The document discusses the concept of the "final girl" in slasher films. It notes that final girls typically have asexual names, are brunette virgins who are book-smart and socially awkward. They often take on maternal roles like babysitting. In contrast, victims in slasher films tend to be sexually active. The final girl represents conformity to patriarchal femininity and usually survives through her adherence to traditional gender norms. Her survival allows her to enact violence against the male killer using phallic weapons in a symbolic castration.

1. Final Girl
KARISHMA-JAINA PANDYA

2. Conventions of a ‘Final Girl’
 -She usually has an asexual name (e.g. Lorrie, Sidney)
 -Brunette
 -The ‘virgin’
 -‘Book smart’ / studious
 -Socially awkward. Doesn’t have a partner, or many friends
 -Maternal instincts eg. Babysitting
 -Conservative clothing eg. Cardigans
 -Dress outside of the ‘norm’ (dress as an elderly female)
 -Cooks and cleans
 -Deferential
 -She is patriarchy’s idea of the ‘perfect’ daughter
 The ‘final girl’ is patriarchy’s response to the feminist wave. The political subtext remains in line with
hegemonic values some men still hold.
 Barbara Creed, a Marxist feminist Freudian psychoanalyst film theorist, specifically looked at horror/slasher
films, she found that women are presented as monstrous or ‘abject’.

3.  Slasher films present a critical view of youth and predominantly, females in 1970s America, with a
large majority of the victims being promiscuous/sexually active which would be considered as
‘deviant’ in the society in which they reside in. E.g. John Carpenters ‘Halloween’ - 1978 The ‘Final
Girl’ represents conformity to patriarchal ideas of femininity.
 Since the rise of feminism, due to the men going off to war, females took on the stereotypical
masculine roles. The representation of females holding characteristics of the untraditional female
would usually play a fatal victim in slashers. Laurie in Halloween (1978) is portrayed as book smart,
independent and a virgin, differing from her peers who display ideas of drugs, promiscuity and a
rebellious mentality, was the final girl and the only female which lived, as she acted in accordance to
the patriarchs view of a ‘proper’ female.

4. Laurie in Halloween (1978); is represented throughout the film as an book smart virgin,
differing from her peers who were sexually active and smoking, Laurie displayed contrast
interests, as when her peers were going to a party, she was baby sitting – she took on a
maternal role, which is patriarchs idea of again, a ‘proper’ female.
 When male character is a victim in slasher films, their deaths are usually very fast,
however when a female encounters the villain/antagonist, the scene portrays a heated
match, a chase and struggle. Suggesting it is worse for a female to act indecently than
for a male. The usage of a phallic weapon will always be used -Like Michael Myers’
butcher knives, Freddie’s knife fingers and Jason’s machete.
 Carol Clover argues; that when the final girl is confronted by the villain/antagonist,
she uses a weapon containing ‘phallic’ examples, such as a gun, knife or a chainsaw.

5.  Freud stated that when a child is newly born, they do not differentiate themselves as being separate
entities from their mothers, he named this as ‘pre-oedipal space’. Normal psychological development
requires a separation or emergence from the pre oedipal space into the; symbolic order. (Semiotics,
understanding the world through signs and symbols etc.) Males begin to understand that he and his
mother are different as he sees his mother does not have a penis. Due to this realisation, the fear of
castration develops, this fear is represented by the female. The belief that his mother/the female is
‘incomplete’ due to not being able to grow a penis.
 Our animalistic nature, biological processes, (sex, toilet, cleaning) have become taboo topics, and have
to complete these actions behind closed doors. As women are obviously biological, getting larger
when pregnant and periods, they are seen as monsters. This strong patriarchal mentality can be
further witnessed in the slasher film, ‘Carrie’.

6.  As Creed indicates; it is the male’s fear of castration which motivates
him to enact such violence on women. This theory relates to Freud’s
analysis from which Creed links to the horror film;
 It is not by accident that Freud linked the sight of the Medusa to the
equally horrifying sight of the mother’s genitals, for the concept of the
monstrous – feminine, as constructed within/by a patriarchal and
phallocentric ideology, is related intimately to the problem of sexual
difference and castration.’ (Jancovich 2002)
 Another theory which has been applied to the genre is Laura Mulvey’s
‘Male Gaze’, which denotes the way in which men view women and how
women are viewed in general. Mulvey describes the process as being
both ‘looked at and displayed’ simultaneously; this can most certainly
be applied to the Slasher subgenre as women are the main focus of
both the violence and the sexuality.

7.  Usually the final girl and monster is given as equal shot in the frame,
suggesting females are on par length with the antagonist/villain/monster,
both are given the same status. E.g. Alien, all about the trauma of giving
birth, and Halloween
 ‘The Final Girl’ theory by ‘Carol Clover holds somewhat masculine
characteristics. The stereotypical ‘final girl’ usually has a unisex name, (e.g.
‘Sid’ – Scream) book smart, sexually secluded and potentially a history
with the killer. “Set her apart from the other girls and ally her, ironically,
with the very boys she fears or rejects, not to speak of the killer himself.”
(Clover 1992) e.g. Laurie in Halloween was scared to ask her crush to the
prom, fear of rejection

8.  Some say, typically men take their girlfriends or someone whom they find sexually appealing to view a
horror/slasher film as the stereotypical female doesn’t particularly like gruesome images/scenes, or are
unable to protect themselves against it and she would seek his embrace as protection as the masculine
stereotype. As the man is seen as the protector as they are biologically stronger than females.
 This example could also describe the experience and expectations of those who were first exposed to the
Slasher. The representation of women within the Slasher premise is heavily based on the Final Girl and her
contrast in representation with every other character.