Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks

Language and contexts

1) Write a summary of the notes from our in-class analysis of the episode. You can use your own notes from the screening in class or this Google document of class notes (you'll need your GHS Google login). 

Camerawork and sound: Music - theme tune to Doctor Who. Very science-fiction - sets genre from the beginning.hyjvjhvvhjvhjvhjvvhvjhvhjvhjvhjvhvcgfxfhffhfydgvhyfhguhuihdjhbdhchesjkbjhjcjhlshcjbdsbjkjkxbcdbsjh

Mise-en-scene: Susan - first introduced dancing and dressed as 1960s teenager (costume). Seems to be both typical teenager and alien.

Narrative and genre: Opening title sequence like a rocket taking off - sci-fi genre and links to 1960s space race.

2) How can we apply narrative theories to this episode of  Doctor Who? 

Propp's Equilibrium: Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero

Todorov's character theory: Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

Barthes's enigma and action codes: Action Codes: anything that suggests something dramatic is about to happen. 

Enigma Codes: a narrative code that creates mystery and gives the audience questions to keep them watching

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: Binary opposition is a theory that all narratives are driven by conflict of a series of opposing forces.

3) In your opinion, what is the most important scene in the episode and why?

           When the TARDIS is first introduced as this is when the main title character Doctor Who is first shown.

4) What genre is An Unearthly Child and how can you tell? Make specific reference to aspects of the episode.

            Sci-fi as it has many sound effect and visual beeping and time travel through dimensions.

5) How does An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical contexts of the 1960s?

             When Ian and the doctor are discussing the science behind the TARDIS the female teacher is ignored                     during the conversation as this is seen as a masculine topic - Gender roles.

Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Gender stereotypes reinforced - school students, Ian and Barbara. Boys harassing girls in school corridor.

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Gender Roles - The female teacher is worried for Barbara's safety and where she could be as women were had the roles of raising the kids and being a housewife so they cared for the kids the most which is shown in this scene.

3) How do the representations of young people and old people in An Unearthly Child reflect the social and historical context of the 1960s? 

Age is shown as the older doctor addresses everyone else as 'child' and is a lot more stingier and closed mind to everyone else as he believes he is the wisest and everyone else is ignorant.

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

Racist stereotype about native people - ''when the red Indian saw a steam train his savage mind was blown away'' western people believed people of other ethnicities were savage rebels with no knowledge.

5) How is the social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

''But your one of us?'' Everyone in the episode was white and middle class no one was of a different race or social class. So everyone was in a private school with good education and a wealthy family.