Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Wallace, Miriam

Keywords

Horror, Film, Femininity, Adolescence, Transgender

Area of Concentration

Gender Studies

Abstract

Horror is a genre of film that is widely accessible and enjoyed by a wide range of people. This thesis explores the ways the genre portrays various types of monstrous femininities, particularly those of adolescent girls and transgender feminine people, and the implications of those portrayals. Carrie (1976), Heavenly Creatures (1994), Ginger Snaps (2000) situate their protagonists as navigating oppressive situations through world building and the construction of idealized lives, which ultimately break down, resulting in displays of murderous rage. Psycho (1960), Dressed to Kill (1980), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) establish a connection between murderous pathology, transgender identity, and gender non-conformity. These films are situated within a socio-historical context and all work to a somewhat conservative end, ultimately maintaining hierarchies of power by establishing feminine characters as secondary to cisgender, White, male, hierarchical social and institutional structures. However, in the face of these power dynamics, there is potential for redemptive reclamations of these figures and the creation of new ones.

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