Underline the key terms
According to Claude Lévi-Strauss, texts convey their meanings through a system of binary oppositions.
Evaluate this structuralist theory. Refer to the set episodes of Humans and The Returned in your response
Component two is different!
There will be one question in component two that will ask you to evaluate a theory. When we evaluate something, we are considering how suitable or how ‘good’ this thing is.
You should spend 50 minutes on each industry in component 2
Knee jerk reaction
Binary oppositions are incredibly useful when it comes to conveying meaning in these otherwise extremely complicated TV shows. This allows producers to easily demonstrate their ideology and to appeal to a broader audience
Plan
MES
Atypical
Genre
Extreme close up
Hegemony
Diegesis
Non diegetic
Diegetic
Narratology
Todorov
Semiotics
Roland Barthes
Hermeneutic - mystery
Proairetic - action
Symbolic - deeper meaning
Referential code - intertextuality
Hyperreality - where the thing being represented is more real than the reality
Patriarchy
Male gaze
The singularity
Long shot
High angle
mid shot
Fast paced
Montage
Colour
Zombies
Sex
Death
Heteronormativity
Introduction
DAC - definition, argument, context
Binary oppositions refer two completely oppositional concepts that end up defining something through their opposition. Binary oppositions can be used to make sense of our world, but can also be used by producers to construct a relatable more of address, and to make meanings clear. In this essay, I shall argue that binary oppositions are absolutely essential to constructing narratives that both appeal to and make sense to audiences. In order to explore this, I shall refer to Humans, a British/US sci-fi drama series first broadcast on Channel 4 and AMC in 2015, and Les Revenants (The Returned), a French zombie/horror TV series first broadcast on Canal + in 2012.
Paragraphs
PEA - Point, evidence, argument
Humans - breakfast
Binary opposition - the Hawkins family and Anita, constructed through their performance. Anita moves in a wooden and ‘fake’ manner, which constructs a symbolic code that suggests that Anita is not in fact ‘real’. However, the Hawkins are constructed as a representation of a stereotypical nuclear middle class British household. While Anita is represented as a machine, and even referred to as a “slave” and a “dishwasher” by Matty, the Hawkins family by comparison are re[resented as human and relatable. For example Matty and Toby exchange insults in a rapid fire montage, calling each other “knob cock” and “crusty sheets”. This highly relatable and hegemonically acceptable family situation forms a stark binary opposition with Anita
Anita herself also functions as a binary opposition. The MES of her hegemonically attractive features, further anchored through her calm and agreeable performance forms a binary opposition with her studded, robotic and often jerky movements. This harsh binary constructs an unsettling mode of address for the target audience, and functions as a proairetic code, suggesting to the audience the exciting and scary things that will soon happen
Matty and Sophie - Sophie's reaction is exaggerated and excited “yay it’s a party”, which draws attention to the exciting powers of Anita. For Sophie, Anita clearly functions as a doll, which is both cute and highly unsettling. However,. Matty by referring to Anita as a dishwasher casually and actively objectifies Anita. While Anita is arguably not human, this cognitive dissonance provides a conflicting and deeply unpleasant mode of address for the target audience which is constructed through binary opposition
Les Revenants - Julie and Victor
Victor himself functions as a binary opposition between innocence and implied threat. The slow paced montage of victor ‘stalking’ Julie home proairetically situates him as an aggressive threat, which clearly contacts his vulnerable and innocent MES. This highly effective use of a binary opposition is also effectively used in other horror narratives, and may be an intertextual reference to The Sixth Sense, The Omen, and Insidious, and provides a deep and highly leading mode of address to the varied target audiences
Totally ran out of time on this discussion! However, after spending some time outlining how ridiculously important binary oppositions are for constructing meaning and positioning audiences, a counterpoint could be made that there is a theoretical perspective that is EVEN MORE USEFUL. For my money, postmodern theory, that broadly dictates that surface readings are more important that a preferred reading, and that nothing really matters ANYWAY is an even more useful way of analysing these texts. Les Revs in particular is completely resistant to analysis, and forces the target audience to reject stereotypical and outmoded considerations of a definitively reading to just switch off and go along with it. A good scene to back this up is the completely over the top, confusing and frankly unpleasant final scene that takes a very literal interpretation of the French concept of le petit mort to extreme and confusing levels! But that's OK because life has no meaning! Oh no!