So? What happened?The American Dream: A House, two clean healthy kids, a pet, a garden, and smiling neighbors. In Perfect Suburbia, there is enough money to keep this idea in play, everyone is educated, and of course, everyone is happy. People come to America from all over the world looking for this ideal. Children who are born in this country were sold this bill of goods form day one. The problem is that this ideal relies on groupthink – everyone buying in and thinking the same way. Mayor Bob calls it having the right values.
In the movie Pleasantville, David longs for the ease and simplicity of the Perfect Suburbia black and white 1950’s sitcom. His sister Jennifer is a normal teenager and wants to live her life as the cool girl. When the two enter Pleasantville, things go awry, color enters the picture and suddenly Father does not know what to do.
What theoretical constructs have you learned within this class that can be applied or seen within this film?
Everyone in this film has a pivotal moment in which enlightenment occurs, and they realize that they have not been themselves. For some it is sexual knowledge, for others the introduction of words, or color or another person. At what moment did you realize that you were more than you thought you were, or different than you thought you were?
At what moment did you realize that your family could not fit into the 1950’s sitcom? In fact that they are far form perfect, and are their “own little pot of crazy.” Where did your identity in the family come from and how did you have to break away from it to be yourself?
The use of color as different is an obvious metaphor in this film? How are you colored in relation to your own development and identity? How is your family similar or different to Bud and Mary Sue’s? David and Jennifer’s? What other metaphors are used that can be applied to you and your family? Why does Jennifer decide to remain as Mary Sue for a while? Have you ever tried on a different identity for a while? What happened? Was it beneficial? Why or why not?
This paper is to be written in both the first AND third person. That is, some of the answers will have to be from personal experience, and then you need to apply the theory to that experience. 3-5 pages long, typed, double-spaced, 12 font. No Times New Roman.
Discuss
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