My presentation will explore manifestations of evil in the widely popular Netflix series, House of Cards. More specifically, I will analyze evil in three of the show’s central characters: Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood, and Doug Stamper. My driving focus will be to consider just how much evil we as viewers are willing to stomach in a series such as this, one based on our national government, before we become repelled and uninterested. Although to a certain degree evil creates suspense and holds our attention in TV as in other forms of art and media, I suggest that, for this series, evil may at times be too heavy-handed, desensitizing us and running the risk of losing other dynamic interpretations of the show’s characters and its relevant themes.
About the presenterWill Dawkins
Will Dawkins teaches English composition, literature, and film studies and works in the campus writing center at Portland Community College in Oregon. His published work ranges in genre and subject matter, from food writing, to poetry, to scholarship focusing on English Renaissance playwright Francis Beaumont.