(Goddard, 2012)

The Representation of Women in Relation to The

Cabin in the Woods

Jeremy Tunstall came up with 4 character roles that represented woman in the media. These roles were: Domestic (housewife) Sexual (objects) Consumer Marital (contented mothers)In The Cabin in the Woods not all of the roles are used. The main role used to represent woman is the 'sexual' one. This is Jules as she is seen as the 'sex object‘ due to her flirtatious behaviour and body language. Her appearance adds to this because she is quite clearly the typical dumb blonde character and her clothing is usually rather revealing (e.g. Her hot pants) therefore attracting the male viewers.

What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in

the Woods?

Dana is typical of the 'final girl theory' because of her appearance and actions throughout the film. Firstly her appearance is the most manly out of all the female

characters. By her having ginger hair it immediately eliminates her from being the 'dumb blonde‘ character. She also wears very conservative clothes compared to the others.

She is also the most intellectual female and is interested in studying rather than the typical things teenagers are interested in like sex, drugs and alcohol. This would give her the characteristics of a ‘final girl’ because she is more aware of her surroundings and will spot signs of danger.

Another factor that makes her typical of the 'final girl' is the fact that she’s not frightened to fight back. On several occasions she fought back towards the zombies which remained her safe.

Also the fact that she survived all the events and made it to the end would make her the ‘final girl’.

How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory? Please mention: the

ending; Dana's appearance and her actions during the film.

During the film Jules changed mentally and physically. The main physical transformation was her hair colour. Right at the beginning we hear that she had recently dyed her hair blonde from a darker colour . This transformation is vital because it immediately changes our perception of the role she will have in the film. We quickly realise she is going to take up the 'sexual' role and will most likely get killed early on. The mental transformation takes place when they release hormones which causes her to be more aroused. This lets the audience see that she is going to become more vulnerable as she will be more involved in taking part in sexual activities, rather than what is happening around her. Consequently this was the reason for her death, as she got her neck sliced open when having sex in the forest.

Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become

a horror archetype?

Mulvey’s male gaze theory is a way in which camera angles and techniques are used to show the female as an ‘object’ to look at and the males as a ‘subject’ who do the looking. In the cabin in the woods this theory is very apparent in some scenes. We first see this it when Jules is dancing around the fire place. The camera is at a very low angle which makes it looks as if we are looking up at her. This makes it seem as if we are on the sofa with the other men looking at her. Also Goddard kept including close ups of her hips, bottom and legs. This would make the scene is appealing to heterosexual males.Another scene is in the woods when Jules and Kurt are taking part in sexual activities, the camera again is at a low angle and it looks as though we are in Kurt’s shoes looking up at her. This makes her look in control and it again would appeal to the male viewers.

Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera angles and POV shots.

Within the film the audience is made to be a voyeur. This takes place when Holden removes the picture off the wall and discovers that the mirror is in fact a window which he can see through into the Dana's room. Oblivious to it all Dana begins to get undressed. This is where we become a voyeur because the audience are put into Holden's shoes and we feel the same sexual tension that he does as he begins to watch her undress. Holden very quickly turns away and tells Dana that he can see her through the window so he offers to swap rooms. This is important in regards to representation of the characters because it shows us that Holden is genuinely a nice guy and isn't the

In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it

important in regards to representation of character?

typical male who would've just carried on watching her. Also the fact that Dana was so horrified and shocked that she was being watched, shows us that she is an innocent girl who isn't interested in that behaviour.

There are two representations of woman in the cabin in the woods. Firstly there is the more stereotypical female who flaunts it and could be seen as the ‘slut’, but then on the other hand there was the male-like character who wasn’t afraid to fight back. This shows us two different types of females. Jules was the more ‘girly girl’ character who wore revealing clothing; had a more flirtatious personality; and was more interested in sexual activity. She was objectified and in my opinion was there just to provide satisfaction for the males.However Dana was the tom-boy who had intelligence and survived to the end. This was to show us a different side to females other than the stereotypical role they play in films. Danas purpose within the film was to be the ‘final girl’ character and make it all the way to the end and to survive.

Summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and

there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?