Representations of Witches in the Coming‐of‐age Subgenre

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the portrayal of two teenage characters with supernatural powers. Norwegian film Thelma by Joachim Trier and American film The Witch by Robert Eggers deal with the topic of self‐discovery and maturation through the perspective of characters that could be, at some point, identified as witches. Approaching topics like sexual identity or family dynamics, the paper will explore the mechanisms that integrate the two films in the broad horror genre, and will also identify the elements that define them as coming‐of‐age films. Moreover, the research will focus on analyzing the symbolic level of the two films, determining the specific aspects that incorporate them in the universe of witchcraft. Regarding the coming‐of‐age subgenre, the suggested directions of analysis will be mainly based on studying the protagonists’ evolutionary course by exploring how their journey of self‐discovery affects the social and the family dynamics around them.