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A Bitter Taste: A Brief Analysis of Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt

Jon Lewis, in American Film, argues the film Shadow of a Doubt embodies the fight to preserve the ideal small-town life. He describes the film as a sort of self-discovery piece in which the protagonist, a young heroine – Charlie – yearns for reprieve from her small-town prison; yet, after unearthing a murder mystery centered on her demented uncle, she ultimately decides to defend the ideals which she previously despised. (Lewis 167) Lewis further expresses his belief in a possible metaphorical connection to the fight occurring overseas in World War II. (Lewis 167) Robin Wood on the other hand finds the film to be subversive to middle class values and the small-town family ideal. Though he does suggest that Hitchcock may have not totally slandered these ideals, he states the film leaves the viewer with a “bitter taste.” (Wood 63)

According to Wood, Shadow of a Doubt presents the image of the very typical suburban family with an atypical member, and this tactic is used in the process of undermining American babbittry and small-town values. (Wood) The Newton family has the stereotypical patriarchal family dynamic; Joseph is the provider and Emma is the homemaker. Their image is meant to symbolize familial perfection until an addition is made: Uncle Charlie. Prior to his introduction he is discussed as quite the incredible gentleman. Young Charlie speaks of him as a sort of hero to her; however, after his arrival to Santa Rosa, he is almost immediately portrayed in a different light during the “survey” scene. He discusses his dislike of being photographed and he also has random fits of psycho babble throughout the film which seem to go unnoticed by all but Young Charlie. Wood asserts Uncle Charlie represents evil. His arrival to Santa Rosa displaces his wholesome male counterpart, his brother-in-law Mr. Newton, and darkens the purity of the Newton family. (Wood)

The motif of incest, though not overt, is prominent in the film as well as Young Charlie seems to idolize her uncle to the point of possible infatuation. It seems Hitchcock purposefully paired these two characters to build a “pure vs. evil” contrast between two seemingly similar individuals.

Wood points out there are many features of the film that work against Hitchcock’s subversion. For example, Uncle Charlie is from the city, not from Santa Rosa. This exemplifies an invasion of evil in small-town life rather than a preexistence of it. (Wood 69) Furthermore, Uncle Charlie’s psycho pathology is linked to his childhood head injury rather than his upbringing, and his death at the end of the film depicts the purging of evil and the perpetuation of familial purity. (Wood 69) This idea is further enforced by Young Charlie’s definitive relationship with Jack Graham. (Wood 69) Despite these examples, Shadow of a Doubt ultimately portrays a dim view of the “All-American” family. Sin, perversion, incest, and death leave this pure small town shrouded in darkness, and depart the viewer with what Robin Wood refers to as a “bitter taste.”

Works Cited
Lewis, Jon. American Film. 1st ed. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008. 164-168.

Shadow of a Doubt. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotten. DVD. Universal Pictures, 1943.

Wood, Robin. “Ideology, Genre, Auteur.” Film Genre Reader II. Ed. Barry K. Grant. University of Texas P, 1999. 59-73.

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Evan