The Grey Woman and Bluebeard's Bride: Comparisons Between Elizabeth Gaskell's Short Story The Grey Woman and the Tale of Bluebeard

The short story The Grey Woman by Elizabeth Gaskell gives a description of female oppression set within a Gothic context. The story is reminiscent of the English fairy tale Mr Fox, and there are thematic similarities between The Grey Woman and the German fairy tales The Robber Bridegroom and Bluebeard. In spite of a direct connection with Bluebeard, Gaskell’s tale, with its focus on women’s rights and love without marriage, can be seen to anticipate contemporary receptions of the Bluebeard tale.