Self-Reflexivity in American

CEU eTD Collection

In partialIn fulfillment for the degree of Master of Arts Genderin Studies. S ELF - R EFLEXIVITY IN Supervisor: Professor EszterTimár Department of Gender Studies Central EuropeanCentral University Kriszta Pozsonyi Kriszta Budapest, Hungary Submitted to 2013 By A

MERICAN MERICAN

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CEU eTD Collection CONCLUSION CHAPTER 3. THE MISE CHAPTER 2. THE DOPPE CHAPTER 1. THEORETI INTRODUCTION ABSTRACT 3.2 3.2 3.1 2.2 2.1 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 3.2.2 Breaking3.2.2 the Code Disturbing3.2.1 Theatricality Diegetic3.2.2 Vs. Non Musicals3.2.1 as “Contexts” Doubles2.2.5 in the Buffy2.2.4 and Self Dexter2.2.3 and Buffy Bonding2.2.2 and Identity in The2.2.1 The2.1.3 Doppelgänger Repetition2.1.2 Familiar2.1.1 Yet St

G T T C T Q D F L ILM ITERARY ONCLUSION LEE HE ELEVISION HE UEER UEER AS EXTE M Q

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...... Table ofContents

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...... I DENTITIES ......

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...... ii ......

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...... LF ...... - ...... REFLEXIVITY ......

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13 51 37 13 11 45 39 37 23

18 15 46 45 42 40 32 30 30 26 24 21

3 1

9 7 4

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145). One145). in simplistic terms in simplistic . Polan’s article. Polan’s is Dana Polan’s and thatthis of the like - — CEU eTD Collection self making strange note here sees thatPolan of thetext about ownartistic its self political strategyand apresumption. notjust above, although w viewer ofliterarylater iswhatintexts echoed is as onmetafiction described theory automatons Nazi spectacle)” generated by ( dreamily pass and“thegoal foremostnurturingspectatoractive (asto the ofthe the opposed of of athe out, criticalviewer.As Robertpoints Stam Brechtian first included framework reflexivity theprimary as goal. ispostulated this device towards artists ofthe era.This explicitlygoal the essays political for, what self is call and Vocabularies Semiotics inFilm reveal callingasas exp striking, for them art which would free socially conditioned phenomena from the app MacCabe’s theCinema:“Realism NotesBrechtian onSome and As Theses” (1974). revolutionary, anti - wasarentit essays,Brecht’s these in aim to“demystify society” capitalist “ through - enclosed world of the artwork toward a artworkenclosed world realofart world ofthe whichthe toward mediations reflexivity. “ argues, He Polan’s arguments particular in and resonate onmetafiction literary withwritings The mos making strange ive ‘zombies’goose engendered theaterbourgeois orthe by . Polan also makes it explicit thatthis also. Polan makesexplicit gesture it ofthe is“aout movement t important element of the ideal cinema in this viewt importantelementwas this of theideal theproduction in cinema ithin film theory film ithin of was thetime, this anoutspoken practice) (and - mainstream cinema along cinemathelinesofmainstream Brechtianaesthetics, orColin conventions and presuppositions” the self

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T ELEVISION ELEVISION through instruction. Toinstruct throughpleasure. through instruction. artcontent whose An at the center at these the arguments. of - reflexivity(which he

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about computerized editing ofcomputerized t and manipulation — 10 as rooted intheas dynamism rooted oftechnological

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C ONCLUSION ounding world, becomestroublesome where it todifferentiate ounding real from - reflexivity ona isafocus change happening inthe

- consciousness in thereader in consciousness orw When viewer. the

11 -

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12 t is exactly this relation and question of identity exactlyt is relation this andquestion

frameworks presentself - reflexivity CEU eTD Collection vividly andintheorizing ofGothic texts inthe analysis genre used (or about the modeof constant ofcopies play characterswith chains and throughout hybrid the show. the example ofthe doublesinBuffyI VampireSlayer, the showhow will thereisa relationships such a in are wayconfiguredalways inmirroring structured. actor his character whonegotiates Iexamples, how first will show wherethose points Sedgwick’s extensively“TheI also ‘Uncanny,’”will tospecifica draw essay, while attention inhis en abyme show thepot Slayer also wantemphasize inmy to tothoseexp similar in connection tothese terms. Eve Kosofsky drawing Sedgwick, attention connecting theterm

and The 2 IFirst,Freud’s review usewhat will ofthe term InI analyzewill chapter, doppelg this .1 .

