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Gender Roles In Horror Films

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Gender roles have always been critical in horror films. Long before the feminist movement, women were portrayed as weak and hopeless, with their only defense to be screaming hysterically as the killer came to slash them in the shower or chasing after them. Since the rise of feminism, female characters were more commonly becoming protagonists and seen fighting back. Also around this time, the “final girl” emerged, a female character with more masculine qualities who ends up escaping the killer or is the last one standing. As the feminist movement progressed, so did the depiction of women in movies, greatly increasing the role of female empowerment in film. A great example of a final girl is Laurie from the movie, Halloween. She was the first

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