1. Suivez-moi…

2. Dangerous seduction
In The Lady of the House of Love and The ErlKing, both eponymous characters are enticing,
mysterious and seductive, and present danger to
the hero and heroine respectively.
These characters are variations of another fairytale stock character - the other-worldly fairy or
siren. A modern variation might be the ‘femme
fatale’ character.

3. The Lady of the House of Love
Vampire stories have had quite a comeback recently, and it has
become fashionable to view vampires sympathetically, often as
sad, brooding, mysterious characters, who are alluring rather than
simply terrifying.
Consider the most famous vampire
characters from recent years – Angel &
Spike, Bill Compton, Edward Cullen – all of
them are admittedly dangerous, but would
do anything to save the women they love
from harm.
How does this compare to the ‘big
bad wolf’ phenomenon?

4. The Lady of the House of Love
How does Carter create a Gothic
atmosphere?
Consider the following:
• The setting, including the castle and its
surroundings
• The Lady herself
• Use of motifs
• Use of imagery

5. The Lady of the House of Love
How does our hero, the young officer, compare
to the other heroic characters in the collection?
Consider:
• How he behaves with the Lady
• His attitudes and behaviour
• How he perceives the events

6. The Erl-King
In German folklore, the Erl-King haunted
forests. He would carry off travellers to their
deaths. In Goethe’s poem, the Erl-King preys
on a child. Some texts focus on the Erl-King’s
daughter, a fairy who lures men to their
doom.
The Erl-King has been depicted as a goblin, a
sprite, an elf and a demon. He can also be
seen to embody the spirit of the forest.
Carter’s Erl-King is captivating, mysterious
and uncanny. However, he is also described
as “an excellent housewife”…

7. The Erl-King
Explore the setting of the story, focusing on:
• Autumn
• The Forest

8. The Erl-King
“I come, like any other trusting thing that perches on the crook of his wrist.”
Explore the relationship between the narrator
and the Erl-King, focusing on:
• Power
• Trust
• Danger
• Freedom

9. Summary
How do these stories compare to the rest of
Carter’s collection?
Consider:
• Genre, characters and setting
• Themes, motifs and ideas