The fear of an alien presence invading the body, nourishing itself from its cells and harming it before departing to become a detached (and sometimes alien) entity, is often attached to the anxiety of pregnancy. In films like Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby or Lynch’s Eraserhead, this anxiety is represented by the horror of the parent who gave birth to a monster.
The fact that it is Rosemary herself who is ultimately responsible for bringing evil into the world can be seen as reflecting a distress towards the unknown consequences of conception. In her study of woman’s portrayal as a figure of fear in horror films, Barbara Creed states that it is ‘woman’s reproductive functions [which] mark her as monstrous’ (The Monstrous Feminine p.83). The womb is seen as a terrible black hole capable of producing hideous, inhuman life: ‘From classical to Renaissance times the uterus was frequently drawn with horns to demonstrate its supposed association with the devil’ (p.43).
Yet the true horror of Rosemary’s pregnancy lies in the way in which it takes over control of her own body, she is forced to surrender. As her pregnancy advances, she is put through horrifying physical and mental changes, which she cannot comprehend and is helpless to prevent.
Many interpretations of David Lynch’s Eraserhead suggest the film’s narrative and imagery symbolise a subconscious fear of fatherhood. This baby is the horrid manifestation of the fear of parental responsibility; alien, absurd and grotesque, it is a nagging reminder of artificial creation. In Ray Wolfe’s interpretation, “The “Baby” is in reality not necessarily an actual thing. It represents the outcome or consequence of a sin or evil deed [Hamartia?]. It could be an actual baby, which is the outcome of sex, or a condition, such as a disease.”
These films offer a cathartic outlet to unspoken apprehensive feelings towards childbirth. Reproduction is culturally illustrated as a natural and positive process; a blessing. We are not meant to find anything abnormal in the fact that a human grows inside another human - this is what our anatomy is designed to do. Anxieties surrounding this process, and the fear of uncertainty are normally dismissed or kept quiet.
Is it possible that a genetic mutation within the family line can actually provide a source of comfort? The “genuine” risk or danger to the baby might allow the carrier parent to admit and accept these fears, putting the anxiety in the acceptable realm of reality. More so, active intervensions such as embryo selection may provide a sense of control, supervision and certainty.
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