The Femme Fatale Alex Forrest Lady Bertilak Alyson of...

Since the beginning of time, women have been seen as different from men. Their beauty and charms have been interpreted as both endearing and deadly to men. In the Bible, it was Eve’s mistake that led to humanity’s exile from the Garden of Eden. However, unlike in the Bible, in today’s world, women who drive men to ruin do not do so through simple mistakes and misunderstandings, they do so while fully aware of what effects their sexuality can cause. One thing remains constant through these portrayals of women, and that is that they are portrayed as flawed creations and therefore monstrous. It is a woman’s sex drive and sexuality that can lead to her monstrosity. The femme fatale is an enticing, exquisitely beautiful, erotic character who†¦show more content†¦She seduces him, pursues him on the phone, and informs him that she is going to have the child of his that she is carrying, kidnaps his daughter, Ellen, and finally breaks into his home wieldin g a huge butcher knife. At each juncture, Dan is helpless to prevent this incremental invasion, though he confesses cries, yells at detectives, and tucks his daughter into bed, exhibiting all the characteristics of the perfect husband and father of the eighties.† (117) Ellis states that Alex behave this way because Dan was denying her in his life. She just wants to be part of his world. For this reason, she is willing to commit murder in order to take over as Dan’s wife further contributes to her monstrosity. Alex’s actions may be monstrous, but they do bring up an interesting double standard, she is blamed for seducing Dan into having an affair, but he is not blamed for having been unfaithful to his wife. In this way, it is implied that a woman has a power over a man that she is not allowed to exercise, and a man tempted by a woman should not be held accountable for his actions. According to Ellis, â€Å"I dont have a hopeful note on which to end, but Id like to leave you with the possibility that the women in Fatal Attraction embody what yet remains to be done. For the phenomenon of Alex Forrest does not leave Beth Gallagher free of monstrosity by the end of the movie. (Ellis 120) Alex monstrosity is shown at the