The Erl King by Angela Carter Analysis

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[@juliaalvares7563]

I had a whole different take on this one. I read this book when I was about 15, and now, at 27, I'm rereading it (and watching this series as I go). In the first time I read the Erl-King, I found it very boring. But last night I was completely drawn into the feeric atmosphere of the forest, and charmed by the earthly nature of the Erl-King. And you have to compliment Carter on her writing, I thought it was the most beautifully written text of the book (so far). I think her vivid descriptions of the forest that intertwine with feelings and sensations gave a dream-like feel to the story, and it transports you, in my view, to that dream-like state when you are so head over heels in that kind of consuming passion, when everything else seems hung in the air. Very often you know, from your own gut or from friends' advice (or from the bird in the forest) that this passion will cause you great harm, but you just can't stop yourself. It was also very refreshing to read the story from a female point of view - in these kinds of stories, when the protagonist falls in love with a mermaid-like being, the genders are usually switched. And I found her account of this passion very intimate, very sensual, very far from any cliché. Carter also describes an almost childlike innocence to the Erl-King, that is also a very dangerous innocence. It appears sometimes as the innocence of a wild animal that hunts to kill completely deprived of any moral feelings, good or bad, it just is as it is, and at times, it seems like the deceptive entranced state that vampires lead their victims to. A good friend of mine told me something once that I found very cynical at the time, but now I see a lot of wisdom behind her joke: she said that she would rather be hurt by a woman than by a man, because when a woman wants to screw you over, she goes ahead and screws you over. But a man screws you over unintentionally. He didn't even want to hurt you, he hurts you without even noticing you were there. I remembered this piece of wisdom when reading the Erl-King. Something about the care with which he treated his captive birds, and the weaving the cage for his new bird in the collection. I think the Erl-King have these many faces - an unscrupulous vampire, a wild animal, a charming young man with good intentions but who fails to see women as more than playthings. But he is sensual, he is bewitching, his company is intimate and magic, but we know he'll do us harm, we know he keeps birds in cages, that his magical world can be alienating and that what we once took for beautiful singing was actually our soul wailing. I think everybody has met a man like this at some point in their lives.

[@MissHannaLovesGrammar]

This is such a deep and phenomenal interpretation. Really value you sharing it. Also, I love how much it resonates with the dream-like haunting that is both nightmarish and all consuming! Love your analysis!

[@juliaalvares7563]

Thanks!

[@oatmilk-pp8cv]

hey can i quote you in my essay about the erl king😭 loved you interpretation haha

[@juliaalvares7563]

@@oatmilk-pp8cv oh I feel so honoured!

[@teddiebear7826]

helped a lot but very glitchy...perhaps it's just my computer

[@4kr_]

nah its their mic

[@kainpatel5620]

Brilliant helpful analysis 🧐, thank you 🤟🙌👍

[@siobhanmckay9201]

Good content but the sound is very bad

[@codylowe9800]

Great video.

[@FrancesLennox-Hennessy]

The ideas here bear a striking resemblance to a module on Massolit by the university lecturer Professor Marie Mulvey-Roberts. If you do not have access to Massolit, I suggest you watch this. Otherwise, a disappointing lack of original ideas.

[@milkdudz]

love this. huge if true

[@philipwinter2343]

No such word as reoccurring. It is recurring. Not a good start to a site that says MissHannaLovesGrammar

[@adamherrington]

Actually it is a word. The word ‘recurring’ means when something happens over and over again, possibly at regular intervals. In contrast, something that is ‘reoccurring’ is simply happening again but not always repeatedly. I think you need to make use of this channel as your grammar is woeful!!!