The Femme Fatale - A Selffulfilling Prophecy
Summary
In this thesis, I attempt to investigate how the cultural myth of the femme fatale is reworked in contemporary culture and what it’s emancipatory potential might be. Based on theories of Barbara Creed and Julia Kristeva, I argue that the femme fatale is a reworking of the monstrous feminine, which has always been an abject creature. The emancipatory potential of the femme fatale is hence questioned, as these women are often products of the masculine fear for women. Firstly, a theoretical framework is established by looking into the concepts of the monstrous feminine and abjection and feminist criticism on these concepts. Secondly, an analysis of a recent fantasy/drama film is done, in order to study the iteration or subversion of representing woman as monstrous, abject. Finally, I hope to study the emancipatory potential of the femme fatale more in general. Does she offer images of independent women, or is she merely a constructed to maintain patriarchal values?