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Dissertation Information for Lauren K. Watel

NAME:
- Lauren K. Watel

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Women's Studies

SCHOOL:
- Emory University (USA) (2003)

ADVISORS:
- Gaylyn Studlar

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Pamela M. Hall
- Matthew H. Bernstein

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: In the Family Way: Pregnancy in Contemporary Hollywood Cinema

Abstract: My dissertation examines representations of pregnancy in contemporary Hollywood cinema. I argue that because contemporary Hollywood films make use of a trope of pregnancy that was formulated in response to secrecy and taboo, they cannot help but subtly reinforce the notion that women's lived experiences of pregnancy are still a taboo subject for mainstream cinematic representation. On the one hand, the films consistently link pregnancy with illness and death. On the other hand, the films consistently portray pregnancy as a redemptive plot element that inspires, and often forces, characters to become more caring, more connected with others, and more in touch with their emotions. I articulate the protagonists' dramatic metamorphoses as a shift in gender, from a gendering predicated on masculine autonomy and control to a more balanced gendering that emphasized the feminine attributes of caring and connection. Understanding the pregnant body as both pathological and redemptive allows contemporary Hollywood films to appear to address pregnancy while continuing to marginalize it.

In chapter one, I survey Hollywood's treatment of pregnancy historically. I also examine the fluidity of cinematic genres and suggest ways that pregnancy as a trope determines commonalities in contemporary films across genre lines. In chapter two I investigate pregnancy and films with male protagonists in contemporary romantic comedies. In chapter three I explore films featuring pregnancy among communities of women in contemporary women's films. Chapter four covers films dealing with pregnancy and the non-human in contemporary science-fiction horror films. Finally in my conclusion I suggest ways that the insights gleaned from the investigation of pregnancy as a trope might be applied more widely to other contemporary Hollywood films that are also grappling with pregnancy, the evolution of gender roles, and the family.

MPACT Scores for Lauren K. Watel

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-02-04 10:49:07

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