Howling at the Margins: An Intersectional Study of Enid Sinclair’s Monstrous Femininity in the Netflix Series Wednesday

Abstract

This thesis analyses the representation of the “monstrous-feminine,” (Creed 1993, 26), in the Netflix TV series Wednesday (2022-present), focusing on Enid Sinclair, Wednesday Addams’ female werewolf roommate. Using John Fiske’s semiotic analysis and an intersectional approach, this thesis explores how Enid’s gender identity, social class, and sexuality contribute to her monstrous Otherness. The analysis reveals how Enid’s werewolf identity intersects with these other aspects of her identity to create a complex representation of the “monstrous-feminine.” By analysing the visual construction of Enid’s character and examining her gender identity, social class, and sexuality, this thesis offers insights into the usefulness of the concept of “monstrous-feminine” for representing the complex intertwining of gender identity and Otherness in U.S. popular culture. The analysis also contributes to the ongoing discussion of the representation of the female werewolf, highlighting the importance of an intersectional approach to understanding the complexity of identity and its impact on the construction of Otherness in popular culture. It is important to note that the complexity of Enid’s character is not necessarily a positive or negative attribute in itself, but rather a nuanced representation of a female werewolf that challenges simplistic stereotypes of monstrous women.