Thesis II: "The Monster Always Escapes" is an excellent beginning for examining Freddy Krueger. Throughout the movie, Freddy is actually never physically there, but only a figment in the dreams of his victims. The heroine finally devises a trap to bring him into the real world where he can be defeated, by keeping a hold of him when she wakes up. After bringing him to the real world, Nancy (the heroine) defeats him by showing him she is no longer afraid of him, and he vanishes. In the final scene, however, Freddy reappears and pulls her to her unseen doom.
Cohen says that "...but the monster itself turns immaterial and vanishes, to reappear someplace else..."(12), which fits not only with this final scene, but with the idea that Freddy Krueger feeds on fear. Throughout Nancy and the other's dreams, they can escape the killer, but he always reappears in their dreams at another point. Even after Nancy defeats him in reality, he manages to escape, only to reappear at the very end. The theme even continues into sequels of the movie: being afraid of Freddy Krueger gives him the power to keep coming back. Fear of him is his power. The movie A Nightmare on Elm Street was released in 1984, a year which contained the ongoing Cold War with Soviet Russia, the crack cocaine epidemic, the bombing of the Beirut barracks, and the shooting of 4 African-American teens aboard a NYC subway all occurred during this year. Each singular event, as well as the ongoing crack cocaine epidemic and the Cold War all gave Americans a new fear in their daily lives.
"Each time the grave opens and the unquiet slumberer strides forth ('come from the dead, /Come back to tell you all'), the message proclaimed is transformed by the air that gives its speaker new life" (Cohen 13). This declaration is a perfect comparison to Freddy and the time frame of the movie. Cohen says that each time the monster comes back, it is given a new life by a new fear. Freddy is brought back from the "dead" anytime someone new fears him, while Americans were given new fears on almost a monthly basis during the year the movie was released. Culturally, Freddy is all of the fears that Americans experienced during 1984. Each time he was "killed" (or one tragedy ended in America) he is resurrected by a new fear (or new tragedy), thus ensuring his immortality.
Real life tragedies are, unfortunately, never - ending. Which means that for Freddy Krueger, his time will never end. As Cohen says: "No monster tastes of death but once" (13).
Cohen says that "...but the monster itself turns immaterial and vanishes, to reappear someplace else..."(12), which fits not only with this final scene, but with the idea that Freddy Krueger feeds on fear. Throughout Nancy and the other's dreams, they can escape the killer, but he always reappears in their dreams at another point. Even after Nancy defeats him in reality, he manages to escape, only to reappear at the very end. The theme even continues into sequels of the movie: being afraid of Freddy Krueger gives him the power to keep coming back. Fear of him is his power. The movie A Nightmare on Elm Street was released in 1984, a year which contained the ongoing Cold War with Soviet Russia, the crack cocaine epidemic, the bombing of the Beirut barracks, and the shooting of 4 African-American teens aboard a NYC subway all occurred during this year. Each singular event, as well as the ongoing crack cocaine epidemic and the Cold War all gave Americans a new fear in their daily lives.
"Each time the grave opens and the unquiet slumberer strides forth ('come from the dead, /Come back to tell you all'), the message proclaimed is transformed by the air that gives its speaker new life" (Cohen 13). This declaration is a perfect comparison to Freddy and the time frame of the movie. Cohen says that each time the monster comes back, it is given a new life by a new fear. Freddy is brought back from the "dead" anytime someone new fears him, while Americans were given new fears on almost a monthly basis during the year the movie was released. Culturally, Freddy is all of the fears that Americans experienced during 1984. Each time he was "killed" (or one tragedy ended in America) he is resurrected by a new fear (or new tragedy), thus ensuring his immortality.
Real life tragedies are, unfortunately, never - ending. Which means that for Freddy Krueger, his time will never end. As Cohen says: "No monster tastes of death but once" (13).
Thanks for your story of Freddy Krueger. I used to have great interest in the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, I am really afraid of watching horrible movies and unfortunately, this movie is exactly that type. Since I can't watch it myself, I googled it and got the general information of it.
ReplyDeleteLike you say, Freddy examines the thesis that monster always escape. I totally agree with that idea. Freddy can't be destroyed. When his showed up as the monster figure, he was already "a dead man". But he still can torture and kill people in their dreams. Even the heroin defeats him, he will come back before long. He is defeatable but not destroyable.
I have to say, what impressed me the most is that you combined the movie with its background--there was a lot of events take place in 1984. You successfully found out the relation between the movie and the situation of America at that time. That's awesome!
What's more, Freddy also represents the fear. He can be defeat by people who are fearless and he can reborn from the fear of people. He is the fear itself. Maybe it fits the Cohen's thesis I that monsters stand for culture.
Finally, thanks for your story!