Summary:

A six-year-old named Anthony can control everything with his mind, causing everyone around him to live in fear, hoping that he won’t murder them… or worse.

 

Bechdel Test:

  • Passes!
  • Mrs. Fremont often talks to Aunt Amy about staying on Anthony’s good side
    • Talks to other women about similar issues
    • This is all the men tend to talk about, too

 

Gender Roles of Important Characters:

  • Mr. Fremont
    • Masculine (2)
      • Analytical, acts as a leader
    • Feminine (5)
      • Yielding, sympathetic, sensitive to others’ needs, compassionate, tender
  • Mrs. Fremont
    • Masculine (2)
      • Analytical, acts as a leader
    • Feminine (5)
      • Yielding, sympathetic, sensitive to others’ needs, compassionate, tender
  • Aunt Amy
    • Masculine (3)
      • Defends own beliefs, independent, willing to take risks
    • Feminine (1)
      • Yielding
  • Dan 
    • Masculine (7)
      • Defends own beliefs, assertive, forceful, willing to take risks, willing to take a stand, aggressive, acts as a leader
    • Feminine (2)
      • Sympathetic, sensitive to others’ needs
  • Anthony
    • Masculine (6)
      • Independent, assertive, forceful, makes decisions easily, aggressive, dominant
    • Feminine (1)
      • Childlike

 

Analysis:

This episode is a bit more progressive. It passes the Bechdel test, and many of the characters have both masculine and feminine characteristics. In general, the characters that were more feminine were able to survive, but seemed weaker (most of the people in the town were very feminine in order to win Anthony’s affection). The more masculine characters were more of a mixed bag. Dan and Aunt Amy were both destroyed by their masculine traits, as they didn’t conform. Anthony dominated with his masculine traits, but he had power to back it up, allowing him to survive with his masculine traits. Thus, the episode seems to accept disrupted gender roles, but also seems to say that, unless you have real power, it is detrimental to have masculine traits.

Shared by: Grace White
Image Credit: The Twilight Zone, CBS via Netflix