Senior Project Advisor
Katherine Anderson
Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Fall 2022
Keywords
Serial Killer, Popular Culture, Pop Culture, Fear, Empathy, Desire, Biopic, Sensationalized, Hybristophilia
Abstract
Throughout this project, I focus on the lives of two prolific serial killers, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, with the intention of tracing the rise of the American serial killer in pop-culture, as being rooted deeply in our own complex fears, instinctual empathy, and darkest desires. America’s fascination with the serial killer is not simply what some may call morbid curiosity, but rather an attempt at vicariously exploring our most uncomfortable emotions - fear, empathy, and desire, without exposing ourselves to real physical danger along the way. David Schmid argues that the serial killer is now “as quintessentially an American figure as the cowboy”, and ultimately, I intend to illustrate why.
Department
English
Recommended Citation
McCain, Keyana Marie, "You, Me, and the Rise of the American Serial Killer" (2022). WWU Honors College Senior Projects. 624.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/624
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Serial murderers in popular culture--United States--Psychological aspects
Subjects - Names (LCNAF)
Bundy, Ted; Dahmer, Jeffrey
Genre/Form
essays
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf