Elements of Horror in Bluebeard 3/24

The first element of horror that I want to focus on is the finger falling in the girl's lap while she hides from her betrothed. At this moment in the story, the heroine is in danger of being discovered, and the finger falling into her lap heightens the drama of the murder scene for the already tense audience. This particular circumstance happens only in "The Robber Bridegroom" and "Mr. Fox" but the intent of the event, risk of discovery, occurs in several of the stories, such as in "Bluebeard's Egg" when Sally moves away from the window so Ed won't see that she has been watching him and in all the stories (Perrault's "Bluebeard" and Grimms' "Fitcher's Bird") where a woman attempts to hide the fact that she entered the room by cleaning the key/egg. The element of horror seems to be the anticipation of discovery and not the actual bloody body parts or keys.

The second element of horror is the forbidden room. This element occurs in some form in almost all the stories we read. In "Bluebeard", "Fitcher's Bird", and "The Seven Wives of Bluebeard", it is an actual room that the women are forbidden or implored not to enter. In "The Robber's Bridegroom" and "Mr. Fox" it is the villain's entire house, and in "Bluebeard's Egg", it is Ed's mind and inner thoughts. Without the forbidden room there would be no story. It is the prohibition that forms the entire plot of the fairy tales. If the women did not enter the room, they would never discover Bluebeard's secrets, and he, therefore, would have no justification or cause to punish them.

Audra Crosby