Eve Was Weak - Print by Sage Walters

Artist's statement on work:

“And God made Eve from the rib of Adam. And Eve was weak and loosed the raven on the world and the raven was called sin...And the first sin was intercourse. And Eve was weak. And the lord visited Eve with a curse. And the curse was the curse of blood.” -Carrie, 1976

Brian de Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie is commonly cited as an example of the “monstrous feminine”. In conjunction with the gratuitous shower shots of teenage girls, it's not difficult to see the misogyny dripping from this movie. But I have always viewed the main villain of Carrie as misogyny itself, stemming from religious fundamentalism and internalized oppression. Due to her Mother’s religious beliefs, Carrie was never told how her body works. Carrie reacts with horror at the blood running out of her vagina, but is met with disgust from the other teenage girls when she begs for help; periods are to be hidden and not spoken of. Carrie’s period marks the arrival of her telekinetic abilities, connecting her femininity* with power. Obviously, periods are not the only marker of femininity, but it was the 1970s and feminism was all about biological essentialism. In the climactic scene where the bucket of pig’s blood is dumped over her head, again, Carrie’s bloody shame is on display for the whole school. Her powers explode in a shower of fire, previously suppressed, now fully visible in an uncontrollable anger. Carrie’s abuse gaslights her into believing she is powerless, until her abusers are forced to contend with the full forces of her rage.

Artist: Sage Walters

9x12 Print