American Culture has normalized violence towards women to the point where we don’t even register it.
Wendy watches the news where 3 stories play: the first is how a woman went missing on a hunting trip with her husband, the second is a story about an escaped serial killer, the third is about an impending snow storm. Her next scene is with Jack as he curses at her and attacks her for “breaking his concentration”. Audiences rarely register that this is abuse.
In No.47, Wendy runs up to Jack to tell him about Danny and one of the rooms. He looks her right in the face and asks if she’s out of her fucking mind. This is not the way a happy (or even kind) family would speak to each other, but again, it’s not registered as strange.
In this image · No.72
Femininity as a Trap
Wendy’s breasts as the inability for her to escape through the window speaks to Wendy’s femininity keeping her within the space; physically, emotionally and conceptually.
Her femininity (and the traits we associate with it) is what kept her hopeful in No.4, caring and concerned in No.6, forgiving and optimistic in No.7, kind/patient in No.31, conflicted by No.45, duped by Jack in No.50, planning weakly in No.54, gaslit in No.64, pushed in No.65.