Carly Gieseler | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

The cinematic vamp presents a fascinating archetypal character, functioning
outside the bounds of normative societal and gender constructions.
This filmic icon motivated the plot yet was often killed by the
narrative end. Therefore, this book attempts to resolve the implications
of the primary research question: Why did the vamp die? To answer this
query, the text follows two theoretical paths. First, this book uses Michel
Foucault's theories to ask: Is the vamp's death punishment for her
location as a gendered "other"? Secondly, the text uses psychoanalytic
approaches, and specifically the Freudian death drive, to ask: Does the
vamp's death represent and embody the bondage between sex and
death? These theoretical possibilities are applied in the analysis of the
1927 Clarence Brown film Flesh and the Devil. In addition, this text
expands the typology of the vamp, freeing her from her archetypal roots
and proving her existence throughout cinematic history. This book is
directed towards researchers in Communications, Media Studies, and
Film and Gender Theory. This text is also addressed to those interested in
aspects of psychoanalysis and social construction and representation.