When Woman Teams Up with Monster

Abstract

How has the relationship between women and monsters influenced the cultural construction of femininity? In contemporary Hollywood audiovisuals, where selfawareness of the story takes on a special importance, particular emphasis is given to the examination of the way in which one of the most memorable horror movie scenes is presented: the one in which the woman meets the monster. The classic scream of horror has been replaced by a thrilling empathic relationship, plausible thanks to its imaginary link with the idea of otherness. This rapprochement, marked by language, has developed in tandem with a process of the humanization of the monster and its influence on the archetype of the hero, which has attracted greater attention inthe construction of the history of cinema. The main question posed by this narrative strategy, in which female empowerment derives from an alliance with the monster, is how this updated scene has contributed to the cultural reconstruction of the female identity. We aim to assess the influence of this metafictional discourse, triggered by the rhetorical device of parody, on shaping a true image of women.