The Representation of Women in Relation to "The Cabin in the Woods"

1. What are Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to "The Cabin in the Woods"?

Jeremy Tunstall, in his book "The Media in Britain", identified four types of character roles presented by women.

Character Types (and whether or not they apply to "The Cabin in the Woods"):

• Domestic - No; none of the women in this film are presented in a domestic role.
• Consumer - Again, none of the women are presented as consumers.
• Marital - No, however we are made aware of a wife within the film (the zombie mother).
• Sexual - Yes; Dana is desired by Holden, while Jules is sexually objectified by almost every male character in the film, at some point, with the exception of Truman.

2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory?

• Audience Identification - Clover argues that the audience will identify with the 'Final Girl', through identifying with the fright of being attacked. We are also shown a direct example of this in the film when Dana is being attacked by the zombie on the pontoon; we are shown a cut to the control room in the underground facility during which one of the 'game makers' almost empathises with her.
• Gender Fluidity of the Final Girl - Clover says that "The Final Girl is a congenial double for the adolescent male who remains virginal and pure". Dana does remain virginal and she also fights back throughout the film, which may be seen as a masculine trait. An example of this is when she and Marty are in the underground facility and she releases monsters on the security team.

• Horror and Homogeneity - Dana fits this concept of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory as she does not have sex, drink, or take drugs etc. She does not, at any point in the film, venture outside "socially acceptable parameters". Her appearance also supports this; her body is completely covered with the exceptions of her forearms, ankles and face. She is not sexually objectified, except briefly as Holden sees her changing through the one-way window, or possibly through 'Male Gaze' at the beginning of the film when she is seen in her underwear.

• The Final Girl: Empowered Woman or Damsel in Distress - Although Dana fights back in the film, it takes her a long time to do so. She is often in need of rescue; such as when one of the zombies is smashing through her window and Holden saves her by breaking the window between their rooms. She is not a victim of masculine rage, but rather of a twisted "tradition" that the 'game makers' follow.

3. Jules undergoes physical and emotional transformations during the film. What are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

One of the first pieces of information we are given in the film is that Jules has dyed her hair blonde. This becomes symbolic of her objectification in the film and therefore emphasises the idea that the slutty female will be the first to die. Another point in the film which is symbolic of her objectification is the reaction to the dare she receives from Marty which she executes willingly and without hesitation.

One of the emotional changes that Jules goes through in the film is the transition from having innocent fun with her friends to going out into the woods with Curt. To begin with she is just having a good time, but then her frame of mind changes and she wants to have sex with Curt. At this point, Jules experiences another emotional change; fear. The pair are attacked in the woods by the zombies, and we see a close up of Jules' face and a jagged saw blade right before she is killed.

4. Is Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory exemplified in the film and if so, how?

Mulvey's theory is echoed throughout the film in several ways, the most obvious and possibly the most significant being Jules' dance in front of the fireplace in the cabin. She dances provocatively in order to create sexual interest in both the male characters in the film, and the male audience. She is in the centre of the frame, making it clear that she is what the audience is supposed to be focusing on, as well as this shot being a point of view shot which locks the audience's vision to her.

A not-so-typical example of the theory being shown in the film may be when Dana is in the camper van in the lake. She is trapped in the van underwater, creating the sense that she is restricted. She is also literally restricted by her seat belt, as well as the confines of the van itself until she eventually manages to open the hatch through which she escapes. Also, another odd but possible example of the theory being exemplified may be when she is being attacked by the zombie on the pontoon. Just beforehand, we look down on her to see that she is laying there, panting. Then, the way the zombie throws her around may create a sick sense of male dominance.

5. 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?

As an audience we are made to view certain characters sexually, usually through the point of view of another character. An example of this is when Holden sees Dana undressing through the one-way window. This is significant in the representation of Holden's character as he is the scholar; therefore, supposedly, the nice guy of the group. However, upon viewing this scene, we may question him as a character, or even his morals. Another point in the film at which we are made to be voyeurs is when Jules and Curt are about to have sex in the woods; and we even see the men in the control room as voyeurs as well. This supports the stereotype that men objectify women and see them as being there to satisfy their sexual desires and fantasies.

6. Summarise (briefly) 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 fulfill another role/purpose?

Women are definitely presented sexually in the film, and seen as being there to provide satisfaction for the heterosexual males; several examples of this are seen in answers to the previous questions. However, there is also another purpose for women in the film. Dana, "the virgin", has the role in the "tradition" of being pure, as if she is the only one worthy of the Gods that the others have been sacrificed for. This is supported by the fact that she is allowed either to die or to live.

Also, at the beginning of the film, Jules and Curt are seen helping Dana find the right book, presumably for her educational studies. This suggests that women are able to get an education and eventually a job, and therefore fulfill several different types of roles. This is further supported as there are female employees at the underground facility, as well as the fact that none of the women in the film are presented in a domestic role, showing that women are breaking free of those stereotypes.