Preview

pleasantville analysis

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1032 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
pleasantville analysis
Pleasantville can very well be the equivalence of the Garden of Eden, a place of innocence and perfection. However, when Jennifer and David (who aren’t so innocent) are placed in Pleasantville, things begins to change as Jennifer and her ’90s permissiveness contributes initially to the discovery of sex. Thus, such an act has broken the perfect harmony of Pleasantville and soon everyone who doesn’t conform to the norms of Pleasantville undergoes a vibrant color change. This color change is believed to be an act of sin and corruption for the most part of the movie; it was very shameful to be a "colored."
Slowly, the entire town begins to brighten and show colors, even those who were against change. The mayor finally changes color when he has an outward expression of his anger, and the husband/father when he openly shows his love for his wife and that he misses her. The town experiences rain for the first time, and consequently a full color rainbow. This is symbolic of how change can seem like chaos at first, but it usually results in something beautiful (with exception to hurricanes and tropical storms.) She peppers her daughter with questions about what all the kids are doing up at Lover’s Lane, and in this memorable sequence, Mary Sue gives her mother the sex talk. Minutes later, the sexual revolution begins in Betty’s bathtub. The tree bursts into flames, and as the citizens of Pleasantville find their passion and leave “pleasant” behind, they burst into color, as well.

Pleasantville can very well be the equivalence of the Garden of Eden, a place of innocence and perfection. However, when Jennifer and David (who aren’t so innocent) are placed in Pleasantville, things begins to change as Jennifer and her ’90s permissiveness contributes initially to the discovery of sex. Thus, such an act has broken the perfect harmony of Pleasantville and soon everyone who doesn’t conform to the norms of Pleasantville undergoes a vibrant color change. This color change is
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Examples Of Color In Pleasantville
    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Color In Pleasantville

    In the movie Pleasantville it showed two teenagers, David and his twin sister Jennifer who were sucked into a black and white show called Pleasantville. During the movie a theme that really caught my attention was color. The Black and white in the movie may be a representation of the naiveness of the town folks, whereas; color may be a representation of open-mindedness and new experience. Before the twins arrived inside Pleasantville the way of living was much like it was in the olden days. Woman would be submissive to their husband and stay home to clean, watch the kids, and make sure that dinner was prepared for him when he came home, Teenagers would dress more covered-up and were absentminded about the idea of sex, and People would stick…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pleasantville Analysis
    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pleasantville Analysis

    This is a close up shot that shows the Mayor Bob. This shot is important to the idea of change in Pleasantville, which people are afraid of.…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pleasantville Essay
    • 692 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pleasantville Essay

    Change is commonly seen throughout the film and is represented in many ways. We not only see change in the characters but in the environment around them. The first sign of change we see is the red rose that bud sees after his date with Mary-sue the director uses this to show the audience that everything is about to change. The director also use costumes to show the change in Pleasantville, teenagers in Pleasantville start to wear more modern clothing that are bright and colorful. The director also introduces rain and fire to Pleasantville, which are all new experiences for people in Pleasantville. When the director introduces rain…

    • 692 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fahrenheit 451- Pleaseantville
    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fahrenheit 451- Pleaseantville

    In the film Pleasantville and Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451 the two controlled worlds are similar in the way their societies are ruled. Everyone living in the two stories is oblivious to individuality and how unique is not even a word that is used in speech in either. However this is all they know, and they’re not in control; no one has a mind of their own. In Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the film Pleasantville, the theme of control is presented through dehumanization, collective loss of memory and mastery of nature.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Visual Analysis – ‘the Ivory Trail’
    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Visual Analysis – ‘the Ivory Trail’

    The main colours in the visual are orange, red, and black. These colours suggest emotions and mystery. The colour red suggests anger and rage, which is possibly felt by the main character at one point in the novel, and the colour black can create a sense of mystery. By just the colours, we can know that there is going to be mystery, anger and rage revealed in the novel. The distinction between the light and the dark gives a sense of mystery and foreboding.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Pleasantville And Grover's Corners: A Literary Analysis
    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pleasantville And Grover's Corners: A Literary Analysis

    After Emily died in Grover’s corners, Simon says “that’s the happy existence you want to go back to, Ignorance and blindness” (109). Her worst days were actually not bad, she just focused on petty things. After attaining this knowledge that her life was a cloud, she freaks out. Coming out of a narrow point of view is overwhelming and stressful. After Emily realizes this she discusses with another ghost, “where you happy?” “No... I should’ve listened to you, that’s all human beings are! Just blind people” (109). Emily wants to try to bring her friends and loved one out of the cave of ignorance, but she can’t. She escaped, while her friends were left behind. In Pleasantville narrow points of view are also demonstrated. “What’s outside of Pleasantville? Like, what’s at the end of main street?” “Mary Sue, you should know the answer to that, the end of Main street is just the beginning again.” No one knows what’s outside become they were forced to not think of that, even the teachers do not know what is outside. Everyone is too shallow to realize their is an outside world until Mary Sue tells them. “There are some places that the road doesn’t go in a circle. There are some places where the road keeps going.” They were happy, until they earned that there was much more to be discovered, then they became greedy for knowledge. They did…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pleasantville
    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pleasantville

