Under The Skin Narrative Flashcards
What is the Causal Agent in Under The Skin?
The alien entity that takes human form and preys on men.
What happens in Under The Skin? List the key narrative events.
- An alien entity takes human form
- She adopts the identity of another woman
- She preys on single, lonely men
- She consumes the men
- She witnesses human kindness
- She becomes more cautious and vulnerable
- She extends kindness to a disfigured man
- She flees to the forest
- She is violently attacked and dies.
What are the four stages of Todorov’s narratology?
- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- Quest
- Resolution / New Equilibrium
What is the difference between the Female at the beginning and the end of Under The Skin?
At the beginning, she is powerful and emotionless; at the end, she is submissive and vulnerable.
What has the Female learned by the end of Under The Skin?
She has learned that being human involves vulnerability.
Does the Female achieve her quest in Under The Skin?
Yes, she becomes more human through vulnerability, despite her death.
What is the significance of the ending of Under The Skin?
Though she dies, she transcends physical existence and understands emotional humanity.
What are the Binary Oppositions in Under The Skin?
- Strength vs. Weakness
- Predator vs. Prey
- Invulnerability vs. Vulnerability
- Life vs. Death
- Active vs. Passive
- Masculinity vs. Femininity
- Emotionless vs. Emotional
- Inhumanity vs. Humanity
- Physical vs. Non-physical
How does the Causal Agent transition between Binary Oppositions in Under The Skin?
She transitions from predator to prey, invulnerability to vulnerability, and inhumanity to humanity.
What does the narrative structure of Under The Skin suggest?
It suggests the inescapable inevitability of death and the need to accept it to truly live.
What is the linear narrative structure in Under The Skin meant to convey?
It conveys the journey from birth to death and the identity shaped through experiences.
What is the cyclical interpretation of Under The Skin’s narrative structure?
It suggests a repeating cycle of misogynistic treatment of women in a patriarchal society.
What journey is the Female on in Under The Skin?
She is on a journey to find her humanity and reject her assigned identity.
What themes are explored in Under The Skin?
- Vulnerability
- Humanity
- Gender
- Sex and sexuality
- Birth and Death
- Feminism
- Patriarchy
What is the difference between story and narrative?
Story is the sequence of events; narrative is how those events are presented.
What is a Causal Agent?
The character or entity that drives the narrative forward.
What is a Binary Opposition?
A set of two concepts defined in relation to each other.
What narrative devices can be identified in Under The Skin?
- Flashbacks
- Voiceovers
- Symbolism
How does Todorov’s narratology affect audience response to the Female?
- Establishes her character in equilibrium
- Changes audience perception through disruption
- Subverts initial characteristics in resolution
