Representational issues The representation issues that I have decided to look at is that of Gender and Race.

These two issues are incredibly significant within research into how different groups in society are represented by the media industry. Gender of course is a very popular one, and unfortunately when its being shown, it nearly always depicts the females as the submissive and the males the dominant. Race too, is a very controversial issue around the globe, and though racism has improved over the years, there are still some severe cases of it around. Again, like gender, its a very directional issue when displayed, its nearly always the black people that are discriminated against. Before I show you this clip, I would like to remind you of a brilliant example portraying these two issues and that is the printed letters fastened between the pages of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. A novel set in the 1930s; it captures the pure essence of discrimination both against blacks and against women. There is only one main female in the entire book, competing against roughly around seven other male characters. The first impressions that we get of Curleys wife is that she is very flirtatious, sultry and a danger magnet the fact she wears red all the time connotes this emotion, as well as passion. We are made to believe that she is jail bait and a no go zone, as she is possession of her husband, Curley. She is seen as a beautiful trap, like a spider trying to lure the men into her trap, and we think of her as evil almost. But at the end, just before she unfortunately gets killed, we get shown an entirely different story; all her life shes been lied to, let down, no body to help her, she dreams big, but look where she is. She only married Curley to get a good reputation and house over her head; these are desperate times. Curley too, only married her for her looks; there is no love in this marriage. Curleys wife is just an object to him she doesnt even have a name. Its only now that we feel pity stirred within us for her. Another character named Crooks is essential to the plot. Like Curleys wife, he is the only one of his kind quite simply, Crooks is the only black working on the ranch. To add to this, he is also crippled. He gets bossed around by the other men, and even has his own bunk away from the white men, constructing a massive social barrier. Similar to Curleys wife, he is lonely as no one really wants to talk to him, just because he is black. Indeed Curleys wife is wise and sharp as one night when all the men have gone to the town she examines who is left behind; herself, Crooks and the

mentally disabled Lennie. She muses over this a little and sounds a comment so true for this society, its almost like its a political book instead of fictional: They left all the weak ones here, she said. The extracts that I choose to analysis is from a film called The Colour Purple. Its a film set back in the early 1900s and centred in rural Georgia. The plot revolves around two young black sisters named Celie and Nettie, who are separated when Celie is given to a man to marry. The sisters go through a turbulent life, as the man Celie marries only did so she could bring up his four children and look after the home. The sisters manage to see each other on and off, but after Nettie does not take to Celies husbands sexual advances, he kicks her out and forbids her to return. Nettie promises to write, but Celie never hears from her and assumes she is dead, and so tries to carry on with the life she now leads. What she doesnt know is that her husband has been hiding Netties letters. The film ends with Celies husbands lover coming to the house and after nursing her back to health, Celie and Shug become the best of friends, and Shug helps her piece her life back together, ending with the reunion of the two sisters after decades of separation. First Clip The first clip shows Celies black daughter in law, Miss Sofia saying Hell no when a upper class white woman asks her to be her nanny after admiring Miss Sofias clean children. The close up of Miss Millies face displays clearly the shock of being rejected this is not normal, if youre black you do what youre told. Miss Sofias race and gender is discriminated against further after she has been slapped by Miss Millies husband for saying no to her this is in front of her children as well. Instead of doing the right thing and apologising to the woman and accepting her offer, Miss Sofia does something that is unheard of, she hits the man back, and with a lot more force. You can tell that this coming from the over the shoulder close up of Miss Sofia straightening up after she has been slapped. Nowadays you never ever hit a woman, probably because they are seen as the weaker, pathetic sex, we women are vulnerable well Miss Sofia just proved that conclusion wrong and did what any strong women should do- fight back.

After the man had been knocked out by Miss Sofia, an angry mob of (white) men came charging at her and began to throw insults all around her. They surround her like a pack of wolves advance on their prey. Funny how the only person who actually helped Miss Sofia was the black minstrel, who took Miss Sofias children away to safety. Even when faced with the angry mob of men, Miss Sofia stood her ground and screamed right back in the face of those who shouted at her. Her colouring is mentioned a couple of times in the insults, and particularly at the point with the close up of her and one man almost face to face when he shouts: Who do you think you are, you fat n**ga? What made this scene even worse is when the camera zoomed into Miss Sofia when she was crying for help, and then it switched to a wide angle shot of the crowd parting to let a policeman through, who we thought originally, might come to aid a woman, instead whacked her over the head with a gun, causing her to black out. Second Clip The second clip is taken from a scene nearly at the end of the film, where the family and friends of Celies husband have joined them for Sunday Roast, and thats when Celie gets her revenge and threatens her husband with a knife. The wide angle shot allows us to see both characters, and the facial expressions; the pure anger and hatred on Celies and the pure shock and fear displayed on her husbands. The lighting in the room also makes the knifes blade shimmer slightly, reminding us of its deadly power. Again, this over the shoulder shot clearly illuminates the fear on the mans face.

This scene is a reverse shot, where the main focus is on one thing can switches to another focal point but always referring back to the main point. This happens with the character Miss Sofia, who begs Celie not to kill him, hes not worth it you can see the indecision in Celies eyes. Miss Sofia has been down the punishment for standing up for yourself route, shes begging Celie not to trade places with her. This next shot is important because it really establishes the discrimination. As Celie leaves the house for the last time, her cruel husband hurls a torpedo of insults at her saying she cant do anything because shes black, poor, ugly and a woman, shes nothing at all. The adjective ugly also describes the situation of being a woman back then and partly now, if youre a woman and youre not attractive, whats the point. The close up shot of her husband yelling out this vile insults to her illustrate his anger and shame at being shown up in his own home in front of his own parents and by a woman.