Marginalized Through the Lens of the Supernatural and the Weird
Faculty Mentor
Shawna Lichtenwalner
Mentor Home Department
English (Literature and Language)
Short Abstract
Author's Section: Avery Lane Leonard (student presenter) Shawna Lichtenwalner (faculty advisor) Body Text: Throughout literature, many have depicted Vampires and other supernatural creatures that are outside of humanity and seen as villainous monsters. While fiction like Dracula is revolutionary in its development of Vampire mythology, there resides a level of misogyny present that has historically been used to suppress women and other marginalized groups. Throughout historical mythology, there remains misogyny and villainization of minority groups, yet certain supernatural and weird fiction redefine this and allow for marginalized representation instead through identification with the monstrous. Works such as Interview with the Vampire use the mythology of the vampire to represent marginalized people and offer differing perspectives to that of traditional folklore. Simultaneously, weird fiction such as Shirley Jackson’s stories and other similar stories offer a deviation from the conventions of supernatural literature that can help to portray people groups, circumstances, or themes that aren’t regularly touched on. While certain novels like Stokers can be problematic, others like Rice’s and Jackson’s portray the supernatural and monstrous as rejects of society that the audience can relate to and empathize with instead of villainizing them. To summarize, despite the historical context of some folklore and mythology villainizing women and other minority groups, some authors’ expert use of the supernatural and weird allow for these groups to not only be represented but also reinvent the mythology and to accentuate their importance.
Category
Arts & Humanities
Start Date
5-4-2024 8:00 AM
End Date
5-4-2024 9:00 AM
Location
D.P. Culp Center Room 272 (East Tennessee Room)
Marginalized Through the Lens of the Supernatural and the Weird
D.P. Culp Center Room 272 (East Tennessee Room)
Author's Section: Avery Lane Leonard (student presenter) Shawna Lichtenwalner (faculty advisor) Body Text: Throughout literature, many have depicted Vampires and other supernatural creatures that are outside of humanity and seen as villainous monsters. While fiction like Dracula is revolutionary in its development of Vampire mythology, there resides a level of misogyny present that has historically been used to suppress women and other marginalized groups. Throughout historical mythology, there remains misogyny and villainization of minority groups, yet certain supernatural and weird fiction redefine this and allow for marginalized representation instead through identification with the monstrous. Works such as Interview with the Vampire use the mythology of the vampire to represent marginalized people and offer differing perspectives to that of traditional folklore. Simultaneously, weird fiction such as Shirley Jackson’s stories and other similar stories offer a deviation from the conventions of supernatural literature that can help to portray people groups, circumstances, or themes that aren’t regularly touched on. While certain novels like Stokers can be problematic, others like Rice’s and Jackson’s portray the supernatural and monstrous as rejects of society that the audience can relate to and empathize with instead of villainizing them. To summarize, despite the historical context of some folklore and mythology villainizing women and other minority groups, some authors’ expert use of the supernatural and weird allow for these groups to not only be represented but also reinvent the mythology and to accentuate their importance.