Nights at the Circus

There is so much I want to say about Nights at the Circus, that I am having some trouble deciding where to begin, and what I want the focus of this blog entry to be.

To begin, one of the themes throughout the book that continually captured my attention, and really made me think, was the recurring theme of religious references. To be specific, Angela Carter (1984) makes references to Jesus Christ and his disciples, to Babylon, and references a common Bible verse:

1) Buffo the clown is continuously compared to Jesus Christ: in the text, Carter’s referral to Buffo as "Buffo the Great, the Clown of Clowns" (Carter 135) can be compared to Jesus Christ, who is often referred to as the "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords" (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). Carter also states that Buffo takes up "Christ's place" (Carter 135) at the table of clowns, referring to the seat in which Jesus traditionally is depicted sitting among his disciples, for example, in "The Last Supper". The text also states, "A last touch of grace passed over him; indeed, was he not the very Christ, presiding at the white board, at supper, with his disciples?" (Carter 206). In addition, the text states, "Tumultuous resurrection of the clown...Buffo who was dead is now alive again" (Carter 137), referring to the Christian belief that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected on the third day. Furthermore, Carter refers to the night before Buffo ceremoniously “died”, i.e. went crazy ("And from the coffin of your madness there is no escape" (Carter 209)), as "Buffo's Last Supper" (Carter 209), which is another religious allusion to Jesus Christ, for the night before Jesus was crucified, traditionally known as Holy Thursday, is also commonly known as Jesus' last supper with his disciples. As Buffo is compared to Christ, so too are the clowns of whom he is the leader, compared to the disciples: "The rocking-horse rhythm of the train lulled them into a state of passive acquiescence, for their Christ to rise again" (Carter 235).

2) Carter makes reference to Babylon, a city referred to many times throughout the Bible: "...as by the water of Babylon they sit down and weep..." (Carter 276). To provide some evidence of the significance of the city of Babylon in the Bible, a search of the word “Babylon” on www.biblegateway.com reveals that Babylon is mentioned 310 times in the Bible, referring both to its historical relevance (e.g. Genesis 10, Joshua 7, 2 Kings 25), as well as to prophetical references regarding the apocalypse (e.g. Revelation 14, 16, 17, 18).

3) In the scene in which the Escapee, Fevvers and the other survivors of the train wreck are debating whether to eat Sybil the pig, Fevvers narrates the scene, stating, “Fond as I was of the little pig, not a bite had passed my lips since my interrupted breakfast and greater love hath no pig, that it should lay down its life…” (Carter 293). Upon reading this sentence, I was immediately reminded of the Bible verse that states, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), which refers to the Christian belief that Jesus was sacrificed and crucified to save humanity from sin.

Although these religious references immediately caught my eye, I am still struggling with what these references mean. What does it mean when Angela Carter continually compares Buffo the crazy clown, who we last read was taken away in a straight jacket and never to return, to Jesus Christ? In addition, what does Carter mean to suggest when she compares the potential sacrifice of Sybil to the fundamental Christian belief in Jesus Christ as a sacrifice? Are these references meant solely to comment negatively on the Christian faith? Or is Carter attempting to suggest something else by these references?

Another theme that I found recurring throughout the book was the idea of the feminine hero, who, although liberated in the sense that she can save herself in some situations (and even come to the aid of male characters who require her help), she still needs a male to fulfill her end goal, and even in some cases, for her to be able to find value in herself. To be specific, I saw this theme come up in Fevvers and Walser’s relationship, as well as in the story of Olga and Vera and the other women who escaped from the female asylum. In the scene where Olga and Vera find Walser in the abandoned train wreck and help him regain consciousness, the text states, “ ‘I hate to leave the poor thing,’ she [Olga] said to Vera. ‘He is a man, even if he has lost his wits,’ replied Vera. ‘We can do without him’” (Carter 263). I find it odd that although Vera comments that they can do without men, it is only a short while later when we are introduced to the Escapee, who states that he came across the women who escaped from the asylum, that we read about how they required his help: “These women had planned to found a female Utopia in the taiga and asked a favour of the Escapee; that he should deliver `em up a pint or two of sperm…so they could use it, when they got settled, to impregnate such of them as were child-bearing age and so ensure the survival of this little republic of free women” (Carter 284). Thus, although Vera states earlier that they can do without men, a man is the only one who can actually ensure the survival of their Utopian republic of free women, through the Escapee and the donation of his sperm; in other words, these women require his help in order to “survive”, and carry on their legacy.

In discussing this same theme in Fevvers and Walser’s relationship, Fevvers states how it is uncharacteristic of her to desire that a man save her from trouble: “I was overcome with emotion when I heard all this. I forgot myself so far as to cry out: ‘My young man will come and save us!’” (Carter 285). Once again, Fevvers’ comments here do not align with her later actions, as she is dismayed when her looks begin to fade: “…all the same, she felt as though her heart was breaking when she looked in the mirror and saw her brilliant colors withering away”(Carter 323). In regards to Fevvers’ fading vibrancy, Carter also mentions how Fevvers’ dark roots are beginning to show, and that she is no longer blonde. In addition, she is later referred to as “The Feathered Frump” (Carter 328), which is a significant shift from once being called “The Cockney Venus”. Shortly after, when Fevvers is about to be reunited with Walser, the text states, “And surely he was here; one of the wooden houses must shelter the young American. And she would see, once again, the wonder in the eyes of the beloved and become whole. Already she felt more blonde” (Carter 338). Thus, the very thought of her reunion with Walser is what begins to restore Fevvers’ vibrancy (her “blondeness”), and it is also what will make her whole.

I may be totally off on this next part, but I am attempting to put some of the pieces together and make some inferences as to what Carter may have been suggesting through these characters. Perhaps through the example of Fevvers and the women who escaped from the asylum, Carter is critiquing how women can be liberated and posses enormous potential and strength of mind, but perhaps Carter is also suggesting that society does not yet accept the view that a woman can survive, feel whole, or find value in herself apart from a man. Furthermore, perhaps Carter is suggesting that the liberation of women is constantly a work in progress, always a journey, with the hope of arriving and achieving that end goal of total liberation: as Liz states, “But as for you, Sophie, you seem to have adopted the motto: to travel hopefully is better than to arrive” (Carter 331).