Classism and horror in the seventies: the rural dweller as a monster

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the figure of the rural dweller – the “redneck” or “hillbilly”- in American horror films of th 1970’s as a figure whose monstrous qualities stem from the structural classism intrinsic to capitalism in the United States. In that sense, the relationship of poverty and ruralitywas understood as a reflection of the worst vices (sloth, sluggishness) of the American citizen instead of the result of an unequal system in wich economic power was the differentiating element. Consequiently, “backwardness” is the prevalent idea in the discourse, and the rural serial killer embodies the degenaration that comes of not belonging to the mainstream and the modern, urban world. This chapter uses an overview of th cinematic and historical contexts of those years, followed by case studies of Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile and Mother’s Day, to illustrate how the economic disruptions of the era created a new type of cinematic monster.