Leiden University Student Repository

Melker, Fleur (2014)

No Place Like Home: Domestic Architecture and Symbolism in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock

Master thesis | Literary Studies (MA)

One thing that stands out when looking at Alfred Hitchcock's films is the director's interest in domestic space. By looking at the 'Hitchcock House' from top to bottom, from outside to inside, this thesis argues that domestic architecture in Hitchcock's films has a symbolic function. Influenced by Victorian literature and German Expressionism, Hitchcock's 'topography' is characterized by houses whose architectural style, rooms and elements reflect the narrative and the protagonists' characters. In addition, Hitchcock's houses at times become characters in their own right, trapping and wounding their inhabitants. Besides that Hitchcock attributes a symbolic meaning to his domestic sets, he also uses them to play with the private/public contrast, one of the most important conventions of social space.

Alfred Hitchcock

Domestic

Architecture

Symbolism

Film

Author

Melker, Fleur

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

English Literature and Culture

Supervisors

Newton, M.S.
Liebregts, P.Th.M.G.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en