Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks

Language and Representation: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called Doctor Who: Language and Representation blog tasks and complete the following questions on your blog:

Language and close-textual analysis

1) Choose three key moments in the episode and write an NCIS analysis for those clips. You can use your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed references using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

An Unearthly Child scene analysis
Narrative: In a school 2 teacher, Ian and Barbara are worried about the welfare of one of their student, Susan. They cant uncover where she live she the go to her address. They discover it is a junkyard and meet the doctor who is being aggressive and stubborn.They enter a police phone box and find Susan and the doctor takes them to a new world. 

Character:

Susan-subverts the stereotype of girls as submissive and weak 

Doctor-potential false hero, no sympathy, grumpy old man

Ian- Stubborn, Annoyed, Very logical and doesn’t panic Barbara-Conventional fearful woman, caring, scared and confused

  

Iconography:

TARDIS is has very bright white lights with a lot of spaceship sounds. Also has smoke and alarms

Setting:

Set in school, a junkyard and TARDIS

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: Equilibrium - Disruption - Recognition - Reparation - New equilibrium.

Equilibrium: Ian and Barbara are discussing Susan wellbeing.

Disruption: They decide to follow her home and arrive at a junkyard

Recognition: They meet the doctor acting suspicious.

Reparation: They enter the TARDIS and find Susan who begins talking of time travel and other dimensions.

New equilibrium: The Doctor takes  to a new time.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in An Unearthly Child fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.
The doctor is seen as a villain as he kidnappes the teachers and doesn't let them leave

Susan plays the role of princess/damsel in distress as she the teachers want to help her

Ian plays the role of hero as he want to save Susan

Barbara plays the role of helper as she assist Ian.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in An Unearthly Child? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

When Susan is given a book about the french revolution she states that it wasn't correct inferring that she has been to that period of time and could come in future episodes

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in An Unearthly Child? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?

Entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.

Representations

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

One stereotype that is being reinforced is that doctor is a male. 

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

Stereotypes that are being reinforced is that Susan is being saved by the teacher as she is the damsel in distress and they both appear quite frantic and worried about the situation. However, the stereotype is subverted as Susan seems quite intelligent and ready to save her teachers.

3) What are common media stereotypes of young people and old people? Do any of the characters or scenarios reinforce or subvert these conventional stereotypes (consider this was 1963)? Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?
One stereotype of old people that is they are wise as the doctor but also stubborn
One stereotype of young people that is Susan has short hair

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?

Only British white people where represented as in the time Britain was dominated by white people and it wasn't racially diverse

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

The middle class as two teachers seems knowledgeable and well educated.