Project Title
Vampires and Villainesses: the villainization of queerness and women in Carmilla and Jennifer’s Body
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Jennifer Flaherty
Abstract
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and Jennifer’s Body directed by Karyn Kusama although published over 130 years apart from each other share common threads in which women are portrayed as the villain. This paper deals with the ideas that permeate feminine antagonists particularly with the villainization of queerness and the breaking of gender roles. Both stories deal with a main feminine protagonist, Laura in Carmilla and Needy in Jennifer’s Body, who has an intimate relationship with the feminine antagonist. This relationship evolves into something past friendship in both cases evolving into romantic and even sexual undertones. As Carmilla and Jennifer become more sinister and unsettling to the protagonists they take on more aggressive traits, such as a need for control, that are most often associated with masculinity. The traits exhibited by Jennifer and Carmilla perpetuate the stereotypes and prejudices that are based in the fears of society that have permeated generations and continue to affect the depictions of women and queer people in media.
Vampires and Villainesses: the villainization of queerness and women in Carmilla and Jennifer’s Body
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and Jennifer’s Body directed by Karyn Kusama although published over 130 years apart from each other share common threads in which women are portrayed as the villain. This paper deals with the ideas that permeate feminine antagonists particularly with the villainization of queerness and the breaking of gender roles. Both stories deal with a main feminine protagonist, Laura in Carmilla and Needy in Jennifer’s Body, who has an intimate relationship with the feminine antagonist. This relationship evolves into something past friendship in both cases evolving into romantic and even sexual undertones. As Carmilla and Jennifer become more sinister and unsettling to the protagonists they take on more aggressive traits, such as a need for control, that are most often associated with masculinity. The traits exhibited by Jennifer and Carmilla perpetuate the stereotypes and prejudices that are based in the fears of society that have permeated generations and continue to affect the depictions of women and queer people in media.