30 pages • 1 hour read
Charles PerraultBluebeard
Fiction | Short Story | Middle Grade | Published in 1697A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Would “Blue Beard” be considered a children’s story by today’s standards? Use specific language from the text and address the story’s themes in depth to justify your argument.
Did Perrault intend the morals that conclude “Blue Beard” seriously, or are they intended to be tongue-in-cheek? Compare the tone and language of the morals to the story itself.
Perrault leaves out many details. Identify 3-5 moments that seem to be missing information and explain what the results of those omissions are for the story’s style and content.
How does Perrault emphasize the symbolism at the core of “Blue Beard?” Compare symbolic descriptions with the surrounding language.
Can “Blue Beard” be characterized as a horror story? Using evidence from the text, make an argument as to why or why not.
Why does Perrault share the young bride’s emotions with the reader, but rarely her thoughts? Connect your ideas to thematic and/or stylistic elements in “Blue Beard.”
In what ways does Sister Anne act as a foil to her sibling? Contrast the few details the story includes about Anne with the characterization of the young bride.
How does Perrault establish wealth as synonymous with power? Use elements of language, plot, and character to explain.
What picture does “Blue Beard” paint of marriage? How does Perrault establish a specific power dynamic within the primary relationship between Blue Beard and his wife?
Read Angela Carter’s adaptation of “Blue Beard” entitled “The Bloody Chamber.” In Carter’s story, the young bride is saved not by her brothers, but by her mother. How does this change the themes of “Blue Beard”? What themes remain the same? Use textual comparisons to support your answer.
Related Titles
By Charles Perrault
