Doctor Who: Language and Representation

 

1) Choose three key moments in the episode and write an NCIS analysis for those clips. You can use your notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed references using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

An Unearthly Child scene analysis

Narrative: a mystery about where Susan lives and her being smart or not knowing anything
Character: 

Susan-subverts the stereotype of girls as submissive and weak 

Doctor-potential false hero, no sympathy, grumpy old man 

Ian- Very logical and masculine  

Barbara-Conventional fearful woman cared for Susan 

yet confused about her home address

Iconography:  T.A.R.D.I.S,metal objects, Cassette tape,schools equipment

Setting: school junkyard the TARDIS car in class  back to the stone age

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to An Unearthly Child? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: Equilibrium - Disruption - Recognition - Reparation - New equilibrium.

Equilibrium: Ian and Barbara are discussing Susan wellbeing.

Disruption: They decide to follow her home and arrive at a junkyard

Recognition: They meet the doctor acting suspiciously.

Reparation: They enter the TARDIS and find Susan who begins talking of time travel and other dimensions.

New equilibrium: The Doctor takes all of them to the past and at the end, we see an alien-looking human

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in An Unearthly Child fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.

The Hero in  is played by Ian Chesterton

 The Princess  is arguably Susan and Barbara.
The villain in the first episode is the Doctor as he kidnaps the teaches in the tardis

 the helper in this episode is Barbra but it can also be  Susan and she wants to get them out of the TARDIS and not get them killed 

4) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in An Unearthly Child? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?

Some examples of binary opposition are parent V teen . This is evident when the Doctor is seen arguing with Susan  
Representations

1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

It is reinforced when the doctor is speaking to Ian and doesn't realise the  Barbara is there 

2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

it is reinforced as women were meant to care about there children and as we see that Barbara is really worried about Susan.

3) What are common media stereotypes of young people and old people? Do any of the characters or scenarios reinforce or subvert these conventional stereotypes (consider this was 1963)? Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

children are seen to be menace and not mature in the modern day but in Dr who 11963  we can see that Susan has subverted this as she is one of the smarts in the class and she is very mature 

4) What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960s). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

The main ethnicity we see in Doctor who(1963)  is primarily white people who are most likely British. This this has changed over the years as we have more of a diverse and (blame) actors 

5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

most of the people are in the lower middle class .however when Ian went to see the  Dr Ian might though he was not as smart as him as he was a teacher and the Dr was a person who would work with scraps so when he told Ian about the TARDIS he was intrigued to find out he was talking about so he was shocked about how the DR knew about that