In The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, the theme of transformation appears throughout the short story cycle. The hero/heroine's virginity acts as a source of strength that protects him from evil. Their lack of fear also saves them from death. Virginity acts as a power of empowerment, either literally or symbolically, and results in the release of an observed transformative power. The bloody room serves a different symbolic purpose of transformation from Beauty in “The Court of Mr. Lyon,” the heroine in “The Tiger's Bride,” and the Countess in “The Lady of the House of Love.” Each of these characters will embark on a journey that questions their identity in the circumstances presented to them and ultimately each will go through a transformation involving self-maturation, love, loss, or magic. In "The Courtship of Mr. Lyon", Beauty's father breaks a white rose from a rosebush and the Beast appears next to him and "[shakes] him like an angry child shakes a doll" (Carter 44) . After this incident, the Beast allows him to bring the rose back to Beauty, but in exchange he must bring it back for dinner. This is the beginning of Beauty's journey that leads to its transformation. Beauty is represented as a pure ideal figure, associated with images of whiteness, virginity and purity. She is described as a "pretty girl, whose skin has the same inner light, so that one would have thought that she too was made of snow... white and common as an upturned piece of bridal satin" (41). . Beauty is subject to change and corruption through access to material wealth, flattery, city life, and the ability to be independent of obligations to the Beast. These blind him to ideas of true value. When Beauty looks into the eyes of the Beast, she... middle of paper... into her pure best self, our heroine transforms into a tigress and the Countess transforms into a human. They each enter into their own identity through personal reflection. However, each being must individually endure the reality of battle and suffering in order to be reborn and become who they are meant to be. Whether human, beast, or vampire, each undergoes a transformation that encounters instances of loss, magical love, and maturation. Works Cited Carter, Angela. The Bloody Room. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. PrintCarter, Angela. “Mr. Lyon’s court.” The Bloody Room. New York: PenguinBooks, 1993. 41-51. Print Carter, Angela. “The Tiger’s Bride.” The Bloody Room. New York: PenguinBooks, 1993. 51-67. Print Carter, Angela. “The Lady of the House of Love.” The Bloody Room. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. 93-108. Print