The Representation of Women in Relation to The Cabin in the Woods (Goddard, 2012)

1) What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in the Woods?
Jeremy Tunstall outlines 4 main character roles that apply for women, these are;

• Domestic
• Sexual
• Consumer
• Marital

Tunstall said that in every movie the female characters will always fit into one of these four roles. In The Cabin in the Woods this applies to Jules' character as she is seen as sexual and almost whore-like. This is made evidednt in the scene where they are playing truth or dare and she is dared to kiss the wolf on the wall. She overly sexualises this scene and shows that she is the typical 'slut' that you expect to see in a horror movie. Dana however doesn't link in with any of these character types as she is seen more masculine, as she fights back and uses her knowledge to survive. This ties in with the final girl theory.

2) How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory?
Clover's final girl theory can be applied to The Cabin in the Woods in relation the Dana. She is seen as the masculine, virginal, responsible female that fights back and uses it to her advantage. She contrsts with Jules' character as they are total opposites. By Dana being and acting this way it helps her to survive and avoid dying.

3) Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?
At the very start of the film we see Jules telling Dana about her new hair. We learn that she has changed from a brunette to a blonde, at this point the viewers know that she is going to become the 'dumb blonde who dies'. The hair die has been tampered with by the office people which has been made to slowly impair her cognitive function, therefore making her even 'dumber' and less likely to survive.

4) Is Mulvey's male gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how?
The idea of the 'Male Gaze' is made evident by Jules' character. She makes this theory extremely evident and uses it to create her character.  This is shown when the group are playing 'Truth or Dare' and also when she and Curt go off together in the woods. As well as this being done for the male viewer's enjoyment it has also included this within the film itself with the two men controlling the game 'gazing' at her.

5) In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?
The audience are made to be voyeurs when Jules shows her provocative and sexual nature. We as the audience are forced to watch this as the camera angle used is focusing on her bum giving us nothing else to focus on, also we are encouraged by her boyfriend Curt in the background. This becomes an important scene in terms of character representation as we see Marty start to feel uncomfortable whilst Curt is enjoying every moment showing us what these characters are like and clueing us into what we can expect. Another moment when we are made to be voyeurs is the scene with the one way mirror. When Holden removes the painting from the wall we see Dana and become voyeurs. Again we are shown the character type of Holden as instead of leaving Dana unaware he tells everybody and offers to switch rooms showing that he is a gentle man. However after they do switch he undresses knowing that Dana will be able to see him through the mirror, but being the virginal and pure character she covers it up and chooses not to look.

6) Summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfill another role/purpose?
There are two ways that the female characters are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. The first is the character that flaunts her sexuality and is often described as the 'slut'. The other is the more masculine female that isn't afraid to fight back in order to survive.

• Jules was the more girl-like of the two female characters and used her sexuality to her advantage. She wore more revealing clothing, acted in a provocative and flirtatious way and was more interested in sex that being smart and aware. This representation of female character was mostly used just for the enjoyment and satisfaction of the male viewer.
• Dana's role in this film was to challenge stereotypes and show the female character to be just as likely to survive in situations such as this. The 'Final girl' character is usually more masculine that the sexualised character to show the contrast. Dana was also clever and intelligent which helped her to survive.