Honors Theses
Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
BS
Department
English
Faculty Mentor
Ann M. Guzy, Ph.D.
Advisor(s)
Max Romanowski, Ph.D. and Timothy Lombardo, Ph.D.
Abstract
In an analysis of the television anthology The Twilight Zone, this thesis seeks to examine Cold War gender politics through episodes containing dolls. Within four particular episodes, “Living Doll,” “After Hours,” “Five Characters in Search of an Exit,” and “A World of His Own,” dolls play a key factor in the thematic significance of gender roles, female agency and isolation. This interdisciplinary study utilizes sources ranging from literature, history, cinema studies, philosophy, fashion, and other areas of study. Additionally, this thesis seeks to add to the scholarship of The Twilight Zone in relation to gender, an often neglected topic. A societal fascination with literal and nonliteral dolls continues today, from the 2023 Barbie movie to the recently developed Artificial Intelligence “actress” Tilly Norwood, which proves the ability that the dolls have to connect with peoples’ emotions, as do the dolls in The Twilight Zone for their era.
Recommended Citation
DiCapua, Josie, "Dolls of The Twilight Zone: Representations of Gender and Female Agency During the Cold War Era" (2026). Honors Theses. 161.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_theses/161
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Political History Commons, Social History Commons, Television Commons