pleasantville

Sarp Parmaksiz
English 1B The movie “Pleasantville” is a very successful movie that based on change and finding actual self. Throughout the movie, changes can be seen. In the movie, the television show called “Pleasantville” portraits people’s ignorance and unawareness of themselves, their emotions, and what surrounds them. Furthermore, the dullness of the Pleasantville indicated with black and white, as if it was lacking the colors of the life. David does not have a good life in real life. His mother is selfish and doesn’t pay attention to her children, who was about leave for a vacation with a guy nine years younger than her. His sister, Jennifer, is an absolutely superficial person. Furthermore, in the second scene of the movie, David seems to talk to a girl bravely and asking her out, yet it will be discovered that he was only talking to himself, because he was afraid. On the other hand, when they are in school, David hears all this negative things from his teachers that make him a little stressed. Such as, the chances of getting a job will be decreased, median salaries will be decreased. This is why when they got in to the “Pleasantville”, David does not hurry to get back. The movie touches some social problems that America faced throughout the history. Struggles that women faced in early times have been covered in the movie. What is expected from women of that time clearly displayed where George’s wife Betty was about to leave him. George says to her “…now listen to me, you’re coming to this meeting, you’re going to put on some makeup, you’re going to be home at 6 o’clock every night, and you’re going to have dinner ready, on this table.” This is a clear indication of the responsibilities expected from average women. Moreover, the mayor of Pleasantville addresses to some of the husbands of Pleasantville in bowling alley. He says “if George here doesn’t get his dinner, anyone of us could be next.” Also when he asks one of the husbands, called Roy, to show them what he have showed him. Roy shows an ironing stain on the back of his shirt. Additionally, the mayor says “When he asked her what is she doing? She said “nothing, just thinking”. This is a definite mindset of men at that time. Men wanted women to stay home, cook meals, take care of the children, look pretty, and most important, not to think. Racism is another social problem in America. The notion of racism revealed in a different way in the movie; colorless people and colored people. The court scene is the most striking example of racism referred in the movie. Where “colored people” had to sit on the balcony and “regular folks” could take the front seats. This scene is almost the same as the court scene that takes place in “To Kill a Mockingbird” where African Americans had to sit on the balcony. Conjointly, the scene where David gave umbrella to Margaret, Whitey says, “I thought maybe you are too busy attaining your colored girlfriend.” His line is an indication of the discrimination. The movie contained a lot of symbolism also. The television repairman was talking with David in the television shop through the TV’s. Repairman shows the image where he takes the apple from Margaret and bites it. This is not the only biblical symbolism hidden in the movie. The scene after this, Pleasantville experiences thunder and rain for the first time. This clearly represents forbidden apple and the fury of god. In conclusion, the movie “Pleasantville” contains a lot of different family dynamics, social differences and imagery. In general, the movie is very entertaining yet educational. The “Pleasantville” successfully conveyed the theme of 1950s and 1960s when there were a lot of social injustice including sexism, racism, and error of the education system.