The Monstrous-Feminine

Barbara Creed is Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne. She is the author of seven books, including Darwin’s Screens: Evolutionary Aesthetics, Time and Sexual Display in the Cinema (2009); and Stray: Human- Animal Ethics in the Anthropocene (2017). She is the director of the Human Rights and Animal Ethics Research Network (HRAE). She has been on the boards of Writers Week, the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

Preface to the Second Edition

Part I Faces of the Monstrous-Feminine: Abjection and the Maternal

Introduction

1 Kristeva, Femininity, Abjection

2 Horror and the Archaic Mother: Alien

3 Woman as Possessed Monster: The Exorcist

4 Woman as Monstrous Womb: The Brood

5 Woman as Vampire: The Hunger

6 Woman as Witch: Carrie

Part II Medusa’s Head: Psychoanalytic Theory and the

Femme Castratrice

Preface

7 ‘Little Hans’ Reconsidered: or ‘The Tale of Mother’s Terrifying Widdler’

8 Medusa’s Head: the Vagina Dentata and Freudian theory

9 The femme castratrice: I spit on your grave, sisters

10 The Castrating Mother: Psycho

11 The Medusa’s Gaze

Part III Revolt of the Monstrous-Feminine: Embracing the Nonhuman

Introduction: The Nonhuman Turn an Women’s Horror of the New Millennium

12 Coming of Age: The Monstrous-Feminine as Virginal Dentata: Ginger Snaps: (2000), Teeth (2007), Jennifer’s Body (2009).

13 The Monstrous-Feminine as Avenging Zombie: The Girl With All The Gifts (2016), The Dark (2018), Atlantics (2019).

14 The Monstrous-Feminine as Uncanny Creatrix: Border (2018), Little Joe (2019), Titane (2021).

Bibliography

Filmography

Index