<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper mobilises R. W. B. Lewis’ myth of the American Adam, articulated in 1955, to examine David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet’s formulaic use of this masculinity archetype. Lewis’ ideal type of innocent masculinity is replicated by Blue Velvet’s protagonist, Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), who must navigate the stereotyped conventions of good and evil against the backdrop of the idealised US suburb. Beyond the generalised assessment of David Lynch as the quintessential eccentric, this article brings to the fore the ways in which his work can be analysed as formulaic, paying special attention to the interaction between masculinity, spatiality, and dominant national mythology.</p></abstract>

This paper mobilises R. W. B. Lewis’ myth of the American Adam, articulated in 1955, to examine David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet’s formulaic use of this masculinity archetype. Lewis’ ideal type of innocent masculinity is replicated by Blue Velvet’s protagonist, Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), who must navigate the stereotyped conventions of good and evil against the backdrop of the idealised US suburb. Beyond the generalised assessment of David Lynch as the quintessential eccentric, this article brings to the fore the ways in which his work can be analysed as formulaic, paying special attention to the interaction between masculinity, spatiality, and dominant national mythology.

“Are You a Bad Boy?”: Variations of the American Adam in David Lynch’s <italic>Blue Velvet</italic>

Gender Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

“Are You a Bad Boy?”: Variations of the American Adam in David Lynch’s 

This paper mobilises R. W. B. Lewis’ myth of the American Adam, articulated in 1955, to examine David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet’s formulaic use of this...

“Are You a Bad Boy?”: Variations of the American Adam in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet

Published Online: Dec 27, 2021

Page range: 92 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0007

Keywords
David Lynch, American Adam, masculinity, myth, suburbs, R. W. B. Lewis

© 2021 Sofía Martinicorena, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

“Are You a Bad Boy?”: Variations of the American Adam in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet

Published Online: Dec 27, 2021

Page range: 92 - 109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2022-0007

KeywordsDavid Lynch, American Adam, masculinity, myth, suburbs, R. W. B. Lewis

© 2021 Sofía Martinicorena, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
David Lynch, American Adam, masculinity, myth, suburbs, R. W. B. Lewis