Blue Chambers, Bluebooks, and Contes Bleus: Gothic Terror and Female Deviance in Nineteenth-Century Adaptations of ‘Bluebeard’

With its suspenseful atmosphere, mysterious and murderous male protagonist, magical objects, it is hardly surprising that Charles Perrault’s conte bleu ‘La Barbe bleue’ (1697) was the inspiration for numerous Gothic tales in nineteenth century. Some of these adaptations placed devices such as representation terror experienced by Bluebeard’s latest wife within broader nineteenth-century cultural discourse on female deviance, relations with masculine authority dominance. By removing from tale warning against curiosity imprudence focusing wife’s feelings fear terror, amplify intrinsic Gothicism Bluebeard story, thus providing protagonist a psychological depth includes, I demonstrate this study, display variety abnormal behaviours. In adaptations, serves springboard nervous disorders commonly diagnosed century hysteria, monomania, depravity, masochism. Showing interculturality intermediality themes, essay analyses rewritings ‘Bluebeard’ Britain, France, United States, including bluebooks, poems, dramas, short stories.