CONTO DE FADAS ÀS AVESSAS: A SUBVERSÃO EM THE MAGIC TOYSHOP, DE ANGELA CARTER

Abstract

The works of the british writer Angela Carter are recognized by many caracteristics, such as feminism, gothics, erotics, and with a tendency to the magic realism. Such works are usually connected to the post modernism, presenting elements like the pastiche and the simulacrum, as it is possible to observe in The Magic Toyshop, of 1967. Melanie, a fifteen year-old girl who lives comfortably in her parents home, has to face the harsh reality, fear and discomfort when her parents die in an accident and she and her brothers need to live with uncle Philip, in his house. It is in this house, the symbolic “toyshop”, that the uncle manipulates his puppets (as well the people around him) and the main character of the novel struggles to get out of the stifling confinement, in search of her own space. Although the novel’s structure has the fairy tale as its basis, one can notice that the author plays with certain precepts of this basis, such as the de-construction of the prince charming’s image, intenting to build her critics to the patriarchal environment, as indicate Danielle Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega. It is possible to notice that the author, just like her characters, sought her own space in Literature through subversion. Considering these aspects, this paper’s aim is to observe how Carter, at the same time that uses post-modern caracteristics, hold off this nomenclature by positioning herself, primarily, as a feminist writer. For such, this paper was based on Aindan Day, Jack Zipes and Linda Hutcheon texts.