Prose Passage #2 Analysis

Angela Carter uses multiple symbols and motifs to portray the growth of characters throughout their journeys to freedom. The passage begins with pathetic fallacy; the movement into a colder, darker season reflects the mournful feelings of the inmates, but also foreshadows the oncoming rebellion. The Countess’ “revolvings” are somewhat like the hands on a clock, and when her rotations begin to become random, sometimes stopping for a long period of time, it also foreshadows the stopping of time that the Countess will also do once more later in the passage.

     The passage also provides insight into the mind of the Countess, to show her false sense of security, to show that her own overconfidence in herself is what leads to her downfall. Carter incorporates dramatic irony into the fact that she didn’t think that those she held power over could ever rise up against her, but those reading the passage know that the uprising is coming. This puts emphasis on the Countess’ ignorance; even the reader knows that something bad is going to happen! How could she not?

     Imagery and metaphors, which are used extensively throughout Carter’s writing, allow the reader to feel incorporated into the story. They provide a bleak picture to help get across the misery felt in the House of Correction. They also help to tell the story. Often, Carter’s depiction of the plotline is very vague, and instead of coming right out and saying exactly what happens, she uses quick images and describes feelings in short phrases, as if giving the reader a flashback to something they’ve never seen and requiring them to decode the images in order to gather the full story.

     Carter also uses symbols in a similar way, providing images that mirror the main ideas of the story. The clock, for example, is a symbol that reappears constantly throughout the book, and time is often repeated or stopped completely. The use (or absence) of the clock often determines the pace of the story, as well as the mood of the characters. When the clock is shot by the Countess, time is stopped, and, not ironically, at the same time the Countess is trapped and left to forever re-live the hour that her inmates escaped. When time is frozen, there’s often misery to go along beside it. However, when the inmates escape from the prison and go out into the world, they are freed from the strict guidelines set by the clock, so the loss of time also signifies freedom and independence.