When I sat down to write this blog entry, I immediately thought about the Bluebeard stories and poems we read for our first assignment. I think the use and continuation of the Bluebeard story in various forms of prose and poetry is very interesting and I'm curious about what lent the story such power over the years and what inspired writers and poets to keep coming back to the story. Was it the fear inspiring images of death, or the themes of secrecy, obedience, and betrayal that lent the poem its power? As we discussed in class, the story has raised issues, problems, and anxieties that are still present in our own society, such as trust issues, secrecy, betrayal, and issues of gender and sexuality. People are probably still drawn to this story because of its thrilling nature but also because of these aspects, present in our own society , which it brings to light. People are most likely also drawn to the story because they can relate to the story's characters, either by identifying with the female character(s), or by identifying with the jealousy or anger of bluebeard. For example, it seems that the treatment of women in the story has rendered Bluebeard a common reference point for women poets writing about suffering or loss of self in  a relationship, as shown in Sylvia Plath's Bluebeard, and Maya Angelou's Detached.