http://www.public.asu.edu/~niver/women%20in%20horror%20intro.htm

ABSTRACT

It has been said that it is the significance of gender relations that drives the horror narrative as a source of disorder.[i] Although this researcher does not disagree that this may be the case, she would care to add that this is possible as a reflection of greater socio-political fears and expectations of normalcy and justice. Popular films are said to be the fusion of the personal dreams of the filmmakers and the collective dreams of the audience—made possible by the shared structures of common ideology.[ii] This thesis will address genre themes and character elements as part of larger social issues and fears. With this stance this analysis will explore character roles and changes over time, focusing on horror, and related films, since the 1970s. As one of the themes of horror has been the repression of sexual energy, and if the social revolution and sexual revolution are inseparably linked, than horror has made advances for each as women’s liberation is not always a part of horror’s representation of the abject fears of society as it has begun to support and confirm its goals. [iii]
Critics in this analysis were selected for their examination of films during an era or on the basis of the themes relevant to the topic of this thesis. Critic’s summations of periods, characterizations of gender, and types of films have been incorporated to develop generalizations of social issues and character roles.[iv] Although this thesis attempts to provide general characterizations of horror films, the researcher is open to conceptions that there may be films that do not fit into these conceptions. This inquiry has selected films with the following themes: an insane fiend, the presence of a threat to normalcy and social order, an interest in the relationship of the rational and the irrational, an interest in motivations for murder and an interest in the victimization of women. I have excluded films representing the femme fatale or those that make abject female sexuality with the intent of following those films that have affirmed female sexuality. It is the conclusion of this researcher that the affect of social activism, director innovation, and conventions of the genre have altered character roles in the horror film genre. This analysis adds to conception of a blurring between the socio-historical material and thematic constructions in genres. However, rather than perceive them as contradicting, this researcher perceives them as corresponding. [v]