The use of literary theories are very prevalent throughout the horror genre.
Nosferatu, one of the earliest known horror movies, displayed many different theories, all while being a silent movie. Though it was a silent movie, the movie is considered a classic and is very influential for the future of the horror genre.
The movie’s villain goes by the name Count Orlok. By the looks of it, Orlok is a disfigured looking man, with large, bushy eyebrows, pointed ears, long arms, and sharp teeth. This may be going toward the path of Disability Studies, as Orlok does not appear to have the same body and looks as a regular human. His unconventional appearance targets the use of ableism, which is the normalization of certain body types. Another theory that Nosferatu covers is intersectionality. In the movie, we see how Thomas Hutter, the main character, takes a trip to Transylvania to sell a house to Orlok. During this, his wife stays home and awaits his return. This represents how typical families were during the 1920s, where the husband goes to work and the wife stays back. Intersectionality considers social markers such as gender function, which is very prevalent in consideration of how families functioned during that time that the movie was made. This also has a direct correlation on gender studies, another type of theory. This theory studies how films stereotype gender, where in this case the stereotype is the man working and the woman staying home.
One other theory that takes place in Nosferatu is the Marxist Theory. This theory focuses on social and economic functions in society. The whole story itself revolves around Thomas Hutter doing his job and selling a house to an individual who just happens to not be of human nature. He does this as a way to make money, as his job is an estate agent located in Wisboro. This relates to the Marxist Theory in the economic aspect, where houses are sold and bought.
Part Two of Assignment
The horror genre as a whole began as early as the 1890s. The human emotion allows for the feeling of shock and unease, all while also including the feeling of happiness. When a person goes through an uneasy situation and is relieved afterwards, dopamine is released into the body’s system. I believe that horror movies serve as an artificial way to mimic threatening situations, which is why many people have such a loving attitude toward the horror genre. Like any movie genre, horror movies put us through great emotion and allow for the release of dopamine. Horror in specific is a very different genre that puts us out of our comfort zone. There are many different types of “scary,” which includes jump scares, violence, or even just psychological discomfort, all of which put us at discomfort. Yet, with all this discomfort, we are always fine in the end because after all, it is just a movie. Odd as it may be, it is a way of entertainment, specifically for those who dare to go through the emotion of fear. Though it may not be for the faint of heart, it is no surprise why the horror genre is so loved and has been loved for decades.
Even in horror films, gender stereotypes are evident in which the man is the breadwinner and the woman is responsible for the house. It’s an issue that shouldn’t be normalized in films.
I agree, I believe that these gender stereotypes are kinda out-of-date. In today’s era, there are people who do not embody their gender stereotypes. Some guys now don’t care about working and wouldn’t mind being a stay at home fathers. While some girls want to be “breadwinners”.
I agree, with the gender stereotypes, they made his wife seem as if she was incapable of living without him. Which is now days isn’t the case women don’t need to depend on a man to be successful.
I really like how you wrote your analysis and thought all of the literary theories that you included were all very relevant and backed up with strong evidence.