[Editorial] Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

In a world of horror heroines, Nancy Thompson is not often top of the list but over the years I’ve felt my personal admiration for her grow with every watch of Wes Craven’s 1984 A Nightmare On Elm Street.

Although surrounded by parents, friends and authority figures, Nancy is in many ways entirely alone and is subsequently let down by those closest to her who she ought to be able to trust. What’s so especially remarkable about Nancy is that she doesn’t allow this isolation to quash her determination to face down Freddy; through it all she is a true survivor. 

When her friend Tina is brutally murdered, she forces herself to attend school the next day because she knows that continuing to function is important. When her mother takes her to a dream clinic to assess her nightmares, knowing that this puts her directly in danger, Nancy declares bravely: ‘Let’s do it!’ fighting talk indeed! In her own words, she is: ‘into survival’ and by the films’ end she assumes control of the monster in the green and red sweater by coaxing him to come and get her, rather than being pursued by him. 

Constantly disappointed by those around her, Nancy learns the age-old lesson that sometimes the only person you can only really count on is yourself. Her clownish boyfriend Glenn might be fun to be around, but he falls asleep on two occasions when she emphasises to him how important it is that he says awake, putting her in great danger. As if this wasn’t enough her parents often seem too wrapped up in their own lives and concerned with point scoring off one another rather than worrying about the wellbeing of their daughter. 

While arguably the mother/daughter relationship is the most tender of the film, Marge treats Nancy as though she were an infant, turning down her bed and bringing a glass of warm milk and in doing so she fails to be there when it matters most. In fact, their relationship is an inversion of the adult/child model as the teenager remains practical, mature and grounded whilst her mother continues to live in an alcohol-soaked haze. This is never more evident than when Nancy grabs Freddy’s hat, lamenting the neglect of her mother to persuade her father (a Lieutenant for the local Police force) to have this tested. Marge tells her: ‘that’s just not reality baby’ to which Nancy responds by thrusting the hat (the literal representation of reality) into her hands, urging to: ‘feel it mother, it’s real’. 

As the film reaches its climax, Nancy has lost everything, and her father is the only person left to whom she can put her faith in. However, he too fails his daughter by not taking her seriously, disregarding her concerns and ignoring her plan, leaving her to capture Freddy alone. Ultimately, the teenage Nancy confronts her fear head on courageously and does the hardest thing possible by turning her back on Freddy, absolving him of any power (at least, for now). Let’s hear it for Nancy: fearless, intelligent, determined and resourceful!

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