Dexter in Love

Date
2013-04
Authors
Robinson, Brett Andrew Bernard
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Publisher
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina
Abstract

Showtime’s Dexter (2006-) is a television series about a serial killer named Dexter Morgan that has become a cult-hit in the landscape of popular North American television. The series’ narrative follows Dexter’s life as he struggles to manage his identity as a killer with his growing desire to evolve as a human being capable of experiencing love. In this thesis, I will offer an interpretation of Dexter that varies from most of what has been written on the series by focusing on the theme of love and its role in shaping Dexter’s developing sense of self. To consider the influence of love in the evolution of Dexter Morgan I will evaluate the significance of the figures of the Mother, the Father, and the Other throughout his life. Thus, I will be examining Dexter to explore the question: What is the significance of love in relation to the self? Dexter indicates that love is essential to the evolution of self. However, it also reveals the complex and contradictory nature of love as an experience that people rely on for personal fulfillment. The series has shown that Dexter’s efforts in love are often ill-fated. Yet, in spite of this he continues to be compelled to experience love. Evaluating the influence of Eros (the part of the psyche associated with love) on the self, it can be argued that love shapes the self on a fundamental level. As an element of the psyche, Eros is susceptible to a number of forces that structure it. So if Eros is defined based on one’s capacity for love, then love is a determining factor in regards to one’s psychological construction. With this in mind, I argue that love can be understood within the framework of psychopathy and, in this respect, a discussion of love is key to understanding how Dexter creatively shifts the typical popular representation of the serial killer as the archetype of a psychopath. My critical analysis in this thesis on the influence of love in the life of Dexter’s serial killer protagonist will illustrate that love is a form of psychopathy necessary for the existence of the self. Contemporary theories relating to subjectivity, selfhood, and love are critical to understanding and evaluating questions relating to the self. As such, a selection of these theories provided by Judith Butler, Adolf Guggenbuhl-Craig, and Jessica Benjamin will be utilized to interpret key scenes and sequences in Dexter that support my claim that the series indicates love is essential to Dexter Morgan’s self-development. Additionally, I will be examining the aesthetic construction of the series, specifically its use of voiceover narration, to interpret how this relates to Dexter’s evolution into a person capable of experiencing love. This thesis will demonstrate that, in significant ways, Dexter’s sense of self comes to exist through his relationships with other people because they allow him to experience love. With this, ironically, Dexter asks us to recognize that love is a fundamental element in regards to the evolution of self by demonstrating its significance in the selfdevelopment of a figure that is not traditionally associated with love: the serial killer.

Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Regina. iv, 94 l.
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