So what have I learnt from 'Alien' extract?

• This movie explores and represents humanities deepest fears- following the convention of horror films, as they often highlight society fears and what ultimately makes them 'tick'.  
• Ripley (protagonist female character), is descried as the 'other' which in this case indicates that she's an outcast and thus doesn't not fit in within her surroundings. This could come down to the fact that she's a female in a proportionally male society, and thus cannot be accepted as 'one of the lads', hence why she is considered as 'other'. 
• Elaine Scarratt (author of Alien), argues boundaries between men and women in terms of relationships are vulnerable, may be threatened and need to be asserted. This can thus be applied to 'Ripley' in Alien due to the fact that because she's seen to be weaker and therefore vulnerable in a male society, the men here are not welcoming towards her hence why the relationship between her and the other male characters are more likely to be vulnerable. This would ultimately lead her to assert her authority in order to break the social  barrier between men and women.
• 'Aliens are the staple ingredient of science fiction/ horror; they provide clear narrative functions as the villain and are a device to drive the narrative action with spectacle and shock, and narrative enigmas- who will be killed'. Here 'Scarratt' states that aliens are a key feature of science fiction take on horror films, as it gives a clear indication of who the villains are, alongside its victims. due to the narrative being so clear, this essentially drive the narrative forward where events are revealed, which shocks its audience in the ways in which killings occurs.
• Such reading gives the impression that aliens are everywhere to such an extent that, it gives the illusion of them taking over the world, evoking audience fear of their space being invaded. 
• Alien describe something so foreign or different it is incomprehensible or incompatible. Evil threats from space or mutated earth. This can be applied to the theory of binary opposition (of Claude Levi Strauss) as aliens are viewed to be monsters, symbolizing evil; which in contrasts humanity which is seen to be good. In addition to this earth is seen to be like a fairy tale from the point of view from the aliens, due to it being unknown and thus unfamiliar to them.
• Due to repetition of close ups and camera shots of 'this strange creatures' (as seen in the movie)  completely shock audience each time the alien fleeting appears. 
• Aliens echoes fears to humans,unsettling comes down to the fact that they transgresses boundaries (breaks normality within human). This is seen with the egg having fallopain tube shaped petals, whereby its visually appears to be penis shaped head, having a powerful visual force among its audience. 
• Rape is an elemental fear and the film exploits this, however here its subverted-instead of the conventional woman being raped, here it's actually the man who is sexually abused by the alien, leading him to become pregnant. I personally think, this an educational tool, due to the fact that it makes its audience aware of such issue (that men are also subjected to being sexually abused, rather than it just being women).
• The sexuality and violence of the alien invites a Freudian analysis of it as the bestial pleasure/pain seeking human is unfettered by a rational, socially ware ego. 
• Alien Resurrection body and species boundaries are dissolved through genetic cross-contamination.
• Ripley provides a conflicting representation. It  was rare to have a female protagonist. 
• Her physically appearance again subverts the conventional as she's six feet tall, and presented in natural make-up and male clothes, hinting her masculinity.