Written Task 2 Question 6 (The Magic Toyshop)

Outline

Written Task 2 (HL)

Outline:

Question: Text and Genre 2: How has the text borrowed from other texts, and with what effects?

Text: The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

Part of the Course: Part 4, Literature – Critical Study

The focus of my written task is to explore how Carter has employed the biblical concepts of religious tradition and morality to establish her presentation of characters, as well as to convey a major thematic concern of the novel; specifically the androcentric nature of twentieth-century British society.

Key points of task:

• Philip’s ‘specially constructed’ performance of Leda and the Swan, and the events that follow, resemble the global (Christian) tradition of Carnival.
• Whereas Philip is presented as an omnipotent, omniscient (but not benevolent) ‘God-like’ being, similar to the God of the Old Testament, and dictates the moral law of the household, Carter presents Finn as ‘The Lord of Misrule’, and thus the catalyst of rebellion against Philip’s authority. Philip and Finn are in constant conflict throughout the novel.
• Carter’s allusion to the ‘marriage concept’ (the patriarchal structures and traditions).
• The wedding dress (symbol of virginity) that Melanie wears in the first chapter and Margaret’s ‘shroud and collar’ dress that she puts on every Sunday are both religious symbols of female beauty and the Christian women’s marriage responsibility.

Written Task 2

Written Task 2 (HL):

In The Magic Toyshop, Carter uses biblical concepts of religious tradition and morality to aid her presentation of characters, as well as to communicate the androcentric nature of twentieth-century British society. Carter draws a parallel between the events of the novel and modern Christian traditions, especially that of Carnival, enabling her to communicate the dissonance that exists between Uncle Philip, who parallels the cruel God of the Old Testament, and Finn, the ‘Lord of Misrule’. In addition, Carter communicates the societal role of women from a Christian perspective, presenting the female characters as fragile and obedient homemakers purposed for marriage and motherhood.

Carter uses biblical allusions to the modern Christian tradition of Carnival to demonstrate the power struggle between Uncle Philip and Finn. Carnival refers to the annual season of public celebration, traditionally held the week before Lent, which involves festivities such as music, dance and masquerade. The concept of Carnival was first introduced as a means to award devout Christians a week to relieve themselves of tradition and duty; Carnival represents a time for all Christians to act without consequence, and thus is associated with anarchy, mischief and societal disorder. Carter introduces the concept of carnival through Uncle Philip’s performances. Performances were a central feature of the Carnival, often marking the beginning of celebrations. Hence, Uncle Philip’s performance of Leda and the Swan is a motif from Greek mythology in which Zeus, the God of the Sky, came to Leda in the body of a swan and forcefully deflowered her. The motif describes an unnatural, violent and lawless act that violates the ‘natural law’ governing Christian morality. Hence, such an action would only be accepted during the period of Carnival. Furthermore, Carter draws a parallel between Zeus and Uncle Philip; not only are both Zeus and Philip presented as authoritative figures in their respective relationships, both characters are also portrayed as expressing their masculine dominance through acts of physical violence against their female counterparts.

Carter presents Finn as the ‘Lord of Misrule’ in the Flower household. Traditionally, the ‘Lord of Misrule’ was an individual selected at random to lead the Carnival celebrations. Therefore, according to Christian tradition, the election of the ‘Lord of Misrule’ symbolizes the world in disarray. In The Magic Toyshop, whilst Finn is the catalyst for chaos and rebellion in the Flower household and is able to seize power in Philips’s absence, Philip is presented as a cruel, selfish man who abuses his power. Through references to the biblical concept of Carnival, Carter communicates the competitive relationship between Finn and Uncle Philip, advocating Finn’s constant struggle to reclaim control and personal freedom from the tyrannical ‘rule’ of Uncle Philip. This is reflected primarily through Finn’s behavior in Uncle Philip’s absence: he begins his ‘rebellion’ by burning Philip’s swan puppet in a drunken rage, which draws a joyous response from the rest of his ‘family’. He then proceeds to wreak havoc in Philip’s ‘kingdom’ by acting against the household rules dictated by Uncle Philip, for example by sitting on Philip’s ‘throne’, cooking an extravagant breakfast, washing and grooming himself ‘with beautiful thoroughness’ (Carter 186), and even wearing Uncle Philip’s clothes. However, upon Philip’s return to the house, the power struggle intensifies as Philip retaliates against Finn in an attempt to preserve his authority; he sets the house on fire in a jealous rage.

In The Magic Toyshop, Carter presents characters that satisfy the patriarchal structures and traditions that serve as the basis for the laws of Christianity. This is first realized in the initial chapter when Melanie tries on her mother’s wedding dress. A wedding dress is symbolic of the beauty, innocence, and virginity of a Christian bride; the traditional white colour of the dress even has theological connotations as white is the colour of angels and Gods. However, Melanie takes a more cynical view to marriage, describing her mother’s wedding dress as ‘a strange way to dress up to lose one’s virginity’ (Carter 13). Through this statement, Carter upholds the view that women are victims of gender discrimination in contemporary society; men view women merely as a means to an end, the ‘end’ in this case being companionship and childbirth to ensure the continuation of the family lineage. Moreover, wedding dresses are conservative, consisting of a large gown and a veil, which functions as a symbol of chastity. This concept of ‘conservation’ is reintroduced through Aunt Margaret’s ‘shroud and collar’ dress that she is forced to wear on a weekly basis. Margaret’s dress, as Melanie describes, is her [Margaret] best dress because it was her only one’ (Carter 111), suggesting that Aunt Margaret does not willingly wear the dress, but rather does so because she is obliged to as Uncle Philip’s wife. Hence, this ‘shroud and collar’ dress is a symbol of male oppression; by forcing Margaret to wear the dress each Sunday, Uncle Philip attempts to remove his wife’s freedom of expression, one of her fundamental human rights, which contributes to Aunt Margaret’s loss of identity. In addition, the collar on the dress connotes a sense of ownership, suggesting that Aunt Margaret is not a human being but rather that she is one of Uncle Philip’s puppets.

Ultimately, Carter’s subtle references to biblical concepts and traditions enrich the content of the novel, aiding her establishment of relationships between the characters, particularly Uncle Philip and Finn, as well as conveying the central theme of the novel: the androcentric nature of twentieth-century British society. Carter further establishes this theme through her characterization; female characters, such as Melanie and Margaret, are presented as subservient, fragile, and reliant on an authoritative male figure. Conversely, male characters, such as Philip and Finn, are driven by their pride, and hence are in a constant struggle for dominion. Therefore, The Magic Toyshop is a feminist novel, through which Carter seeks to demonstrate the corrupting influence of the traditional patriarchal power structure by revealing the disastrous consequences of male dominance: the destruction of the Flower household.

Word Count: 1000

Works Cited:

Carter, Angela. The Magic Toyshop. London. Virago Press, 1967.