Curiosity killed the... woman: Modern rewritings of "bluebeard" in literary representations of marital abuse

Abstract

Charles Perrault's fairy tale, ("Bluebeard" 1697) seems to have struck a chord in the global and collective imagination, and has been continuously revisited over time through different genres-fiction, theatre, operas and films. Whilst, like many fairy tales, it is about the rite of passage of a girl into womanhood, the narrative addresses the question of possible abuse awaiting innocent young women entering into early marriage. In modern rewritings of the tale, especially by women, the young female protagonist, who originally needed the help of her brothers to kill her cruel husband, now owes her life to her own wit and courage. However, the story does not fundamentally change if the female protagonist has gained power. The tale's enduring allure shows that psychological and sexual abuse in relationships is a problem societies are still failing to solve successfully. This essay examines "Bluebeard" from two perspectives: first it looks at Perrault's social and historical context; second, through a selection of modern rewritings, it looks at the ways women from different cultural traditions have revisited the myth and exposed its patriarchal and misogynistic undertones.