, which effectively shifts the dynamics of patriarchal power in Perrault's story. Although Carter and Campion's feminist rewrites incorporate key elements, it is their complication of these elements that departs dramatically from the values ​​of the original Bluebeard. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The notion of the purely feminine trait of curiosity is addressed in The Bloody Chamber within the framework of the fairy tale genre. Since the book of Genesis, women were seen as descendants of Eve; whose knowledge and independent sexuality are deemed equally punishable. Carter's female protagonist uses her new knowledge and active sexuality to her advantage; which actually plays on Perrault's misogynistic version. As the narrator spies on the Marquis looking longingly at her through a mirror, she catches her own reflection, recognizing for the first time “a potential for corruption” in her “innocent and confined life.” The knowledge that she can excite her husband's gaze ignites her intrigue towards her sexual power. When the Marquis takes her virginity, she notes during intercourse that she "heard him shout and swear during his orgasm", as if the power of her virginity weakened him and she could see through his usual "deadly composure". Initially, the loss of virginity is presented as something that makes the narrator feel "infinitely disheveled", but leads her to recognize her independent sexuality, describing it as "reborn in her unthinking eyes". He fully realizes that "it must have been my innocence that fascinated him" and knows that "my naivety gave him a certain pleasure." The narrator's confidence and desperation for greater knowledge can be traced as he disobeys the Marquis's strict directions to satisfy his "dark newborn curiosity." This newfound confidence is shown as he walks through the creepy chamber and remarks "I still wasn't afraid", and later in the piano room, "Fear gave me strength. I threw my head back defiantly." The challenge ofnarrator towards the Marquis grows as he discovers more; less prepared to receive punishment for her curiosity, as she states “I didn't do anything; but this may be sufficient reason to condemn me." Therefore, while Perrault warns his readers or listeners against excessive curiosity and marital disobedience, Carter is communicating the opposite. Angela Carter showed the "purely feminine" characteristic of curiosity is a strength that shines through in adversity, not a strength that needs discipline or punishment. As a contemporary female director, Campion's modern sensibility allows her to deconstruct the perceptions of female sexuality and curiosity conveyed in Perrault's films. tale. Set in nineteenth-century colonial New Zealand, The Piano follows the story of a mute mail-order bride and talented pianist, Ada, who is sent into an arranged marriage with settler Alistair Stewart, but finds herself romantically involved with her neighbor George Baines. . Similar to Carter's text, the film's female protagonist's intrigue and self-defined expression of desire is a path to emancipation, not "deep remorse." Ada brings with her a piano, an object through which she vividly expresses her emotions and attracts Baines' attention. After asking Ada for piano lessons in her cabin, Baines strikes a deal with her in which she takes back one of the piano keys for each visit and, in exchange, allows him to caress her while she plays. In order to get her piano back, Ada willingly accepts the agreement and its consequences. Baines's hut symbolizes the forbidden chamber in both Perrault's and Carter's texts; a place where a woman's curiosity overcomes her and leads her to punishment. However, in the ensuing trial, Ada herself is sexually awakened by Baines. By being able to recognize herself as a sexual being, Ada recognizes the control she has over Baines, and therefore over men in general. With her sexual desires awakened, but her access to Baines limited, Ada turns to Stewart for sensual contact. In a scene where she caresses his body and buttocks, she uses her newfound sexual awareness to control Stewart, withdrawing when he tries to participate. Unlike a traditional fairy tale with an impartial third-person narrator, Carter rewrites Bluebeard from an intradiegetic point of view. sight of his fourth wife. Allowing the woman to narrate her own story gives the reader deeper insight into her conscious thoughts and reflections, thus complicating it beyond Perrault's purely physical description of a “perfect beauty.” The narrator repeatedly states "I was just a little girl" and "I was just a little girl. I didn't understand," in which the past conveys an empowered, retrospective voice that negatively reflects on itself. By suggesting that woman moved beyond her role as marquise, Carter debunked the purely biological role of women in Perrault's Gothic fiction. The surprising twist in Carter's plot is the role of the narrator's mother, who is presented as a strong, independent and fearless woman who has become "magnificently eccentric in hardship" through the death of her beloved husband. Early in the story, the narrator states that his mother had once “tackled a bunch of Chinese pirates; he cured a village during a plague epidemic, killed a man-eating tiger with his own hands.” This description alone shows an alternative characterization of women: active, courageous and capable. He is later seen to come to his daughter's rescue and save her from imminent death, thus replacing a heroic figure that is usually the purview of males. Before her..