"Men, Women and Chain Saws" by Carol Clover

This book focuses specifically on the slasher genre and gender. It talks about how the slasher genre is explored, and how female and male characters come into it. It talks mainly about how female characters rise in the early 1970 films, such as "Carrie". (1976)


"A girl named Carrie White, the browbeaten daughter of a religious fanatic. Because of her strange clothes and shy mannerisms, Carrie is the butt of every class joke; the social outsider in every situation".


This quote introduces the audience to Carrie's character. It makes her seem weak and awkward, completely different to who she becomes later in the film.


"The source of her pain soon becomes the source of her power".


This quote goes against the media's interpretation of a female stereotype, where females are seen as being weak and vulnerable- this quote shows that Carrie can get stronger the more she gets put down, helping female characters in horror.


"She also has a mild telekinetic ability which intensifies after her fist menstrual period, and she finally uses this power to 'bring down the house' following a terrible social disaster at her high school prom".


This quote gives the viewers more detail about how her power gets put into practise, through locations, people and what she does.


"She is led to believe that she has been elected queen of the senior prom, only to have a bucket of pigs blood dumped down on her at the moment she is crowned. To which she responds with the force of her telekinetic will, causing the gym to go up in flames and her entire school class with it".


Once again Carol describes in even more detail how and what Carrie did, demonstrating her power and how her class mates treat her. Carol starts off describing the situation, then in further detail then in more detail and so on, to get the viewers an idea and to keep them interested.


"But what exactly is the horror here? if 'women's liberation' is the fear, is Carrie its representative monster, and if she is, who is the victim, and who is the hero?"

This quote's rhetorical question is effective, as it's a valid point that the viewers don't know. Carrie is an interesting character who comes across as weak, powerful and heroic all in one. Which one is she?