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:

          Sci-fi music (Doctor who theme song) and slow camera movement.

Mise-en-scene:

          New settings and Introduce to the TARDIS and the lighting and brightness of it inside.

Narrative and genre:

          Lots of enigma and action codes (Barthes theory) and lots of Sci-fi references.

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

Todorov's Equilibrium:

Equilibrium - Susan, Ian and Barbara are all together

          Disequilibrium - Ian and Barbara find out that Susan's address has no house and see Susan go                  into a creepy junkyard. 

New equilibrium - They find Susan but are still lost and stuck in the TARDIS

          Audience is left on a state of disequilibrium.

Propp's character theory:

          In the episode the teachers are represented as the heroes as they are trying to save Susan.

          The doctor is represented as the villain as he doesn't let the teachers escape and hides Susan away           from the teachers.

          Susan is represented as the sidekick as she helps the doctor.

Barthes's enigma and action codes:

          There is a lot of enigma and action codes, for example at the end of the episode the doctor takes              the teachers to an unknown location creating an enigma code. Furthermore, there is an action                  code as there is conflict against the TARDIS

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: 

          Binary opposition of Light and dark of the lost torch and binary opposition of the dark junkyard              and light TARDIS

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

I think the scene where the audience get introduced to the TARDIS is the most important as we find out what the telephone box is and we find out where Susan was.

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

Sci-fi as there is a telephone box that can travel anywhere in time. The doctor and Susan are also both aliens. 

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

An Unearthly Child reflects the social and historical contexts of the 1960s as Susan is dressed up like a typical 1960 teenager. Furthermore, when the doctor meets the teachers, he only talks to Ian and ignores Barbara. Susan is also listening to pop music in the beginning of the episode.

Representations

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

It reinforces the idea that Men are more dominant than women. This is because when the teachers meet the doctor, the doctor talks to Ian and ignores Barbara. Another reinforced stereotype of men is that men shouldn't be scared and should deal with everything that comes to their life. This is shown when Ian says “I take things as they come”.

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

One stereotype that is subverted is that Susan is shown as cleverer than the teachers. This is a subverted stereotype as normally teachers are smarter than the students.

Another stereotype that is reinforced is that Barbara feels frightened when going to Susan's address. This is a reinforced stereotype as in the 1960s women were seen to be more scared than men.

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

The representations of young people is different to the representations of old people in the 1960s. This is because in the episode when the Doctor tries to get rid of the teachers, Susan tries to stop him which shows the contrast of how loving and caring young and old people are.

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?

There are many representations of race/ethnicity. One representation of this is Barbara says to Susan "You are one of us" which reinforce white stereotypes. Furthermore, everyone in the first episode is white. This isn't surprising as in the 1960s white people were seen to have more power than other people. This has changed in the more recent series of Doctor Who as the new doctor is a black actor (Ncuti Gatwa).

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

Social class is presented as middle class in Doctor Who as the school looks like a ordinary school. Furthermore, the clothes the children and teachers wear look old fashioned and a bit posh.