Genderstereotypen in hedendaagse vrouwelijke thrillers : een analyse van de Lois-trilogie van Simone van der Vlugt

Details

Supervisors

Vanasten, Stéphanie

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques, à finalité didactique

Abstract

enThe literary quality of female thrillers has been criticised, although the authors of this genre have attracted considerable attention in the literary media circuit. However, few studies have been carried out in this phenomenon, while opinions about the genre are constantly being provided in reviews. This thesis examines the presence of (counter)-stereotypical images in the Lois-trilogy (2019) written by Simone van der Vlugt, namely Aan niemand vertellen (2012), Morgen ben ik weer thuis (2013) en Vraag niet waarom (2014). To carry out this analysis, I studied the trilogy (novels and TV series) on the one hand and conducted a reception study on the other hand to investigate the reactions and perceptions of readers and television viewers towards the female protagonist, Lois. The results of the literary analysis show that the main female character who works as a detective disproves the clichés concerning femininity, although at certain moments she follows the codes of femininity and seems to be under the influence of these clichés. Finally, the reception survey reveals that there is a non-significant correlation between the respondents’ answers and their gender. Furthermore, the results of the survey demonstrate that police officers are more often associated with men than with women, although the majority of respondents are aware of the presence of gender stereotypes in literature and in the film industry. This points out that there are still many stereotypical gender views in the literary world and cultural industry.