Nights At The Circus - May 31, 2010

Nights at the Circus strikes me as a well written theoretical novel which masks the heavy underlying meanings with a steady captivating plot line. I found it appropriate that such a feminist writer as Angela Carter would create a main character that defies such gendered stereotypes. Sophia Fevvers is depicted as a female in a body designed for a male who both resists and embraces the notion of what a true 'lady' should be. With a combination of her masculine build, towering height, poor table etiquette, infinite appetite, poor manners, and lack of humility when passing gas, Fevvers appears to genuinely disagree with the popular notion of femininity. However her character is not as unpretentious as it seems and therefore to classifying her into one category seems ill fit. In contrast to this she also resorts to various measures to reaffirm her sexuality as the typical seductive female. This can be observed with her elaborate make-up, revealing wardrobe, and motherly instincts. The dynamic character that Sophia Fevvers encompasses has been constructed to cater to the affirmation and invalidation of gender stereotypes.

Angela Carter's use of symbols in Nights at the Circus is the focal technique which allows the text to contain an alternate agenda apart from the storyline evident. It is apparent that not all of the underlying motives are perceptible and I am unable to completely decipher some of Carter`s messages. Such as water for instance, in terms of its use as a rescue method for Walser on multiple occasions. The action of spraying water from the hose is always used against the perpetrator of violence so it can be presumed to share a connection with the abomination of an offender. Similarly to Fevvers` sword from Ma Nelson, water has become a symbolic tool catered specifically to the defence of Walser. An alternative form of symbols found in Nights at the Circus does not necessarily appear in the form of tangible objects but rather an allusion through words. The consistent reference to Greek mythology when describing characters, provides the audience of readers with a elaborate mythological theme to magnify the grandness of the situation. Referring to Fevvers, for example, with terms used to describe the Gods of Greek mythology further emphasizes the majestic significance of her being. From Cupid to a Warrior equipped with a sword (both metaphorically and literally), the magnitude of Sophia Fevvers is consistently reaffirmed.