How Deafness in Horror Evolved Beyond Damsels in Distress

To an able-bodied audience, removing a sense is inherently terrifying, and that’s why it’s been such a perfect playground for disability narratives in horror.

If the character — someone like the viewer — is left missing something crucial, it portrays them at a disadvantage and it’s up to overcome the deficiency to survive.As a result, deafness and blindness are common tropes in features.

The genre’s most famous example is 1967’s “Wait Until Dark,” starring Audrey Hepburn.

Hepburn plays a blind woman named Susy whose house is invaded by men looking for a doll containing a large amount of heroin.The leader of the gang, Roat (Alan Arkin) terrorizes the woman, culminating in a third act finale where Susy smashes out all the lights in her apartment, leaving Roat as blind as Susy.

In 1967, before disability issues were talked about extensively, “Wait Until Dark” was well-praised, particularly for

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