Feminism and The Female Detective in Film

Abstract

Nancy Drew, a feminist icon for almost a century, embodies the public idea of the female detective. However, the Nancy Drew we know today stands in stark contrast to the way she was originally written. While much has been said about how females are portrayed in film, this article observes the female detective’s evolution throughout history as she was shaped by cultural norms and her exigence changed. First analyzing femme fatale in 1940s film noir, this article provides an in-depth discussion on how female detectives in film were seen as dangerous women that needed to be contained. Moving from the past to the present, it explains the current reinvention of the female detective into a character meant to empower rather oppress. Afterwards, this article details how specific societal expectations have affected how female detectives have been portrayed as mothers and ways current media seeks to disarm these stereotypes. Finally, it builds on these observations with a culmination of female detectives and friendship, illustrating that the female detective breaks not only female expectations of the past, but of the genre, as the character refuses to be defined.