This document discusses the representation of women in horror films through analyzing several theories. It explores Jeremy Tunstall's theory on gender stereotypes in media, Laura Mulvey's "male gaze theory" that argues films are made from a heterosexual male perspective, and Carol Clover's "final girl theory" about the last surviving female character. The document applies these theories to analyze the portrayal of women in horror films such as Halloween, The Crazies, Wrong Turn, The Cabin in the Woods, and House of Wax. It argues that while early horror films often depicted women as sexual objects based on stereotypes, more recent films have more empowered female characters that subvert expectations.

1. The Representation of Women in Horror
In thisessayI will be discussingthe representationof womeninhorrorfilmsandtheoriesthat
supportor refute the classicportrayal of femalesinthe media.Iwill be lookingcloselyatJeremy
Tunstall,LauraMulveyand Carol Clover,exploringthe theoriestheydevisedwhile lookingtosee
howtheyeffectedthe consequential films.Femalesare oftenrepresentedinastereotypical way,
therefore byexploringthesetheoriesinrelationtoseveral horrorfilmsIwill developan
understandingof whatisrequiredof womentocreate asuccessful horrorfilm, asapprovedbythe
consumers.TobeginI will discussthe theoristsandtheirwork,followedbyapplyingtheirideasto
female charactersinhorrorsfilmssuchas ‘Halloween’,‘The Crazies’,‘WrongTurn’, ‘The Cabininthe
Woods’and ‘House of Wax’.
The stereotypingof womeninhorrorfilmsisparticularlyobviousinfilms
producedaroundthe 50s and 60s, withfilmssuchas VoodooandEyeball
objectifyingwomenandportrayingtheminasexual way.However,
nearlyeveryfilmproducedaroundthis
time includedsome versionof young
female whowouldsufferandeventually
die,doingsoinher underwearoreven
nakedinsome films.These filmsbrought
aroundthe ideaof horror filmsusing
youngwomentoattract a wider
audience throughscenesof asexual
nature and therefore creatingatypical
stereotype forwomenplayingarole ina
horror film.Thisprompted manytheorists,including LauraMulveyto
create her ‘Male Gaze Theory’in1971, which suggeststhatthe
commercial cinemaputsthe viewerintoapositionof an‘appraising
heterosexual male’,whichisachieved
throughcamera strategies.Asaresultof
these technical cameraanglesetc.womenare seenasobjectstobe
admiredbymen.These cinematictechniquesinclude close upshotsand
pointof viewshotsto allow the audience toidentifywiththe male asthe
subject,while longshotsthatoftentiltupare usedfroma male
persepctive of the woman,toencourage the audience tothinkof heras an
object, whoispurelythere forthe pleasure of males.Filmsthatwere made
in1971 and supportthe Male Gaze theoryinclude Twinsof Evil,The Blood
on Satan’sClaw and CountessDracula, all of whichuse a youngattractive
female asa maincharacter whohappento be sexuallyactive throughoutas
well asonlypartiallyclothedformostof the film.
The mediahas beenrepresentingcharactersusinggenderstereotypesthatare consideredtobe the
‘classic’approach,whichcontainsmalesbeingshowntobe dominant,strongandindependentwhile
femalesare shownassubmissve,passive,withastrongfocusonphysical beauty,sexualityand
emotionality.Inadditiontothis,these femalesare alsodefinedthroughtheirrelationshipswith
men.Withthisbeingthe ‘classic’ approach,JeremyTuntsall wentontoresearchthe genderroles,
focusingonfemalesinparticular.Inhisbookwhichwaspublishedin1983 claimedthatresearch
foundthe mediaemphasisedwomen’sdomestic,consumer,sexualandmartial activities,where