    In the movie Pleasantville, a brother and sister from modern day became part of a black and white ‘50s television show called Pleasantville. This was done using a special remote given to the main character David, by a TV repairman. In the beginning David believed Pleasantville should remain the same. Pleasantville was his utopia; he thought everything was perfect. His sister Jenn was determined to change Pleasantville. Jenn thought people acted like losers, and wanted them to be “cool”. David later realized things should change because people did not show their emotions in Pleasantville, and had no way to express them. When people in Pleasantville showed their emotions, they changed from black and white to color. By the end of the movie, everything was in color because of David. People had learned to show their emotions. The creator of this movie was trying to communicate the message that emotions make things more interesting. This statement is true for Pleasantville and writing. In Pleasantville people would change to color when they showed their emotions. Bill expressed his emotions through painting colorful pictures. David gained his color when he got angry and punched Whitey. Emotions are put into writing to add detail. At Lover's Lane people reading books became colored and the listeners remained black and white. If people incorporate emotions into their writing it will help get the reader's attention and make the plot more interesting. This movie relates to our critical analysis essay. The idea of perception versus reality is conveyed throughout the movie. David thought Pleasantville was perfect when he watched it on television. When he became part of the show he found it had many flaws. The citizens of Pleasantville believed there was nothing outside of Pleasantville; in reality there was a lot. In reality, bad things can happen. When the tree caught on fire, the firefighters did not know how to deal with it because there had never been a fire in…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Janie Symbolism
    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page

    Janie Symbolism

    As Janie learns more about herself and finds happiness, the setting of the book changes with each husband. She is raised in West Florida, a southern state once influenced by the Confederacy. Therefore, she is exposed to racism at a very young age. The urban setting of Eatonville with Jody symbolizes a world of corruption. Janie’s freedom is stolen by Jody through his abusive way of life. Janie is repressed behind the city walls where she is confined both physically and metaphorically by Jody. Rural areas symbolize periods of innocence and relative happiness in Janie’s life. She finds peace and serenity living among nature, under the pear tree as a child and in the Everglades with Tea Cake. These rural settings show Janie’s poverty and her kindness…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Greasy Lake Symbolism
    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Greasy Lake Symbolism

    The Narrator opens up the story, talking about the nature of how being bad was good, and they live in a time “When you Cultivated Decadence like a taste” (Boyle, 125). The narrator and his two friends, Digby and Jeff, were…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Functionalism In Pleasantville
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Functionalism In Pleasantville

    From a functionalist perspective, the occurrences in Pleasantville would not be ideal because the intensity of social change negatively affected the connection throughout the community. As more residents discover their full potential and true selves, the more organic this otherwise mechanical society becomes. This adds complexity and enhances the gap between the interaction of the individual and the group as a whole because the residents in color are consequently polarized from their black and white…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Pleasantville Analysis of Film Techniques against the Theme of "Change"
    • 2172 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Pleasantville Analysis of Film Techniques against the Theme of "Change"

    Ross also portrays and somewhat satirises an unchanged society's people to be ruled by their own mindlessness, and in their epiphany, translates to the viewer that change can come from within or from outside one's self but is different for everyone. Dark overtones are used to parallel the Pleasantville to a society under fascist rule. However, in the end, change will always affect everyone and this new understanding will help to overcome the changes encountered in the future that may seek to detriment the society. The three scenes which will be discussed in relation to the filmmaker's attitude towards change are the breakfast scene, the classroom scene, and the rain scene.…

    • 2172 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Fever Tree
    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Fever Tree

    As I mentioned in the first the quote, the author uses the color red, green, and yellow throughout the story. In this quote, he uses the imagery of the tiny coral-red flowers of the zinnia and the coarse, pale grass. The contrast between these two things in nature is similar to the personalities of Ford and Tricia. While Ford is portrayed as the coarse pale grass, Tricia is the tiny coral red flowers.Although this quote can be used to depict the relationship of Ford and Tricia, it can also be used to set the mood. The author also uses contrast on (pg125)“In the few moments of dusk, pale things glimmer brightly and birds make a soft murmuring.”(pg.125) Peacefulness can be perceived as the tiny flowers drifted among the grass and pale things glimmered brightly during dusk.…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Flowers, Loss of Innocence
    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Flowers, Loss of Innocence

    Have you ever thought about a time in your life where you took your maturity to the next step? There are certain events that led up to the moment in your life where innocence is changed and you become closer to an adult. In the short story “The Flowers” by Alice Walker, Myop’s character proves that everyone reaches a point of change in innocence. Whether it is by choice or in growth, all ways require obstacles and new things that one self hasn’t been exposed to before.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Plato's Cave and Pleasantville: a Comparison
    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Plato's Cave and Pleasantville: a Comparison

    The initial observation of a different point of view causes citizens of Pleasantville to question and defy their upbringing. These new points of view are rejected by those unfamiliar with individuality just as in Plato’s Cave where the newly enlightened prisoner and his views are rejected by the unenlightened prisoners. To fully escape the confines of the walls of Pleasantville one must challenge former authority and reject the emotionless and stale world they have been brought up in. It is through this split belief of former and future knowledge that Plato says divides the enlightened from the ignorant. Both sides have reject each other’s idea of reality, the ignorant being blind to what they cannot see and the enlightened having their eyes open to what they did not see originally. Pleasantville utilizes this comparison by distinguishing two sides of people, those who are composed of color and have began their search for individuality, and those in black and white who cling to their ignorance.…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    "The Shining Houses" Essay - Point of View
    • 328 Words
    • 1 Page

    "The Shining Houses" Essay - Point of View

    Mary, a member of the younger generation and like every other resident of Garden Place, "did not talk to many old people any more" and owned a house that looked like the one beside and across it. Mary, knowing both sides, and has heard both Mrs. Fullerton and her neighbors' stories, is in a dilemma. She sacrifices being the topic of gossip at the next coffee party and asserts her position as one who does not care how things look and stands up for Mrs. Fullerton. Mary differs from every other resident of Garden Place by showing vulnerability while her discrete refusal to conform with the others imperceptibly bridges the division between the two…

    • 328 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics