Bluebeard

“He asked for the hand of one of these in marriage, leaving it to their mother to choose which should be bestowed upon him.”

The line makes clear that Blue Beard simply wants a beautiful and nobly-raised wife, as he doesn’t care which of two sisters he marries. That he can make this offer and it must be considered is the result of Patriarchal Control in this society, although the mother is given the apparent agency to choose for him. Given that the mother is not again mentioned, this quote lightly implies that she is negligent in tending to her daughters’ well-being, or is otherwise oblivious to the danger her daughters may be in upon marrying Blue Beard.

“Another reason for their distaste was the fact that he had already married several wives, and no one knew what had become of them.”

The word “distaste” in this quote is both an example of Perrault’s concision in discussing emotions and a signal that “distaste” is the most intense form of dislike permitted against a wealthy man. Moreover, this line suggests that it is a known fact that Blue Beard’s previous wives have disappeared, but no one has investigated this matter, demonstrating that Patriarchal Control makes a man’s bride essentially his property and responsibility.

“You may open everything, you may go everywhere, but I forbid you to enter this little room.”

The repetition of “you may” only serves to emphasize what the young bride is forbidden from doing and recalls the magical instruction formula in other fairy tales.