Claude
Levi-Strauss was a social anthropologist who studies the myths of
tribal cultures. He examined how stories unconsciously reflect the
values, beliefs and myths of a culture. These are usually expressed in
the form of BINARY OPPOSITES. His research has been adapted by media theorists to reveal underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media texts.
He
believed that in every narrative, there was a conflict between two
qualities or terms. The reason for binary oppositions is that it can
help establish who the 'good' and the 'bad' characters are instantly.
They are obviously present in narratives because fundamentally a
narrative must be based on a conflict of interest, i.e the interests of
the Hero versus the interests of the Villain.
For example in 1970's Western films: The Binary Opposites of the HOMESTEADERS VS NATIVE AMERICANS:
HOMESTEADERS:
- Christian
- Domestic
- Weak
- Garden
- Inside Society
NATIVE AMERICANS:
- Pagan
- Savage
- Strong
- Wilderness
- Outside Society
No comments:
Post a Comment