... ;The overarching religious motifs add to the oppressive themes and perverted retelling of the Adam and Eve tale'28. This is seen when the protagonist is in possession of the key, on condition that it remains inoperative, 'use all the keys on the ring except that last little one I showed you'29. Here, and throughout the novel, the Marquis is ... her own The Bloody Chamber the theme of sin and punishment; a fundamental framework for religious principles in Gothic literature. This can be observed when the Marquis places the blood stained key on the narrator's forehead, 'I saw the heart...

• Word Count: 4055
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: Undergraduate