2. womenare depictedashousewives,mothers,eagerconsumersand
sex objects,exemplifyingthe ideaof the objectificationwomengo
throughin the media. A filmthatwasreleased2years afterTunstall’s
proposal wasPoltergeist(1985),whichdemonstrateshistheorywith
the mainfemale characterisa stayat home domestichousewifewho
fightsbackagainstthe poltergeisttoprotectherkids,while her
husbandisat work.In additiontothis,the ghoststhat are attacking
the family’shome are lookingtoabduct theirdaughter,whichcould
alsorelate to the stereotypical theoryof femalecharactersbeing
passive andsubmissve,makingthe daughteraneasytarget.
However,Poltergeistcouldalsobe consideredtogoagainstthis
particar stereotype asthe motherfightsbackagainstthe ghostsin
orderto protecther children,contradictingthe commonassumption
that womenare feable andafraidtofightback.
‘The House of Wax’can be usedtosupportthe ‘Male Gaze Theory’as ParisHilton’scharacterfaces
an inevitable deathaftershe hassex withherboyfriendandispossiblypregnant,showingherasa
promiscuousteenager,whichisthe oppositetowhata ‘Final Girl’shouldbe.ParisHilton’s
character’sdeathincludesherbeingchasedbythe killer,whichshe happenstobe inherunderwear
for,exemplifyingthe ideaof the cameraputtingthe viewersinaheterosexual male’spointof view,
supportingthe ‘Male Gaze’theory.Inadditionto‘The House of Wax’ a particularscene in‘The Final
Destination’canalsobe usedtodemonstrate the ‘Male Gaze’theory.Whenthe young,attractive
female characterdiesshe isona tanningbed,naked.Ashercharacter strugglestoescape,this
relatestothe ideaof the male audience enjoyingseeingfemalesstruggle andconsequentlydie.This
character alsodoesnot displayaspectsof apotential ‘Final Girl’asthroughoutthe filmshe isseenas
rebelliousaswell asflirtatioustowardsmen,givingheracertainsexual appeal tothe male viewers.
However,itcan alsobe arguedthat there issuch thingas a ‘Female Gaze’where occaisionallythe
camera putsthe audience inthe positionof aheterosexual female,showingattractive menina
sexual way.Forexample,ascene in‘The CabininThe Woods’showsa female admiringamale
throughtwo wayglass,whichbringsaboutthe ideaof menbeingobjectifiedandportrayedinaway
whichappealstothe female audience.Mostmale charactersthat are includedinhorrorfilmsare
youngand physciallyattractive withacertain‘look’thislookconsistsof amasculine male whoshows
independenceandstrength.Thisideacouldbe usedtobalance the sexual biaswithinhorrorfilms
and possiblyrestore equalityinregardstogenderroles.
In the 1990s Carol Cloverpublishedabookbasedonthe representationof womenwithinthe
modernhorrorfilm,revolutionalisingthe landscapeof feministhorrorfilmtheory.The mostwell
knowntheorydevisedbyCloverwas‘The Final Girl’theory,
whichclaimsthatthe lastsurvivingfemale mustabide by
certainrules,she mustbe well educatedandnon-rebellious
withherstudies,whileavoidingmale contact/relationships
withmaleswhichcausesherto be seenasa prude.More
oftenthannot,the final girl will have male characteristics
such as a unisex name,meaningshe isnotseenasa sexual
object,making‘The Final Girl Theory’aboutdominant
ideology.Forexample,the slasherhorrorfilm, Halloween
(70s) usesa masculine female asthe final girl whoalsohappenstohave a unisex name,‘Laurie’.
Throughout,Laurie isportrayedasan intellectual,workingclassgirl whoavoidsmale contactat all

3. costs,demonstratingthe typical characteristicsof afinal girl.InHalloween,Laurie managestoevade
Michael Myers’attemptsto kill her,resultinginherinevitablesurvival,supportingClover’stheory.
Additional filmsthatsupportClover’stheoryinclude ‘The Crazies’,‘The CabininThe Woods’and
‘Wrong Turn’.‘The Crazies’usesanunconventional ‘FinalGirl’insome aspects,withthe character
beinga pregnantmature lady,she isnotseenas virginal whichcontradictsthe stereotypical ‘Final
Girl’,however,atthe beginningof the filmwe see thatshe is
a doctor, suggestingthatshe isintellegent,well respected
and successful,puttingherina positionof independence.A
‘Final Girl’isthoughtto have highlevelsof independence,
whichcan be appliedto‘The Crazies’allowingittoultimately
supportClover’stheory,althoughitdoesnotdoso ina
conventional way.However,‘The CabininThe Woods’
followsClover’stheorywhichmakesthe ‘Final Girl’apparent
fromthe beginning,thischaracterishesitanttogo awaywith
herfriendsandconsiderstakingmaterial forhertostudy,
showingthatshe veryeducational andhardworking,
althoughshe isalso not a virgin.Earlyon we findoutthat she
has had an affairwithherprofessor,whichputsherina compromisingpositionasitarisesquestions
surroundinghersurvival.‘WrongTurn’canalso be usedto supportthe ‘Final Girl’theory,withthe
lastsurvivingfemalecharacterbeingverysensibleaswell asmasucline andindependent.These
characters can be useddemonstrate aspectsof the ‘Final Girl’theory,makingitaccurate and
successful withinthe worldof horrorfilms,allowingthe viewerstounderstandthe waysinwhich
characters are portrayedand why.