Language and Representation: blog tasks Doctor Who

 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: Doctor Who has used music and and graphics to set a theme of Sci-fi (genre) right at the beggining without any straightfoward verbal introduction, the slow camera movement is caused by thetech in 1960s. There are few flashbacks that show Susan's mistunderstanding, which gives insight what she is thinking. Medium shot of Doctor holding a vase with the teachers faces makes him appear evil. there are shots of the tardis making sounds and barbara entering the tardis which also builds on the sci-fi genre.

Mise-en-scene:Setting appears normal, as it starts off in school where Susan takes the appearance of a teenager and wears the typical hair and clothing from 1960s. teachers enter the junkyard. the junkyard is dark, dim and full of junk which helped camoplague the TARDIS. Inside the Tardis everything is so much bigger in the inside, white and very futureistic, which contrasts with the earlier dark setting. newsetting is when they arrive at a planet which seemed like a cold snowy place.

Narrative and genre: opening sequence links to a rocket taking off in the 1960s space race. enigma code of susans home and where she lives as she was not very keen on telling them. also her suggesting that a history book of the french revolution is wrong suggests time travel. when she said that "that hasnt happened yet" also suggests time travel. Levi-Strauss - binary opposition. Light/dark - lost torch., Enigma code: Police Box / TARDIS. “It’s alive!” ,Action code: some kind of conflict/threat linked to TARDIS. ,Propp character types: Doctor presented as villain. ,Narrative background - “I was born in another time and another world” (Susan). Doctor says “One day we will return” - creates narrative arc for Doctor Who that still continues today., Genre - mise-en-scene/TARDIS., Barthes - action codes: “Don’t touch it”., Enigma codes: Will the teachers get out? Why can’t the doctor go back to his home?, Sci-fi genre - TARDIS taking off. Links to 1960s space race - context. ,Shadow in final shot - action code, enigma code and cliffhanger for next episode. ,Continues narrative arc for this series.

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

Todorov's Equilibrium: Story is fine as Susan seemed like a usual student at a school, but until the teachers were curious and got kidnapped by the Doctor is when that peace breaks, now they have to get home.

Propp's character theory: multiple times where Barbara played the role as the damsel in distress where the hero was the male teacher.

Barthes's enigma and action codes: enigma codes were used like why is Susan so hesitant about where she lives and why cant the Doctor go back to his home planet?

Levi-Strauss's binary opposition:  the contrast of light and dark, human and alien, earth and space.

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

When the teachers whent inside the TARDIS and the contrast of how small it seemed on the outside and how large it seemed on the inside because this was shown in future episodes and also symbolises the butterfly theory where ifyou make a small change, the future changes drastically.

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

 

Doctor Who has used music and and graphics to set a theme of Sci-fi (genre) right at the beggining without any straightfoward verbal introduction, Inside the Tardis everything is so much bigger in the inside, white and very futureistic also builds on how it is a Sci-fi genre. also how it has linked to space and dimentions.

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

The space race at 1960s used sound that sounded like a rocketship. Hairstyle and fashion from a teenager from the 1960s. the term teenager being new during the 1960s. women acting helpless was a stereotype in the 1960s. Boys harrassing girls in the school coridoor was also a stereotype in the 1960s.


Representations

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

  Boys harrassing girls in the school coridoor was also a stereotype in the 1960s. The male teacher acting as the hero, very masculine is a stereotype. However, the male teacher was agreeing with the female teachers ideas which is a subverted stereotype as men are expected to come up with ideas.

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

women acting helpless was a stereotype in the 1960s. Some stereotypes were subverted like how the woman teacher came up with ideas that the male didnt and how Susan Was extremely smart in certain subjects but awful in others, was subverting the usual teen stereotype.

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

Susan Was extremely smart in certain subjects but awful in others, was subverting the usual teen stereotype.

Susan seemed more open and merciful while the doctor seemed mean and evil. There was also a lot of new freedom for younger people in the 1960s which may have upset the old people.

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 was only white people, its not surprising because there was a lot of racism and not a lot of divercity in london back then. This has changed in recent series as There is now a black doctor, but there is some backlash about it.

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

They show how people who dont know a lot fears a lot of the unknown and is scared and doesnt really listen while the smart people are calm. (in the ship). As well as in the classroom where Susan was laughed at for not knowing how many shillings are in a pound, yet so smart in science she knew the awnser before the teacher.