Gender bias is one of the main problems of present-day films, and such genre as horror is no exception to the rule. Meanwhile, the articles on this topic written by Erin Harrington and Beth Younger reflect on the gradual shift in the perceptions of women’s roles in them. Both authors criticize society’s current state through the prism of discussion about female characters in horror movies, but from different directions. Hence, Harrington efficiently uses familiar images and concepts as figurative techniques alongside rhetorical strategies, whereas Younger appropriately appeals to objective data from sociological research while solely implementing logos to present the issue.
The adoption of logos when analyzing the theme of victimization of women in the films by the two scholars provides different results while supporting the credibility of their outcomes. In the piece written by Harrington, this idea is expressed in the part where she presents a number of facts. They include the typical position of girls “on the end of a knife” and the screenwriters’ preferences of “damsel in distress,” which seem to be their only roles in these movies (Harrington).
In this way, the author explains the complexity of the underlying concepts in simple terms or, in other words, delivers data confirming her stance. In contrast to her work, Younger, with the same degree of success, employs this approach by citing the research on underrepresented women in the industry and, more specifically, the tendency to portray them as monsters. Her arguments are strong due to the inclusion of comprehensive information regarding previous studies, but it indicates the opposite idea. Therefore, it is clear that the use of the same literary methods in different publications renders conflicting thoughts.
Another difference in the context of the evaluated articles is the application of figurative language in Harrington’s piece compared to Younger’s logos incorporated throughout the text as the only technique. It leads to the formulation of stereotypical female characters in horror movies. In the first case, this image is a virgin who happens to survive by the end of the story. Accordingly, the author claims that “much currency is placed onto women” of this type, and their importance for society is highlighted by the view of the present-day female sexuality (Harrington). This metaphor adds to the readers’ understanding of the message of this source.
Meanwhile, the second scholar proves her point by referring to the beneficial societal impact of such positive roles of women, as per the study of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media (Younger). From this perspective, the continuing emphasis on logos in confirming the writer’s opinion contributes to higher objectivity. In this situation, the two arguments from these articles affirm the existence of the mentioned stereotype while considering it in different aspects.
The third example of literary techniques adopted by Harrington and Younger are pathos and logos, respectively, and they both indicate the importance of their opinions regarding the matter and contribute to varying perceptions. The former aims to evoke the emotional response of people by insisting on the fault of male filmmakers who believe that sexually active women are not “worthy of positive representation” and should die (Harrington).
Her position, in this regard, explicitly reiterates the author’s belief in the offensive stereotypes and encourages the readers to adopt this view. In turn, the latter demonstrates the opposite side of the issue by stating that the overall response of the audience to such movies is becoming positive (Younger). It means that the recent shift in the ideas at the base of these pieces is optimistic, and there is a chance to reform the negative image of female characters. Thus, the consideration of common practices by Harrington is contrasted by Younger’s focus on emerging trends.
Finally, both scholars give examples of strong protagonists in the horror genre played by women and thereby incorporate logos in the corresponding parts of their literary works. In her article, Harrington explains the development of this practice by such instances as “The Love Witch,” in which the main character is a female killer, and “Jennifer’s Body,” whose creators implemented a similar idea. For this reason, the use of this approach, in this case, contributes to the proper reflection on the change in movies’ orientation.
At the same time, Younger’s decision to implement this method results in the rising criticism of rape culture. It is confirmed by the successes of such works as “Wonder Woman,” which might be transmitted to the horror genre over time (Younger). This technique allows her to prove the correctness of her judgment and the overall credibility of the findings. Given these points, it is reasonable to say that the use of logos provided similar insights.
To summarize, the definition of gender bias in horror movies as it was described by Erin Harrington and Beth Younger in their articles demonstrates their ideas’ differences despite the use of similar technique underpinning them. The only common element in this relation is their focus on the inappropriate portrayal of women. Nevertheless, both scholars concluded on the need for a change in this aspect, and the adoption of the described rhetoric strategies helped them sufficiently justify their stances.
Works Cited
Harrington, Erin. “Horror and Gender: What is it About the Treatment of Women?.” Storgy Magazine. 2017. Web.
Younger, Beth. “Women in Horror: Victims No More.” Salon, 2017. Web.