The Robber BrideThe Robber Bride

General Introduction and Roz

Lived City (4): Love and Desire on Cities‘ MarginsLived City (4): Love and Desire on Cities‘ Margins -- or Center? -- or Center?

The Robber Bride The Robber Bride

from the legend of Robber Bridegroom. 《格林童話》中「強盜新郎」（ "The Robber Bridegroom" ）的故事。「強盜新郎」與藍鬍子童話原型大致相同，敘述一名男子以英俊多金的形象拐騙村落中的年輕女子，將她們攜回森林中的城堡予以肢解並吞食。但是經過艾氏的改寫，扭轉了原演受害者，同時也是加害者的角色。這種性別扭轉的處理，以及後設小說式對文類傳統的質疑，使本書常被書評者定位為「後現代女性童話」（ Grace 44 ）。 (source)

The Robber Bride The Robber Bride

Three main characters: Tony, Charis, Roz.

Roz, a president of a company on top of a building

Tony-- History professor at a University

Charis, ex-hippie living on Toronto island

Double/multiple identityDouble/multiple identity

Zenia becomes their obsession, which they need to exorcize. But actually she also serves as their double, meeting their desires and taking advantage of their fears and weaknesses.

Roz’s double identity: Roz Grunwald (a Jewish name) or Rosalind Greenwood (a Catholic)

Our Focus Our Focus

Part II – The Robber Bride. Time Line –Oct 23, 1990 May 1983, Roz over

40 her meeting Mitch when she is 22 her youth in 60’s [childhood during WW II]

Chap 39: (Oct 23, 1990) Roz in her office and back home after meeting Zenia.

Chap 40: (May 1983) Roz and her husband Mitch

Chap 41: Roz and Mitch’s knowing each other and their marriage. (May 1983) p. 354 – meeting Zenia.

Our FocusOur Focus

[Skipped -- Chaps 42: --44 – Roz’s childhood with her mother in their rooming hous

e. Her school’s Catholic education; – Roz’s father back from WWII. Roz getting to know abo

ut anti-Semitism. – The Father’s mistresses and his getting rich. Roz takes

on a Jewish identity. Roz as a hybrid (388-90).]

Chap 45 – 49: the past -- Roz, Mitch, Zenia and WiseWomanWorld; the present – Roz and the twins

Our FocusOur Focus

Today -- – Roz’s identity as a mother and a wife; her obsession -

Mitch

Next Time -- – Roz’s ethnic identity and her relationship with Mitch; – Why is Zenia a double of Roz and of Mitch (how she

meets their desires); – What does the magazine WiseWomanWorld represent ?

– How does Roz get over her obsession/trauma.

Roz and her worldRoz and her world vs. the Toronto vs. the Toronto Locations mentioned in our classLocations mentioned in our class

Office at Bay street; Restaurant on Queen E.Bloor Street Viaduct

p. 326

Roz and her world: The Past with Roz and her world: The Past with her Kidsher Kids

歡樂滿人間

Roz and her world: The Past with Roz and her world: The Past with her Husbandher Husband

Art nouveau design Brass bedstead Egyptian dresser

(e.g. evenstar from 魔戒 )

A cabinet

Roz and her world: The Past with Roz and her world: The Past with her Husbandher Husband

He & She basins Jacuzzi + shower

cubicle

Roz and her world: The PresentRoz and her world: The Present

Nouveau Pueblo style Nanaimo bar + pickled cucumber eaten with a

fork

Starting QuestionsStarting Questions

How is Roz characterized as a mother in chap 39? And as a wife in chap 40?

What about the twins? And Mitch?

Roz and her Appearance Roz and her Appearance A big-bone woman: “She was a big-boned girl, a raw-boned

girl (her mother’s words), a girl with backbone (her father’s) and a full, mature figure (the dress shop’s). Dainty she would never be.” p348

Quite concerned with her appearance: – “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of us all?      –  ”Depends, says the mirror. Beauty is only skin deep.”, (326-27)

Reaching 40 p. 333 Quite concerned with not letting Mitch see her body in

daylight p. 335, or do the dental floss p. 339; careful makeup 340-41;

* her sense of roots p. 329 (more next time)

Roz as a mother Roz as a mother

Missing the time to be close to her daughters, to have a sense of order and security (341) angel’s wings over her kids

Present: Distanced from her twins (328); keep her children’s stuffs for the future grandchildren. P. 329;

Roz and MitchRoz and Mitch

Mitch – a predator p. 335; Why? regular emotional strays 336

Roz – her body represents possessions, solidity, the domestic values, . . . P. 335.

Roz’s attitudes towards Mitch and her changes: – Handsome and distinguished – “jealousy” p 326; – Play poker game with him in his sexual flings p. 338 – close observation of him 340

The next generationThe next generation

Erin and Paula –– What do you think about their game of switching

all the characters into female? Pp. 330 – 31; – Their ways of playing with the dolls 331– Is Zenia a Robber Bride?

Larry – quiet, interested in success stories, a train that talked and interspecies cooperation p. 330

Roz’ identity: DP and a pastiche Roz’ identity: DP and a pastiche

DP & Roz’s father: her father as a hero (360); discrimination against “displaced persons” (365-66); Her father as DP (374) Roz’s life cut in two. )

Chap 44: the Father’s mistresses (like Mitch?) and his getting rich. Roz takes on a Jewish identity. Roz as a hybrid (387-90).

Issues for discussion next timeIssues for discussion next time

Roz’s family broken by Zenia? Or? Roz’s sense of identity as a Jew, a career w

oman and a wife; Development of women’s magazines (Wise

WomanWorld). Her relationship with Mitch How Roz survives her trauma and obsessio

n by Zenia.

ReferencesReferences

Bluebeard: examples of modern interpretations http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/bluebeard/themes.html