Social Hierarchy in Heathers The 1989 film, Heathers, is a dark and cynical cult classic that emphasizes many sociological themes in high school society. At Westerberg High in Sherwood, Ohio, a powerful clique of three girls run the school and its society: Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, and Heather McNamara. Veronica Sawyer, our protagonist, will do anything to fit into her school’s strict society, even if it means joining the shameless coterie of Heathers. Although she does not agree with their ruthless behavior, she has no other choice—that is until she meets Jason “J.D.” Dean, who immediately recognizes Veronica’s dislike for her “friends” and offers her another solution. Veronica is drawn to J.D. until she realizes his murderous and …show more content…
Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, and Heather McNamara portray a dominant group and power elite in society. They hold the most power and have achieved a high status of the most popular, hottest, and richest girls in Westerberg High. The Heathers are also an example of a triad with a two-against-one dynamic, which I will discuss later. Characters like J.D., Martha “Dumptruck” Dunnstock, Betty Finn, and Veronica Sawyer are opposites from the Heathers. They represent the out-groups in society and share a low status. These characters also receive more discrimination and are easily influenced by groups with higher power, such as the Heathers or Ram and Kurt, the popular jocks. For example, Ram and Kurt specifically discriminate Martha “Dumptruck” Dunnstock simply because she is overweight and does not fit the beauty standard. Ram and Kurt also target J.D., another deviant outcast who they assumed to be homosexual. These actions toward the lower societal groups show what norms are in place at Westerberg …show more content…
Heather Chandler is considered the almighty Heather, displaying Duke and McNamara as the lesser and weaker Heathers. Duke and McNamara shared the same sense of impotence up until Heather Chandler’s death. The group destabilized without their powerful leader and paved the way for Duke’s rise to power, leaving McNamara behind and no longer part of the power elite. At Chandler’s funeral, Duke admits, “I prayed for the death of Heather Chandler many times and I felt bad every time I did it, but I kept doing it anyway. Now I know you understood everything. Praise Jesus,