Abstract: Nights at the Circus (1984) is one of the representative novels of Angela Carter. This novel contains rich and diversified feminist thought and reveals a miserable picture how oppressed and downtrodden the women are. And the story also has the features of Bakhtin’s Carnival elements. The paper makes use of the theory to understand Nights at the Circus (1984), systematically elaborating how Carter constructs a subversive carnivalesque world and revealing the tragic fate of women, then analyzing how Carter realizes her deconstruction of the patriarchy society and her reconstitution of bisexual harmonious society through the carnivalesque features, such as crowning and decrowning, grotesque bodies and laugh. The paper intends to arouse people’s attention to rethink and redefine contemporary gender relations.

Key words: Nights at the Circus; Angela Carter; carnivalization; feminist revelation

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Carnival Theory-2

2.1 Carnival and Carnivalization-2

2.2 Features of Carnivalesque World-3

3. Carter’s Feminism in Nights at the Circus from the Perspective of Carnival Theory-5

3.1 Carter’s Feminist Views-5

3.2 Carter’s Feminist Representation and Realization through Carnivalization-7

3.2.1 Carnival Time and Space-7

3.2.2 Carnival Images-8

3.2.2.1 Grotesque Figures-8

3.2.2.2 Carnival Rituals-9

3.2.2.3 Carnival Relationship among Characters-10

3.2.3 Carnival Laughter-12

3.2.3.1 Fevvers’ Carnival Laughter-12

3.2.3.2 The Clown’s Laughter-13

3.2.4 Crowning and Decrowning in Nights at the Circus-13

3.2.4.1 Crowning and Decrowning of the Characters-14

3.2.4.2 Crowing and Decrowing of Classical Plots-15

3.2.4.3 Crowning of Animals and Decrowning of Human-16

4. Conclusion-17

References-19