This article talks about the different types of female characters you tend to see in horror tv series and movies specifically talking about the American Horror Story. It discusses how they have pushed a lot of boundaries but when it comes to women is it reinforcing archetypes.
It then goes on to pinpoint some of the female characters in the 'murder house' who make up its foundation.
The scorned woman - I wasn't quite sure what this meant so I searched it and it means 'to refuse to do something because one is too proud'. In the horror house it is Vivien Harmon who is the scorned woman as she has been through miscarriages, a cheating husband and a home invasion. However very rarely will you see her properly affected by these things as she is a strong and proud women that doesn't like to show her weaknesses.
The Cougar - This is the next door neighbour as she tends to enjoy the company of younger men but is also shown as abusive as she cant accept her daughter who isn't seen as beautiful in her eyes and she struggles to accept her as a normal girl and can't see past her daughter having Down Syndrome and pushes her away as he daughter just wants to be seen as beautiful and normal which is understandable.
The Innocent - The cougars playful daughter who has Down Syndrome. Her innocence makes her one of the shows more endearing and kind hearted characters. All she wants is to be pretty and to be seen as a normal girl as her mother is extremely vain and makes her feel like she can't excepted by other people because of it. However she is reminded frequently by her mother and society that she is not a normal and pretty girl which is unfair and makes the audience feel sorry for her.
The Fatalist - This is Vivien Harmon's daughter Violet who is a goth girl outsider. She struggles with depression and cuts herself a lot which is shown on the show regularly. She deals with bullying, suicide attempts and drug overdoses due to the constant arguments and drama with her parents and with her not fitting in with anyone at school she feels lost and alone.
The Femme Fatale - I wasn't quite sure what this one meant so searched it and it means an attractive and seductive woman, especially one who will ultimately cause distress to a man who becomes involved with her. In this case it is Moira the housekeeper who appears in two forms, for the women she is an older lady with a cloudy eye but for the men she is a young and sexed up pinup girl in a french maid's outfit complete with garters.
There are more female archetypes in the American Horror Story but I feel these are the main ones that are most frequently seen and involved in mayhem. I feel that American Horror Story does well in exploring the different ways you can portray women as in a lot of Horror series you tend to just see women as the victim but in this series the women are shown as quite dominant and the men are the weaker sex as the husband of Vivien is portrayed as quite weak especially when it comes to Moira the house keeper. I like the way American Horror Story Subverts from the normal Archetypes and feel that this is probably why it is so popular.
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