ENGLISH - Bad Dreams Ideas and Quotes

Fractured female relationships,

Competitive and comparative nature of females, fuelled by a yearning for male validation and sexual desire/curiosity:

Jane and Fiona:

“She can borrow my old swimsuit if she wants.”

“What’s-your-name”

Accepted defeat from the “prettier, older, more sophisticated girl.”

Edith and Laura Mulhouse:

Hana and Laura (weaker):

Loss of innocence

Carrie:

Death and the intimate moment between Dom and her mother

Young girl from Bad Dreams:

Death without living life, fear of a mundane lifestyle

Laura:

Experience with Julian

Juncture of motherhood and independence

Motherhood forced onto Greta?

Mother from BD

Carrie’s mother

Claire’s independent path, leading to estragement

Women’s physical descriptions/appearances (themes of insecurity, how appearance is related to socioeconomic and social status, pretty privilege)

Jane:

“Pudgy,” “her mother’s flat behind,” “she wasn’t plain in that moment.”

Transformative nature of clothing

Sally and Ann

Laura in Hana’s clothing

Jane in her mothers clothing

Symbolism: reclaiming the narrative and empowerment

Marina and the carcass/old man’s soiled linen

Claire and the silk scarf

Lady Carole symbolises/mirrors Ruby

Symbolism: escapism, secrecy, facades

Housing acts as a facade for the true nature of relationships and family dynamics

Upstairs/attics symbolising secrecy or refuge from adulthood.

Complexity of adult relationships

Hana and Julian - influences Laura

Carrie’s mother and Dom - influences Carrie

Mother daughter relationships: Young girls who internalise societal expectations exerted by patriarchal systems onto women, influenced by their mothers.

Carrie’s guilt/shame for not being able to entertain/cater to Dom

Jane:

“Parade her femininity in the kitchen.”

The quote about how it’s her job to entertain

How different characters cope with grief/death

Carrie vs young girl from BD

Experience can lead women to become static

Edith

Current Jane

Protesting social pressures

Ruby defies the pressures placed on her by her family.

Violations

Overt

Subtle

Flawed/broken female characters result in fractured romantic relationships

Burden of femininity

Female characters experience struggles which men don’t usually experience, so their femininity actually causes them issues.

However, some characters embrace their femininity such as Laura Mulhouse and some are burdened by their lack of femininity such as Greta, as it is known they’re both more feminist characters. Fmale protagonists who go against the societal expectations and standards set by patriarchal powers are the characters who embrace their femininity.

Plagued femininity is due to societal beauty standards. More conventionally attractive women tend to have better endings and get what they want.

Fiona, Ann (she gets to live her life and have a daughter, while Nola passed away) and in contrast Nola, Jane (Fiona bagged Daniel type shi)

wanting maturity/experience (feeling inexperienced?)

Jane:

Laura: