Laura Palmer: The Death of Girlhood
- MegTheGhoul
- Mar 23
- 7 min read
"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds... Fire...Walk With Me." - Poem by David Lynch
Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to the late David Lynch who sadly began his journey to the great beyond on January 16th 2025. Although this blog post is not a discussion about Lynch's directorial abilities, without him we would not have Laura Palmer. Lynch seemed forever intrigued by Laura Palmer, and we should take comfort in knowing the angels have returned for them both.
"Laura Palmer, to me, she is such a dream"- David Lynch, Cannes Film Festival Interview (1992)
CONTENT WARNING: Themes that will be discussed include sexual assault, violence towards women and children , death and mental health struggles. Please do not continue with this blog post if any of these topics could cause you harm. I will not be discussing these themes in graphic detail but they will be mentioned to provide context.
General spoiler warning for "Twin Peaks" and "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"
There's Something About Laura Palmer
From the moment Laura Palmer appeared on my screen, wrapped in plastic with her lips blue and her face pale, I was entranced. I felt a connection to her that I couldn't explain, and when I began to consume more media about Twin Peaks I found that many other women felt the same. We all feel a pull to Laura Palmer, like she exists in all of us when we are alone in the dark or in the feeling you get as you check behind you when you walk home. Laura Palmer is the ghost story that all women are born with in their bones.
I think Sheryl Lee sums it up best:
"Laura had sort of haunted me"- Sheryl Lee for 'The Directors: The Films of David Lynch' (2003)
'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' follows Laura Palmer through the last 7 days of her life. We get to see Laura's relationships with her friends, family and the wider community of Twin Peaks.
Each revelation brings us closer to the inevitable, and we fight the narrative along with Laura until we can't deny the truth, nevertheless we hold hope for Laura. Many women begin everyday hopeful. Hopeful that today they can live unaffected by the evil that men do. But, like Laura Palmer, they are jolted back to reality. The reality that what evil men do will follow us to work, to our schools, to the supermarket, on our park walks and even into our homes. Even though we know where Laura Palmer's story ends, we still wish to stay with her when she is in the sun with her friends or moving through the school halls. But, we know the hard truth... She will have to walk through the fire and eventually she will not return to the sunshine, to her friends or see those school halls again. Like so many of us that never come home whilst the men who hurt us return to their wives and children.
Now more than ever I find myself thinking of Laura Palmer. Let's take a look at why that is...
Where Girlhood Goes To Die
"P.S. I hope BOB doesn't come tonight" -Laura Palmer, Age 12 (The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch)
When was the first time you became aware of the evil men do? Was it when you sat with your legs slightly open in your school uniform? Or, how about when you walked home and got catcalled by the man who was always smoking outside the local pub? For Laura Palmer it was when Bob first visited her. As she lay in her bed, supposedly tucked away from the danger that lurked beyond her childhood bedroom. How was she meant to know that her childhood would end that night? No one warned us either.
Not all men are like Bob. That is what I imagine Laura told herself after these visits. But what I have found is that not all men are like Bob, but they do allow Bob to exist among them or sometimes deep within them. Let's begin with Leland Palmer.
Within the strong imagery and supernatural happenings of 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' (1992), one scene stayed with me. Laura sits at the dinner table for an uncomfortable family meal and it is clear Leland is not having a very good day. His wife and daughter sit rigid, careful not to offend or agitate him. Without warning, Leland zones in on a trinket around Laura's neck, one half of a heart necklace. Leland seems to be enraged by the necklace, insisting that it did not come from Laura's boyfriend (Bobby Briggs). On the surface, this is a father uncomfortable with the idea of his daughters' innocence becoming tainted or tarnished. But if we stay on the surface a little while longer, ignoring the Bob of it all, is that not strange?
Many young girls are implored to feel shame about their transition into romantic relationships. Many young girls have rules thrust upon them about how they must navigate their romantic relationships and sexuality. But as women know all too well, you can follow these arbitrary rules and suppress yourself into the most perfect ideal of 'girlhood', you can never allow yourself to date or even make friends with boys... What will people think! But is that not what Bob would want? After all, who would suspect the shining light of girlhood to contain so much darkness? The community of Twin Peaks adores Laura, for what she represents. She is the shining pillar of Americana with her sweetness, infectious smile and blonde hair. That is until day becomes night and Laura Palmer can shed their expectations.
This is one of many ways Laura rebels against Bob. Yes, Bob will come and there is not much she can do about this. She can pay the price later, but even without her romantic escapades, Bob will always come to collect the debt he feels he is entitled to.
This scene made me think about how the ownership is often put on young girls to be invisible and pleasant. This way you will be safe from the prying eyes of men. Bob will not come into your room if you just do this. Bob will stay away if you behave the way a young girl should. Why did no one tell Laura that Bob will come regardless? Thankfully, like many other young girls, Laura already knew this in her heart.
For Laura Palmer, her girlhood died in her pink sheets whilst her stuffed animals watched on in horror from her bedside. So why keep up the pretense? For others it died the first time a teacher told them their skirt was too short or that they shouldn't wear makeup. Maybe you were 'lucky' and never met Bob, but you were made aware that Bob was out there waiting for you to make a mistake.
Dear Diary, I Hate Myself.
So, Laura lives a double life. This works for a while and enables her to live among her peers undetected. But all good things must come to an end.
As Bob continues to plague her existence, it becomes harder for Laura to separate herself from the pain that has become second nature. Even her friends and boyfriends see that there is a darkness living just behind her eyes. She is struggling to outrun her doomed fate, everywhere she looks there are signs that no one can save her. But she persists, she continues to run and to fight any way she can...
That is how she finds her most reliable comfort and escape. Drugs! For a short time she can forget Bob, but poor Laura Palmer forgot the most important lesson...
"Maybe that's all BOB is. The evil that men do"- Albert, Twin Peaks
The men who supply her with her escape will not do it for free. Just like Bob, they will collect their debt. They know she is a teenager, that's the appeal. She may even think they pity her, but deep down she knows that it's not pity. They look for girls just like her and fortunately for them girls like Laura Palmer are not in short supply.
I have thought a lot about when Laura Palmer made her final decision, and after much consideration, I believe it happened at The Roadhouse.
I believe she made that decision as she looked up at her best-friend, Donna, lying on a table with her girlhood in a drunk mans mouth. I think Laura Palmer was confronted with what she had become to get what she needed to escape Bob for a while. Now that it was Donna, sweet and innocent, she could not allow her friend to follow in her path. Despite how many people looked the other way when Laura showed her pain, she couldn't allow her friend to carry the same shame that weighed Laura down.
You often find that women who survive sexual assault will validate other survivors experiences. However, when thinking about themselves and their experience they will punish and shame themselves if they do not fit the 'perfect victim' criteria.
I believe Laura Palmer held onto her mistakes, such as her drug use, and used it to punish herself for Bob's actions. She couldn't know that abusers often encourage this to make you more isolated...She was just a scared young girl.
But do not be mistaken! Laura Palmer was so much more than just scared. She was brave, spirited, defiant and wanted to make the world brighter for the ones she loved. Even if this meant she had to surrender her light completely.
R.I.P Laura Palmer
The town of Twin Peaks mourned Laura Palmer the day her body washed up on the shore, wrapped in plastic. But Laura had already mourned her own death, I imagine it was that first night Bob came. Maybe she didn't mourn the death of her physical body, but rather the death of the Laura Palmer that existed before Bob.
As women we must all mourn our girlhood. Some of us mourn it gradually as we learn more about womanhood and what comes with that. Some of us fight to hold onto our girlhood as it is violently snatched from us before we are ready to let go.
It is in these mournful moments that we must remember that in death comes a new beginning. We may be forever changed, but that is not inherently negative. You have the right to mourn, but do not let it be the death of you.
Bob is not real. But the evil that men do is.
Laura Palmer is not real. But we are.
That is why I can't stop thinking about her, and that is why I will carry her with me.
If any of the topics discussed in this blog post caused you to feel distressed, or if you/ anyone you know has suffered from sexual abuse, please use the resources linked below...
Blog Post Source Document
Rape Crisis Hotline- England and Wales
Sexual Abuse Support
NHS Support After Sexual Assault
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