Inland from the Empire and the lost girls caught between: A mythic reading.

This thesis examines the David Lynch film Inland Empire (2006) from a mythic point of view. I begin by noting that the characters of Nikki-Sue and her extension in Lost Girl offer a manifestation of a more general character type, what will be called, appropriately, "the lost girl" phenomenon. That phenomenon will be introduced and explained as a prevalent phenomenon that occurs elsewhere in (1) culture, (2) texts or films, and, ultimately, (3) myths More specifically, I will look at this cultural phenomenon of the lost girl, the film of IE, and the Inanna-Ereshkigal myth. Given that Nikki-Sue's experiences may suggest this lost girl phenomenon that originates in ancient mythology and continues in cultural life, contemporary films, and fictional texts, I will extend Nikki-Sue and the character of Lost Girl as they unfold in the myth of Manna and Ereshkigal. The contention is that if the character of Nikki-Sue is reinterpreted in terms of her prototype in the Inanna-Ereshkigal myth, some important insights can be added to these characters, the film, and perhaps people of today's culture---particularly girls or young women who themselves may feel lost in patriarchal culture.