The Monstrous Feminine Theory- Barbara Creed
Barbara Creed is a feminist who has researched how women are portrayed specifically in horror/slasher films, particularly how women pose a threat to men. She believes and has a theory that women are presented negatively and monster-like in the horror genre, due to a females reproductive and motherly nature. She constructed her theory using Freud's psychological theory.
She concludes that there are 7 types of female monstrosity;
- Archaic mother
- Monstrous womb
- Vampire
- Witch
- Possessed mother
- Deadly feminine castratrice
- The castrating mother
Creed analysed many films in the horror genre including 'Carrie' (1976). She interpreted the pig's blood pouring down on Carrie as a symbol for menstrual blood. The blood being a pig's blood degrades a female as she is being compared to an animal which is typically viewed as being 'filthy'.
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