The Family Unit in The Shining and Texas Chainsaw Massacre
By Katie Hendrich
A theme that comes up in more than a few
horror films is of the idea of a family unit, a group of people who are tied
together whether by blood or by a common trait or ideology, and who each play a
significant and distinct role. This family unit is typically made up of a
mother and father who have very stereotypical personalities and
characteristics, with the strong, masculine husband leading the family
surrounded by a subservient wife and children. Usually a break in this family
dynamic will signify the collapse of normality upon which all hell breaks
loose.
An example of this family dynamic can be
found in the film The Shining (1980),
which centres on a family that, from the outside, seems to completely fit the
definition of nuclear. However upon isolation, the patriarch (Jack) slowly
begins to lose control of both his family and himself. It is this ‘patriarchal
failure’, recognised by Sobchack, which causes the progressive breakdown of
this character. For most of the film his dutiful wife seems more than happy to
bend to her husband’s every whim- moving to the middle of nowhere for his job
and so that he could write, for example- until finally she opposes him in one
small way, suggesting that maybe Danny should go to the hospital, and this is
when the insanity that the audience has witnessed building throughout the film
is finally fully realised. This loss of patriarchal control indicates the breakdown
of the nuclear family and a disruption in normality which Jack tries to regain
by attempting to take back control of his family in an extreme way. Jack’s loss
of control through the movie is shown in various ways, from his appearance
becoming more and more disheveled as the movie progresses to the more obvious
loss of control of his sanity.
Another example of family dynamic, though
less conventional, are the cannibals in Texas
Chainsaw Massacre (1974), who, although all male, each play a role in this
family that they seem to have created, whether they are actually related or
not. This is particularly evident in the scene where they’re gathered around
the dinner table, a completely normal family activity, while Leather face,
dressed in an apron, serves dinner to the rest of the family, taking on the
role of the matriarch and caring for the family. The gas station attendant appears
to be the patriarch, as he is the one in control, something even noticed by
Sally, who focuses on him while begging for her life. Sally’s presence at the
dinner table is interesting, as none of the other victims were given this
treatment. It’s almost like Sally’s presence helps the family to feel more
normal, as she provides the true female presence they had been lacking until
that point, and she provides it perfectly, as she is young and pretty, but,
unlike Pam, is modestly dressed. She is also smart enough to escape for a
while, but not smart enough to have escaped completely. These qualities make
her the perfect addition to this makeshift family, as they embody everything
that a nuclear daughter ought to be; pretty but modest, smart but not too
smart. The true nature of the evening, however, is definitely given away by both
the scenery, including Sally’s dining chair whose arms are actual human arms,
and the shrill, building music which seem to blend in with Sally’s screams. This
is where the true horror in this scene lies, in the notion that something so
horrific and abnormal could be so recognisable and normal.
Works Cited:
Sobchack, Vivian. “Bringing It All Back Home: Family Economic and
Generic Exchange” The Dread of
Difference: Gender and the Horror Film. Barry Keith Grant, Ed. Austin: University of Texas
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