Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Harvey, David

Area of Concentration

History

Abstract

This thesis identifies stereotypes and gender issues that are all-encompassing in serial killers, more specifically female serial killers in the United States. The subsequent representation in the media through connections between psychology, criminology, and popular culture show how many female criminals and serial killers have been changed to fit the narrative of the professionals in said fields. Using the theories of Cesare Lombroso and Sigmund Freud as time markers for the period that they were written in. Using articles from feminist journals, psychological journals, and historical journals based around criminology, along with film reviews and basic background information, this thesis shows how popular culture, alongside psychology and criminology, have victimized and infantilized female serial killers by changing their stories and not providing the truth to the viewers. The timeline of this thesis starts in 1835 with Cesare Lombroso, moving forward to Freud, and ending in the early 2000s with the case of Aileen Carol Wuornos. Directors that deal with criminal-based films should always provide the truth to the viewer out of respect for the victims and their families and out of respect for the viewer themselves.

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