We Need To Talk About Kevin Ideology Flashcards
What is the ideological approach used to examine We Need to Talk About Kevin?
Gender perspective
The analysis includes concepts such as ‘The Woman as Mother,’ Psychoanalytical theories, and Queer Theory.
What are the three separate gender ideas used to analyze the film?
- Woman as ‘The Mother’
- Psychoanalytical
- Queer Theory
How is the woman as ‘mother’ portrayed in culture?
As a natural, fulfilling role that women embrace
This portrayal is often exaggerated in cinema.
What is the film’s stance on the myths surrounding motherhood?
It seeks to explode these myths and examine their truth.
How is Eva depicted before pregnancy?
As happy and liberated.
What does the sex scene with Franklin represent?
An expression of sexual freedom.
What concept does Creed’s ideas of Monstrous Femininity relate to?
The depiction of women in pregnancy and motherhood.
Is Eva depicted as naturally maternal?
No, she is not.
What does Kevin represent in Eva’s life?
A physical manifestation of her regret at becoming a mother.
What are the seven types of the Monstrous Feminine in Cinema according to Barbara Creed?
- The Archaic Mother
- The Monstrous Womb
- The Witch
- The Vampire (Vagina Dentata)
- The Possessed Woman
- Femme Castratrice
- Castrating Mother
How does Creed define ‘The Abject’?
That which disturbs identity, system, and order.
What does the female body represent in contrast to the male body, according to Creed?
The female body is depicted as monstrous and ‘abject.’
What does horror cinema often explore regarding female characters?
Body mutation and the fear associated with pregnancy.
What is the Oedipus Complex?
A psychoanalytical idea describing a boy’s desire for his mother and jealousy towards his father.
What is The Primal Scene in the context of the Oedipus Complex?
When a child witnesses parents having sex, leading to confusion and arousal.
What is a notable behavior of Kevin towards Eva?
He exhibits identifiable sexual tension and obsession.
What happens to Oedipus’ mother in the myth?
She ends up dead after Oedipus fulfills his tragic fate.
What does Judith Butler argue about gender?
Gender is a construct and performative, existing on a sliding scale.
How is heteronormativity generally framed in society?
As trustworthy and safe.
What is queer-coding in cinema?
Using queer identities to signify characters as untrustworthy or villainous.
What are the implications of fixed ideas of otherness?
They lead to suspicion, mistreatment, oppression, and violence.
What does the final sequence of We Need to Talk About Kevin explore?
Narrative oppositions and Eva’s journey.
What does Todorov’s narratology suggest about the film?
It is about a journey to acceptance of guilt, grief, and motherhood.
What does Levi-Strauss’ structuralism focus on in the film?
Conflicts interrogating social expectations.
