Religion Cannot Save You: Mothers and the Function of Womanhood in THE CONJURING
By Taylor Hunsberger
The year is 1971 and the Perron family has just moved into an old house on Rhode Island. They have five daughters and a dog Sadie, who, since this is a horror film, will serve as what I like to call “Chekhov’s Pet,” the family animal who mysteriously dies at the hands of a demonic spirit. As the family piles into the house, moving in their things, Sadie refuses to enter and is found dead outside the next morning. Thus begins The Conjuring, the 2013 haunted house feature based on the real-life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Once the family begins experiencing unusual occurrences in the household, they call in the Warrens to investigate the house in the hopes of expelling the demonic forces.
Though religion is a common theme in the horror genre as a whole, The Conjuring franchise is much more engulfed in strict Catholicism than other films. This series holds the belief that if your family is being haunted by a demonic presence, the way to rid yourselves of the spirit is by devoting yourself to God and performing a Christian ritual. The Christian traditions of the film also extend into the way gender is portrayed. The Perron family is a solid example of a nuclear household with a mom, dad, and five daughters. The mother, Carolyn, chooses to become a mother on her own accord, and thus does demonologist Lorraine, who also has a daughter. These women follow the traditional expectations of them as caretakers, traditions often exemplified by the ideal Christian household.
Carolyn is the matriarch of the family and becomes the primary target for possession by the demon spirit of Bathsheba, a previous owner of the house. The story goes that Bathsheba was found by her husband sacrificing their child to Satan and hanging herself in the backyard. Her ghost lives in the house, taking advantage of each in-coming woman, possessing them and making use of them as a vessel to sacrifice more children. Though a reasoning for this action is never given by Lorraine, the rules of this game are dictated by the religious affiliation of each woman. Bathsheba is acting in accordance with her dedication to Satan, and Lorraine is working in accordance with her dedication to a Christian god. Carolyn; however, is a presence in the middle, at a purgatory of sorts, existing between the two ideals as a non-religious woman.
Though the film would originally have you believe that it is positioned to view Christianity as the savior of Carolyn, it is still much more complicated and nuanced than that. Bathsheba and Lorraine are essentially fighting over who gains control over Carolyn, in turn, communicating to the audience which version of womanhood is “right” or “acceptable.” Bathsheba possesses Carolyn to condemn her decision to become a mother and align herself with the patriarchal expectations of women, yet, even as Lorraine tries to save Carolyn through Christian ritual, she is haunted by visions of her own daughter dying, plaguing her with the fear of a violent future for her child.
During the exorcism of Carolyn, Lorraine tells her to remember the moment that she will never forget: running along the beach with her family. The upkeep and caring of her family are the result of genuine love for her husband and daughters, a testament to the validity of the women who desire this life for themselves. Carolyn remains a woman free of religion, showcasing a happy medium, continuing to muddle The Conjuring’s stance on the women characters and their lifestyles. She chooses to have a family, one that is simple and supportive of one another, but her absence from religion makes her vulnerable to possession. Even Carolyn’s position as a representation of both ideals is condemned as not being an appropriate form of womanhood.
Bathsheba’s origins point to her own condemnation of motherhood, but now she must live out into eternity warning other women of the danger that lies ahead. When the woman who is haunting all these other generations of mothers is also disturbed and cannot rest, it begs the question: what IS the correct positioning and role of the woman? Bathsheba is a figure against the Christian traditions of motherhood and must suffer for eternity, but the mothers she is haunting must suffer as well. The moral of the story here is that no matter the choice, women will be forced to live within the confines of the patriarchal culture in which they live. 🩸
About
Taylor Hunsberger (she/her) is a children’s librarian, poet, and culture writer living in Brooklyn. You can find all her work at taylorhunsberger.wordpress.com and through her substack at gocrispgirl.substack.com.
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