The Bloody Chamber- The Company of Wolves

‘She is an unbroken egg’ - This emphasises her vulnerability and her virginity 

‘She is afraid of nothing’- Her mother allows her to take the journey, which her father if he were around would not. Carter seems to suggest that men prefer girls not to change into women, preferring to keep them in a dependent position.

‘Commonplaces of a rustic seduction'- The young man bets that he can arrive at her grandmother’s house before she does, the bet if he wins is she will have to give him a kiss, and the girl is happy to lose her bet to the young man

‘The last thing the old lady saw in all this world was a young man, eyes like cinders, naked as a stone, approaching her bed’- In original stories of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ the grandmother is rescued by the hunter, however Carter offers no such thing as the grandmother isn’t coming back. Anything that is of no use to the wolf he burns or hides away i.e. the hair and bones.   

“Wild beasts cannot harm her, although, well warned, she lays a carving knife in the basket- The Knife symbolises strength and power, and also possibly Red Riding Hoods feminine power. Knives are also the choice weapon within the story to kill wolves or werewolves, suggesting implications of folk law or tradition behind the story.

“She bundled up her shawl and threw it on the blaze, which instantly consumed it.”- The Fire symbolises hiding the evidence of wrong doing or murder. It destroys both the old Grandmother and the old Red Riding Hood, who losses her virginity after casting her clothes in the fire. It also suggests the destruction of her innocence.

“The wolf is carnivore incarnate and he’s cunning as he is ferocious”- The constant reference to the wolves throughout the story link to the theme of masculine predators stalking the young virgins of the village. Wolves are also personified as very human throughout the story, so that they become symbols of the basic human instinct to survive

“He told her his rifle would protect them.”- The gun represents Male strength and the desire to defend women. It is subverted as the predator holds this modern power

“With darkness tangled in his hair"- Darkness is used throughout the story to represent danger. It also shows nature possibly suggesting that nature is the true danger in the story. It also links to the gothic aspects of the story.       

 ‘She’s nobody’s meat’-  She is a self-confident young woman who seizes control of the situation and burns the wolfs clothing   

‘She ripped of his shirt for him, and flung it into the fire'- Once his has burnt his clothing he can no longer take a shape of a man, therefore he is no longer a threat to her. Carter makes the point that masculinity can be more harmful and deadly to a woman than any carnivore.