In a cult classic
slasher movie such as A Nightmare on Elm
Street, various ideas of sexual violence, repression and family are brought
to the attention of the viewer. The film
is able to provide a lot of information regarding gender theory and queer
theory because of character interaction.
A Nightmare on Elm Street also
follows many of the same archetypal plot devices or characterizations as films
such as Richard Donner’s The Omen or
Ted Browner’s Dracula.
As the most
memorable character of the film by far, Freddy Krueger represents male
intention in the form of sexual aggression and plain terror, and as he terrorizes
and murders a group of teenagers, he slowly but surely reaches his last victim,
Nancy Thompson. What is particularly
interesting about the murderous relationship between Freddy and Nancy is that
the monster of Freddy is born out of Nancy’s mom’s actions. As a character, Nancy’s mom may have the most
complex characterization out of everyone in the movie: she spawns Freddy, is a
single parent, and she is an alcoholic because her husband left her. As the story unfurls and Freddy’s origin
story comes in to play, it is revealed that Nancy’s mom burned the once living
child molester to death, and Freddy Krueger is born. Metaphorically Freddy
Krueger is the embodiment of sexual repression and frustration in Nancy’s mom,
which is the result of the abandonment of her husband. Interestingly, as the
movie goes on and Nancy’s mom becomes drunk off of alcohol, Freddy becomes more
blood drunk. As a statement not only
about parents, but also the eighties culture it became quickly clear that the
mother was the initial push for Nancy to be sexually repressed and assaulted, revisiting
yet again, the 1980’s paradigm of lack of parental support, and overall
vacancy. Carol J Clover sites in her article Her Body, Himself: Gender in the
Slasher Film that “The tale would indeed seem to be one of sex and parents.” A
Nightmare on Elm Street also has much to offer in terms of gender theory,
and queer theory.
Gender theory and
queer theory often play a large role in the horror genre. Gender theory in horror films often stereotypes
each gender in to roles seeing the man as the masked or deformed monster as
well as the overt sexual boyfriend.
There are really only two kinds of roles for women in horror films, one
being the harlot who must be punished for sexual thoughts or acts, or the
second is the innocent victim who must rise up and conquer the monster. A
Nightmare on Elm Street is not different from any other stereotypical
horror film in that aspect. As far as
the queer theory goes (a theory explaining how a character can also embody
traits of the opposite sex) in A
Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger has a very large trait similar to a
woman, five in fact, his long blade finger nails. This female trait signifies the attempted
female complex Krueger has throughout the movie. Unlike most horror films Nancy does not use a
phallic weapon to defeat her enemy; she retains her womanhood and attempts to
kill Freddy with fire. Despite this one anomaly
A Nightmare on Elm Street still
followed many of the same archetypes the genre had passed down.
As we continue in
to the post-modern 1980’s period, A
Nightmare on Elm Street is no different.
Films such as The Omen and Dracula have similar characterizations
or plot points. Richard Donner’s The Omen
shows how the absence of a parent of the opposite sex destroys the child’s
chances of having a normal life. In this
film, Damien (the devil’s son) is without his mother from childbirth and is
forced (as the genre states) in to a life of struggle. Another film which could be connected to A Nightmare on Elm Street is Dracula.
Dracula is an early monster/horror movie in which sets the precedent
of having the monster terrorizes the innocent female while killing the harlot. A Nightmare on Elm Street certainly has
various ties to films set in similar storylines and characters.
A Nightmare on Elm Street has dialogue
that harms my ears as much as the blood hurdling screams of the film, while
also having such a poorly acted cast. The
film still bears much merit in terms of gender and queer theory while also
still maintaining a post-modern, culturally relevant 1980’s horror flick.
I hadn't thought of Freddy in the same way you did. I totally see the connection for how Freddy is the embodiment of Nancy's mother's sexual repression but I would also argue that Freddy is channeling a good deal of his own sexual repression since he is a child molester prior to (and after) he is killed. What I am curious about is how Nancy's policeman father had no idea about his ex-wife (or wife at the time) killed the neighborhood child molester; or was he in on it?
ReplyDeleteI also didn't see his nails as being one of his feminine traits, I was focused on how his burns and the way he died subtracted from his "masculinity" and how his childlike mannerisms played into a more feminine quality he possessed. I am really interested to hear more of your thoughts on how Kruger's metal nails are a female trait rather than a phallic reference.
I had not really delved into the connection between Freddy and Nancy's mother until the discussion in class. I would agree that there is a major connection between Freddy's desire to attack Nancy and Nancy's mother, but I too feel that it has a different motive. I believe that Freddy's desire to murder Nancy and possibly rape her is purely to seek revenge on Nancy's mother. I believe Freddy''s sexual repression is something that was developed before he was even murdered and was then only heightened when he returns in the dream world. I believe that his acts against the children prior to his death show that he struggled with sexual disillusionment and a twisted form of repression before his death. I too am also interested in your idea of his knife fingers being a representation of woman hood and femininity. I stated in my piece that his hand represented more the disturbing twist in sexual desires and murder. I believed that it symbolized how Freddy desired both sexual encounters - something that can occur using a hand - and the desire to murder which is also carried out with the use of his hand. I also thought that it symbolized his disturbing past and the acts of violence he committed against the children he molested. But I like that take on it as well it is an interesting one.
ReplyDeleteI should have been clearer about that. Freddy certainly carries on his own repression because of his molesting past, but I think the character that comes back is a real characterization of Nancy's mom because of the fact that his claw is in the heart of the house and because of the evolution between Nancy's mom's drinking and Freddy's thirst. You also were curious on my opinion about his claws being feminine not necessarily masculine. I figured if it was completely supposed to represent a phallic object he would kill with one large knife (or a small to medium, however you're built). The reason I felt it was feminine was because it reminded me of a woman's long nails, especially when he was trying to scare someone and flexed his finger nails.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really, really good analysis. I'd been having this sense about the relationship/parallel/sameness between Freddy and Nancy's mom (what is her name anyway? How come she doesn't get one?), but you spelled it out really well. Point of clarification--queer theory isn't looking for the masculine traits in Nancy or the feminine traits in Freddy, but rather how those gender assignments don't remain fixed at all to identities or bodies--hence Nancy phases or oscillates between genders. Looking at Freddy's hand as you and Maisy are doing, as both phalllic weapon _and_ feminine claws--neither attached to a body at all except as a prosthetic (or in the heart of the home) is very nicely in keeping with queer theory. Well done!
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