Term of Award
Winter 2025
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (M.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of English
Committee Chair
Amanda Konkle
Committee Member 1
Carol Jamison
Committee Member 2
Lisa Costello
Committee Member 3
Amanda Konkle
Abstract
Through an exploration of horror theory, monster theory, queer theory, and disabilities studies, this thesis defines a 21st century archetype within the serial horror narrative, known as “the Final Boy.” This character is a manifestation of a queer, often neurodivergent man in peril at the hands of a monstrous society. This harmful socionormativity is narratively represented by a monster wearing the face of a man, one whom the Final Boy must subdue and overcome if he wishes to survive. The seven tenets found in this project highlight the fluctuating morality the Final Boy is forced to engage in per the monster’s machinations, outlining the Final Boy as both uniquely monstrous yet distinctly not evil. This is in stark juxtaposition to the Final Boy’s monster, who is a dark representative of sociocultural oppression, seeking to turn the Final Boy into something more like itself, thus attempting to erase the Final Boy’s sense of self. The presence of this monster necessitates a transformation from the Final Boy, who allows said changes to occur so that he may better understand his monster, all while still maintaining a sliver of his own identity — even as he edges closer to the ambiguous fate awaiting him. Drawing on scholars such as Julia Kristeva, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, and Carol J. Clover, and using Bryan Fuller’s NBC TV series Hannibal (2013-2015) as the case study, this thesis lays the groundwork for the Final Boy, where Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) exemplifies this archetype and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) best encapsulates what “society as monster” looks like in its purest form.
Recommended Citation
Crumpton, Rhys, "A Monstrous [Un]-Becoming: Defining the Final Boy" (2025). College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations. 3056.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/3056
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
Included in
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Queer Studies Commons, Television Commons, Visual Studies Commons
