Danny holding a knife (brought by Wendy to defend herself from Jack) and an open tube of red lipstick (which is strange because Wendy is never shown ‘made up’).
The duality of masculinity (with violence) and femininity (through sex) in American culture and its effect on those living in it / forced upon them (the murder marking).
The archetypal display shown by Jack (hostile masculinity, challenged and threatened by his work and familial responsibilities, choosing escape through alcohol - all American male stereotypes) the archetypal display of Wendy (as The Other/indigenous or ‘more natural’ and boundary-free, submissive, home-bound, terrorized)
In this image · No.71
Red Lipstick, Femininity, and Violence
Wendy is not presented as conspicuously made up; the distinction concerns the character’s appearance, not Shelley Duvall’s production makeup. Danny could make the mark with a red crayon or marker, but he takes open red lipstick from the vanity. The reading connects that choice to femininity, sexuality, and aggression directed toward them.