alfred hitchcock film noir Shadow of a Doubt

By his insecure look it can be observed that he realizes that she does not agree with his unusual ideology unlike the others, who do not object to the charming uncle.

Charles Oakley perceives widows as useless and unnecessarily extravagant and whilst he is talking about widows in a dehumanizing way, Little Charlie begins to suspect that there is something wrong with her uncle and contradicts him in a rude way. Sitting at the “head of the table presents visually his dominance of the household” (Bordwell 318). In the movie he starts to lose his male dominance in the scene of the family having dinner. Contradicting his ideology is like attacking his masculinity, which ‘The Merry Widow Murderer’ wants to be secured. That said, by his behavior can be observed that he loses his self-confidence and male dominance in the presence of Little Charlie.Ĭharles Oakley’s very specific ideology about women and the family life, and his defence of the old order are the basis of his self-confidence and masculinity. He does not seem to like it if a woman, regardless who this woman is, gives him this kind of feelings. Everytime she behaves in this accordingly rude way, Uncle Charlie seems to be uncertain about how to behave and what to say. That can be proven by the way she acts in front of him she refuses to talk to him tries to get away from him and does not believe in her perfectly charming uncle any longer. Having looked at Little Charlie it becomes obvious that her idealism about her uncle starts to crumble which leads to new behaviors of both Charlies. This essay argues that, in Hitchcock’s Shadow of a doubt, a s Little Charlie’s suspicions about her uncle increase, Uncle Charlie becomes more and more aggressive towards her in order to hide his male insecurity, which ends in a kind of suicide.

His niece Charlotte, or better known as Little Charlie, nicknamed after her uncle, is very happy about her uncle’s attendance because she expects his appearance will add new excitement to her dull, predictable life, what he then does but not in the way in which she has wished. Charles Oakley, or Uncle Charlie, visits his sister and her family in the small village of Santa Rosa, California.

Alfred hitchcock film noir Shadow of a Doubt