Television: His Dark Materials - Language and Representation

 His Dark Materials: Language and Representation blog tasks

Language and close-textual analysis

1) Write an analysis of the episode - using your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots and movement, editing, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

The main character Lyra goes to a place which is a secret world that they have in the show Lyra then goes through the gates of the New World and meet someone called Will who ended up going through similar gates as her and they decided to work together and try and leave the place. Lyra has a Demon which Will does not have and they live in the new place and see these two kids who tell them that all the adults have gone and the spectres got them. They ask what suspect it is. A. Spectre is a creature that takes parents grown-ups who are of age and kills them. A character in the show called Mrs Coulter goes on board with the magisterium and tortures a witch to get her to talk about the prophecy and what it is.The head which comes on board and helps the tortured which by letting her go. The head witch tries to kill the head priest of the magisterium. Then Mrs Coulter kills him, and says he died from the injuries the head, witch gave him.

You can currently watch His Dark Materials on BBC iPlayer here.

 

You can access our notes from our close-textual analysis in class here - you'll need your Greenford Google login to open this.

2) How does His Dark Materials fit the conventions of the fantasy TV genre?

Emotive, often quest-based narratives

Political narrative themes or social commentary

Iconography including magic, mystical creatures or similar

Often set in imagined worlds or time periods

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do some of the main characters in His Dark Materials fit into? 

Will=Helper

Lyra=Hero

Miss coulter=villain 

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in His Dark Materials? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

Emotive, often quest-based narratives

Political narrative themes or social commentary

Iconography including magic, mystical creatures or similar

Often set in imagined worlds or time periods 

There is a sense of mystery and suspense

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in His Dark Materials? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience? You can find reminder notes on all these narrative theories here - just scroll down to narrative. 

Will and Lyra= boy vs girl

1) How are women represented in His Dark Materials? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted? Think about Lyra and Mrs Coulter here.
I think gender stereotypes are both reinforced and subverted as Mrs Coulter is a villain in this show, whereas Lyra is the hero, and they’re trying to say that women are strong and independent

2) How are men and masculinity represented in His Dark Materials? Think about Will and Lee Scoresby here.

I think Lee Scoresby is represented in a very good way as he is the helper in Lyra story in the show so is Will

3) How is age (e.g. teenagers; adults) represented in His Dark Materials? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people? Think about Lyra and Will plus the abandoned children they meet. Also think about Mrs Coulter and other adults.

I think it reinforces stereotypes about young people, as did you abandon children are running around messing about, and I think that we Infosys stereotypes about children that the wild and crazy

4) How is race and ethnicity represented in His Dark Materials? Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted?

I think stereotypes are subverted as the witches are the protagonists in the show

5) What representations of the world can you find in the episode - is it like real life? A fantasy world? Something from the past or future? Give examples from the episode.

Representations of the world is shown here as Will and Lyra are kids who do not have people to take care of them, which is relatable to some people, whereas it is not representations of the world as the magic and supernatural factor in the show.