Sterotypes

In slasher films there are various commonly used sterotypes such as:

Age
Gender
National identity
Regional identity
Social class
Ethnicity
Sexuality

In a situation where a stereotype appears to be being used but in fact the opposite becomes true, then this becomes an example of a countertype.

Denotation is anything that can be seen or heard in the text, such as what appears on the film screen. A connotation is when the text suggests things that aren't spelled out explicitly on screen.

Common adult stereotypes in slasher films tend to be useless or ineffective, and parent or police figures will have very little impact on the plot.

The normative occurs when something is shown so often that it becomes the accepted norm. For example, constantly showing heterosexual couples establishes the idea that this is the norm; anything other is abnormal and in some cases the killer will be struggling with their own sexuality.

Narrative representations:

Fundamental parts of the slasher genre, examples of binary opposites, Scream Queen and Final Girl. There has been debate over whether slasher films are sexist and misogynist or whether they promote strong female characters.