The Misrepresentation of Father-Daughter Incest in Neo-Victorianism on Screen: Misogynistic and Victim-Blaming Understandings of Gendered Violence in Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
Abstract
Incest has traditionally been regarded as the universal taboo, despite its convoluted and changeable nature from period to period –both in the social and legal arenas (Tate 2013). As a result, incest has proven to be a fascinating topic for authors across history, particularly in the case of Victorian and neo-Victorian Gothic fiction. We can find copious examples of incestuous relationships in (neo-)Victorian literature and culture, whose representation aims 1) to question idealised conceptualisations of the nuclear family, 2) to denounce sexual and domestic violence against women and 3) to cater to the audience’s morbid fascination for these forbidden relationships (Llewellyn 2010; Cox 2014). Penny Dreadful is a neo-Victorian TV series that exploits incest to seemingly denounce patriarchal and sexual violence. However, as I show in this article, the (mis)representation of its female protagonists, Lily and Vanessa –as a misandrist woman and a femme fatale, respectively–, might mislead the audience into victim blaming them for their own downfalls, rather than acknowledge their status as survivors of gender-based violence. Therefore, in spite of the series’ apparent feminist drive, Penny Dreadful ends up reproducing patriarchal ideologies that blame and silence the victim and side with the perpetrator.
Downloads
Article download
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Complutense Journal of English Studies is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.