Who is Freddy Krueger from Elm Street?
A Brief Introduction to the Comedic Serial Killer
Freddy Krueger, a fictional character developed by Wes Craven, first appears in A Nightmare on Elm Street, which is a popular horror film from 1984. Like many of his horror companions from the 1970’s and 1980’s, he has a personality, a story, and a motive.
A Disfigured Killer with an Emotional Story
Krueger, keeping within the realm of 70’s and 80’s horror cinema, is the character that displays a comedic personality, while being a horrific killer with a goal. One could argue that his comedic personality comes from his focus on children – and forcefully, having his own daughter removed from his home.
Throughout the film sequence, it is explained that Krueger was born in 1938, which lead to a tragic incident involving his mother. During a Christmas holiday, a young nun named Sister Mary Helena, also known as Amanda Krueger, was accidentally trapped inside a ward of the Westin Hills psychiatric hospital, which housed the criminally insane – of the worst kind. She was raped and tortured by the patients confined there, which is reported to be over 100 men.
She was found four days later, close to dead. She had gotten pregnant and gave birth to Frederick Charles Krueger, who was given up for adoption. He was placed in an abusive family with an alcoholic named Mr. Underwood, which caused Krueger to exhibit sociopathic behaviour and antisocial personality disorder. At school, he was called “son of a hundred maniacs” – essentially ridiculed. It could be argued that his hatred for children began during his early academic years. In his late teens, Krueger kills Mr. Underwood.
Krueger, however, does attempt to live a semi-normal life, as he marries Loretta, a woman with whom he had a daughter, Kathryn. They ironically reside in Freddy’s childhood home of 1428 Elm Street. It is unknown when Freddy began molesting and killing the children in the neighbourhood, but Kathryn was still a child when Loretta learned that he kept torture devices, newspaper clippings of his crimes and his clawed glove in their shared basement. She promises to keep silent about his escapades but he strangles her in front of Kathryn. She is removed from the home when he was arrested in 1966 and placed into foster care.
Freddy was released on a technicality – search warrant was signed by a drunken judge and all the evidence was considered inadmissible. Released in 1968, Krueger’s mother hung herself in the same tower where she had been raped due to the outcome of the trial. The parents of the murdered children found Freddy in his boiler room the night of his release and tossed a Molotov cocktail in the building, where they had already poured gasoline. He dies after agreeing with the three demons that he will “be forever”.
Freddy Through the Years
From the night of his death, Freddy returns in the dreams of his victims – the victims being the children of the parents who torched his house. He uses his comedic personality traits to draw them in and keep them scared, while slowly torturing them, whether it would be by their own psychological fears or physical pain.
In terms of his physique, Freddy has changed drastically throughout the years. Although his trademarks of his metal claw and his red and green striped knitted sweater are constant throughout the sequels, he becomes physically larger and stronger – almost inhumane. In the final instalment, Wes Craven’s the Final Nightmare, he is seen walking around quietly, which is very unusual when comparing it to the original films.
A remake of the original film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, due out in the spring of 2010, Freddy will once again have a new and improved look. Although it is unknown what the changes will be, it is plausible that he will resemble the new and improved Freddy, compared to the original Freddy that people first came to fear in the 80’s.
Despite his physical appearance, Freddy’s tormented childhood and secretive adult life gives enough horrific motives to kill those who have plagued him. He ultimately wants his revenge and will do anything, even haunt people in their dreams, to get it. He therefore remains the reason why some people are still afraid to go to sleep and dream at night.
Freddy Krueger
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