Semiotics practice text 1: Monarch of the Glen

clip on YouTube
I'll add fuller notes to an additional blog on representation of gender later (a link will shortly appear in the list of blogs on this blog!), but some brief notes on the January 2009 exam (for which you've got a sample essay and examiner's comments) for now...
The area of Representation highlighted was age, and we saw how the text presented a fairly conventional representation of this, with binary oppositions formed in terms of clothing and appearance; speech; ir/responsibility; and power and authority. We could also see how this representation was woven in with aspects of gender, regional identity, and social class and status in particular. So long as you keep your focus on the specified area of representation, it is good technique to draw in points on other areas too.

We should also consider which common aspects of representation of young people in particular were not employed in this drama - always consider the choices rejected!!! Strictly speaking we had a teen engaged in crime - driving without a license (or insurance?! the show appears to conveniently overlook this, lacking some verisimilitude [realism] in doing so?) BUT was this really the teen tearaway, the thug/hoodie/yob, of so many tabloid headlines and repeated moral panics? Was this the sexually promiscuous female teen destined to be a young single mother, another favourite tabloid stereotype?

The narrative was centred on the teen female protagonist, Amy. Using Todorov's narrative model, the clip begins at the equilibrium stage, with some hints at the disruption, or dis-equilibrium, to come signified through Amy's muttering to herself (diegetic sound is used here) about the order of clutch/brakes and the young lad, in medium shot, staring after her with some concern evident in his gaze.
The two-shots of Ewan and Amy, and his later outburst of "you're only 16!" both signify a romantic, perhaps even sexual relationship between the two. [remember, you should only comment on and assess what you actually get presented with; even if you know how a drama develops, forget this, and stick to the clip you see!!!] It is noticeable though that Amy is not presented in a particulalrly sexual way; her clothing is not revealing, the white top perhaps being used to connote innocence or purity. Her immaturity is further anchored by the inclusion of teddy bears within the mise-en-scene of her bedroom, as well as the stereotypically 'girly' pink, swirly lettering - complete with love hearts!
The audience should be left in no doubt as to the nature of Amy as an immature - but (stereo)typical - teen female when she bursts out at Paul, the adult male who is represented as the 'natural' figure of authority (reflecting representation not only of age but also of gender), "I hate you!", waving her arms and literally flouncing off in a huff! (Thus providing anchorage for the preferred reading, striving to avoid polysemy [polysemy = multiple possible meanings, leaving the text open to interpretation])
The point about the 'natural' difference in power between the age groups can be further demonstrated if we apply the commutation test here.If Paul had yelled at the older female character, who is strongly differentiated from Amy (set up as her binary opposite, though both are linked in gendered terms through their emotional nature) in terms of clothing [you should provide precise denotation here by the way!!!], voice and behaviour, as well as physically grabbing her by the arm and pulling her, as an audience we would be quite shocked and judge Paul in very negative terms. As Amy is 'just' a child, the preferred reading is not that Paul is some violent thug! There is clearly the potential for a negotiated or even oppositional reading here, but Amy's act of running away denotes her childishness and lack of responsibility, and Paul's actions are intended to be viewed as a 'natural' expression of a concerned adult authority figure responding to a naughty child.
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More to follow, looking in particular at how we can analyse the use of editing, taking in: match-on-action; shot-reverse shot; 180 degree rule and 30 degree rule; narrative enigma; ellipsis...