T Dexter uncanny ential ofconnections sources chapterfollowing onthe the with one, this HE Q

UEERNESS OF THE UEERNESS the mirroring configurations in thestructures configurations in the mirroring inorder oftheto shows, lored in the theoretical chapter, discussed inthefirst frameworks uncanny

asby definedFreud same (1919)been the title essay has inhis of

While IWhile that these common concerns intend toshow are also asFreud usedbyaffect Sigmund tothe anal shame Dexter — The Doppelgänger ysis always theatrically performed U

can as functioninga way.In be similar seen in my NCANNY of Chapter 2.

can interpreted as be an aseriesaround centered instances of instances 13

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A long here, of couldbetosome list provided point the works, to for butjust see erest theGothic in — In this section, IIn lookattwomainaspectsthe will to section, uncannyconnect this ofthe that it 1

, while a couple of writings in recent yearsof writings, whilea (e.g. couple inrecent Royle 2003and Jenzen is just asimportantly recurrence.is just and about repetition Finally whether in literature, films or television shows inliterature,whether filmsortelevision

(The ‘Uncanny’),”connection(The queerness theandcome of theuncanny has

- reflexivity described in the first chapterreflexivity inthe first described ontheha —

The Coherence of Gothic ConventionsThe Coherence ofGothic Between Men her first published work (a revised first(a her workher version published doctoral of Gothic Studies

(2012) Queer Gothic

(1985)also were dedicatedgenre. tothe

most recently. maymost Also,it nothing worth here be 14

entitled eral level, thereinteresteral level, has immense in been

ore emergence queer theoryper by the se of

(2006), (2006), Paulina Palmer’s Queering Films Gothic

the Gothic inAmerican popular — Queering theGothic debatesuse of Freud’s making

(first in1980), published The Queer Uncanny: nd and toqueernd and , I at look how will , , (vol. 7.nr.2)

(2009,

2007) Das

CEU eTD Collection categorieswhich seem each irreconcilablecollapse into other. characteristically bymeant not be, is to thatinthe it uncanny, those defined what Therefore, w unheimlich developsof thedirection ambivalence,finally in it opposite, until with its coincides entries, F known and it familiar, butthat (Freud hereemphasis aboutsomething 220). notjust Therefers is tothatthis not thatis that what ‘uncanny is ‘ “the German‘ word just with not entries. contrast Throughisin word these,first how shows theGerman “unheimlich” he etymologicalhis argument), text Freudhis into embeds andencyclopedicdictionary confrontation orsupposedly ofdifferent perceptions. irreconcilable short, thecause reaction the emotional of a thattheuncannywithis isassociated familiar int “leading knownand a in familiarwayoldand back” tothe old happens thatturnsthe ofwhich isknown leadsoldandlongfamiliar” towhat back Freud (220). argues thatthis as aspecific case of heimisch Inex tofurther order In “The ‘Uncanny,’” essay, his published in1919,Freud is defineswhat 2.1.1 reud conclusion comesthat“ tothe ’ [‘native’] . o strangeunexpected, thereby andresulting inthe sensation of the Unheimlich

hat he finds really hefinds excitinghat about the F homely AMILIAR AMILIAR unheimlich

fr — ( ’ is frightening’ is itis precisely because heiml ightening the opposite ofwhat andwe familiar; toconclude is are tempted Y is in some way insome sub a other is or ET ich plore theconceptual ambiguity (and ofthe term tosupport S TRANGE ), butalso with should ’ is obviously the opposite of’ isobviously ‘ opposite the , concluding “the uncanny frightening that is thatclass of

be, yetbe, Furthermore, not. is it analyzes as he the

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ngconnected profoundly thatis domestic: the family, tothe house/home. the which, in Freud’s argument, is of course inseparable from the uncanny inFreud’s ofcourse argument, is the which, inseparable from homeland Heimlich ing,” and as “arousing a sense ofagreeable and asrestfulnessing,” andsecurity a “arousing sense , theopposite of

(“Heimat” Therefore, inGerman). uncanny the is associated irst partFreuda ofhisessay, quotesfromnumber of 16

unheimlich

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