Daniel R. Curtis (History Department, ESHCC) and Qijun Han (Nanjing University of Science and Technology) have recently published two interrelated articles in journals, where they analyze the visual depiction of women during epidemic scenarios in cinema, and reveal two recurring characteristic images.
On the one hand, women have been portrayed as actual or symbolic 鈥渃arriers鈥 or 鈥渟preaders鈥 of disease鈥攕ometimes as a punishment for perceived immorality鈥攁nd usually connected to female characters deviating from the gender roles prescribed during epidemics, which were often focused on domesticity. On the other hand, women have been shown in films to take on heavy burdens during epidemic outbreaks鈥攐ften by caring for others, apparently selflessly鈥攁 subject that has been highlighted during the world鈥檚 struggles with COVID-19. In certain films, women sacrifice themselves for the 鈥済reater good鈥 of the wider community or society. These images are mutually reinforcing: the failure to adhere to the prescribed role of selfless caregiver during an epidemic often leads a female character in the film to be susceptible to the prejudicial 鈥渟preader鈥 label.
The first article, in 鈥Journal of Popular Culture鈥, can be accessed at .
The second article, in 鈥Early Modern Women鈥, can be accessed at .
- Researcher
