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Shaun of the Dead (a product of their environment)


The Product of their environment

One way in which the Characters of the film are a product of their environment is the theme of pub vs restaurant that is present throughout the whole movie and is a divider between Liz and Shaun. Liz has overall more middleclass views, believing that she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life spending everyday down at the pub, presenting the overall idea that Restaurants are better, and the more “grown up” (lamer) option. We can assume that, like the majority of characters within the film, Liz had a middle-class upbringing, therefore her views on restaurant over pub are probably a product of her upbringing, after her parents own relationship. Her whole aim is to try and turn Shaun into a middle-class adult, and to her, the only way to truly be an adult is to be a middle-class adult, she doesn’t consider the life that Shaun is living as an adult life.

Another way we see the middle-class ideals of the film is through Shaun’s friend, Yvonne, who has a few brief conversations, the first conversation between them, she tells Shaun that she has bought a house (can’t relate though, my generation will never be able to afford housing) , this is another typical ideology in middle class London. The idea that renting a house isn’t as valid as renting a home, and you need to be a homeowner to be an adult. Shaun shows shock that someone his age is buying a home. Shaun is also raised middle-class; however, I think so of the reasons his views differ from the rest of the middle-class characters within the play is because of his surroundings. One of the only characters that we can assume isn’t middle class is Ed, Shaun’s best and (from what we can tell) only friend, who clearly has a big influence on Shaun, for example when Shaun forgets to book the restaurant for Liz and his anniversary, Ed persuades him to suggest the Winchester to him, showing that he is a representation of the working class, and Liz is the representation of the middle-class society. He clearly spends a large amount of time around Ed; therefore, his views have been changed, and no longer follow the traditional path of his upbringing.

Another way the characters are a product of their environment is the place they live in. From the very beginning of the movie the mise en scene makes it pretty clear that they don’t live in the poor part of London. One of the first scenes makes it clear to us through the use of panning camera to show the setting of the movie. The movie continues to use the mise en scene to demonstrate the class system and its effects on our characters. Another good example is the difference between Shaun and Eds apartment, and Liz, Davs and Diane’s apartment. Davs and Diane are the direct antithesis to Ed, while Ed represents the working class, Shaun is in the middle but leaning more toward working class ideals, Liz is also in the middle, but leaning towards Middle class ideals, Davs and Diane represent the upper middle class, who want Shaun to change who he is to better fit their ideals, this is shown through the use of their apartment,  as it clearly represents their middle class ideals, with things like art work (that isn’t even that good) up on the walls, and an overall tidier (uptight) appearance.

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