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: The music is the theme to the series. The camera work is low quality as they did not have the technology to make high budgeted camera work like these days.

Mise-en-scene: Susan is seen wearing a typical costume for girls which makes her seem like a normal, human, teenager girl.

Narrative and genre: The genre is sci-fi. The narrative is linear throughout the whole serious so the resolution is not yet done in the first episode as it is left on a cliff hanger.

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

Todorov's Equilibrium: The narrative of this episode as a stable equilibrium of Susan blending  in as normal human girl However, tension builds when the teachers start to follow her home and start to feel concern about Susan. This equilibrium is disrupted when the Doctor kidnaps the teachers and leaves us on a cliff hanger about their whereabouts. 

Propp's character theory: The Doctor is a anti-hero while the teachers are the false hero and later get punished for trying to save Susan.

Barthes's enigma and action codes: The enigma codes could be why the girl Susan acts weird which we later find out or whether the teachers get home. An action code would be when the TARDIS is shaking which suggests its about to take off.

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition: Good VS evil is shown in this episode as the teachers had good intentions how ever Doctor Who wants to kidnap them and has bad intentions.

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

I think the most important scene is when the teachers meet and talk with the Doctor after being caught trying to follow Susan. This is because this is where they meet their needs of wanting to talk to Susan's grandfather even though Susan says the Doctor does not like meeting and interacting with others.

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

The genre is sci-fi. This is shown throughout the episode, especially in the scene of what the TARDIS looks like in the inside. The design used for the interior looks futuristic and sci-fi which tells us this TV drama is a sci-fi genre. 

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

Gender stereotypes from the 1960s are strongly reinforced by the roles of the two teachers. The male teacher is seen as independent and less caring but the female teacher is seen as maternal and caring about others.

Representations

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

The male teacher is seen to be less caring about Susan compared to the female teacher this reinforces the stereotype of men being more serious and that they express fewer feelings compared to females.

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

The female teacher is more maternal and worried about Susan this reinforces stereotypes of females that they are more caring and naive. 

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

This episode subverts stereotypes of old people by the character Doctor Who because he is seen as an old man who is intelligent and still willful. 

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 is only white characters as this was typical in the cultural context of the time this was produced as white people were favoured on screen more.

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

The school girls are seen to look posh and ready which reflects good education and societal influences of how women need to be perfect.