Theme Of Rebellion In Pleasantville

Decent Essays
As Jennifer shakes up the town, rebellion becomes prevalent for the first time in Pleasantville. This is shown particularly in the scene where the soda shop is destroyed. Through the use of slow motion shots from below, Gary Ross is able to show the intense revolt that change bought to Pleasantville, as well as the hatred that ‘black and white’ citizens have for any presence of colour. The town becomes a wasteland, a place of negativity, discrimination and excess control. Rebellion is also present with the introduction of sex, largely due to Jennifer’s effect on the teenagers of the town. The older, conservative citizens generally want things back to normal.

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham’s Righteous Discontent chapters and Jacqueline Jones’ Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow chapters each share themes about gender and the role of black women. In chapter two of Righteous Discontent, Higginbotham discusses how women entered the education system and how women became more than just mothers but were teachers and nurses as well. According to Higginbotham, the illiteracy rate among Southern African Americans was 95 percent (19). Eventually, though, both black men and women were allowed to go to school – women’s education was the main focus in this chapter, however. African American women were embraced by the education system because many church leaders believed that women should be more than just housewives…

    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shay’s Rebellion made a big change in history. The question, do you believe in the actions of members Shay’s Rebellion or do you think their actions went too far? Well, Shay’s Rebellion would have been simple if the government did what the people wanted. But, they didn't, so that led to some trouble. In the school textbook on page 195 it states that “American farmers suffered because they could not sell their goods.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Was the Battle of Point Pleasant the Fist real battle of the Revolutionary War? In the late 1700s this lovely land of ours that we now call Point Pleasant, West Virginia was still being explored. This area was luxurious hunting ground for the many Native American tribes that resided in the area. Point Pleasant was a wonderful place for recourses that the Shawnees needed, such as the river. the river in its self provided food, water, and transportation.…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Battle of Gaines’s Mill, also known as The Battle of Savage's Station, or Battle of Chickahominy River, is considered the second bloodiest battle in the American history, even though it only lasted for two hours. The Battle of Gaines’s Mill ended up with 15,500 casualties in total , the union with, approximately, 6,800 casualties and the confederate with 8,700 casualties. This picture was taken three days after the Battle of Gaines’ Mill. It shows injured soldiers that are still receiving medical attention in a field hospital. The Union used this house, the Garthright family house, as a field hospital while the family was hiding in the basement.…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831 led first to shock and horror at the events that had happened, realization of the slaves’ ability and willingness to revolt, and finally a crackdown on the rights of slaves in the hope of preventing another massacre. As shown through document A, a lithograph illustration printed in 1831 of a slave revolt, the whites were absolutely horrified by the violence of the Nat Turner Rebellion. For example, the lithograph depicts a mother shielding her child from a slave wielding a weapon, begging him not to hurt her son. Moreover, document C, a letter from Lt. Robert E. Lee, portrays the whites’ shock and disbelief of the occurrence of the Rebellion.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Nathaniel “Nat Turner” was a black American slave who led the only effective, sustained slave rebellion (August 1831) in U.S. History. His action set off a big wave of oppressive legislation prohibiting the education, movement. Nat was born on the Virginia plantation of Benjamin Turner, who had instructed in reading, writing, and religion. He had been sold three times in his childhood. Nat had became a preacher.…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Andersonville

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    From 1864 to 1865 Andersonville, GA was the site of a huge military prison for the confederacy. It was officially called Camp Sumter and was highly known for its horrible conditions and high death rate. In History.com’s article “Andersonville” it says, “In all, approximately 13,000 Union prisoners perished at Andersonville, and following the war its commander, Captain Henry Wirz (1823-65), was tried, convicted and executed for war crimes.” This camp was highly feared and the conditions in which the prisoners were held were definitely horrible to say the least. It was not a place you wanted to be at all.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The question of Shays rebellion being rebels or freedom fighters is a highly debated topic in US history. Although some people may think that they were reckless rebels, nevertheless they were just trying to be heard, and they were freedom fighters with a good cause trying to keep what was theirs, because the government was giving them unlawful punishment if they couldn’t pay their taxes, the government wasted their money on vanity, and lastly the farmers fought back in big ways that may have seemed reckless, and rebel-like, but they were just trying to be heard. The government gave the farmers unfair, and unlawful punishment, that the farmers couldn’t do anything about. According to Daniel Gray, the government didn’t give the people any chance…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pleasantville is a comedy, produced in 1998, a time of controversial change in America. The movie portrays how idealistic American day life is different from life now and provides hope for those who believe America has passed a time of accepting society. The movie is about David, played as Toby Maguire, a nerdy high school student and Jennifer, played as Reece Witherspoon, David’s popular skanky sister. The siblings are transported into the fictional ideal or ‘pleasant’ 1950’s black and white sitcom, Pleasantville and must fulfil the roles of Bud and Mary Sue Parker. Both teenagers desperately wish to be back at home, but as they begin to blend in with their new surroundings, their knowledge brings revitalising changes.…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In society, individual’s tend to change their perspective based on others. Having personal desires can influence others but shouldn’t affect their behaviour to change for society’s expectations. In the film, Pleasantville, the director, Gary Ross, develops the idea that having a personal desire can lead to changing one’s perspective. Jennifer was a leader in and outside of Pleasantville, but known for different things.…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the movie Pleasantville, the reality show shows how people is really outdated how after they had kids, they use to sleep in different beds. How the old days wife just stay at home cleaning, they had not rights to speak up. Wife always had to make the food for the husband and the kids. Those ideas of the husband going to work and have a perfect life. Men always wanted a wife that clean and do not have the right to work or give her opinion or say like I’m tired and let’s eat out.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Why Is Big Bob So Angry

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Pages

    He turns in colour at the court scene when David makes him angry in front of the people. The Mayor runs out of the court with humiliation when he realises that he was wrong all the time. After that event, all of Pleasantville…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. Explain what pushed the colonists from protest to rebellion. Many factors had pushed the colonists from protest to rebellion. It started from the Proclamation of 1763 were it limited the British settlements to the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains and since many colonists had already moved to the western side, they were required to move back to the east.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jennifer In Pleasantville

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Before David was transported to Pleasantville, he would watch the TV show every night. Jennifer begins to panic when she realizes that she is not as familiar with the environment as David is and that she does not fit in. Jennifer notices that the boys are far more innocent than the boys from her home and the girls all have the same, perfect, attitudes and lifestyles. When Jennifer first introduces color that’s when she realizes that Pleasantville is not such a bad place to thrive after all. At the end of the movie Jennifer decides to stay in Pleasantville and go to college and David returns to home.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social changes are reoccurring changes within society that cause change in perceptions, attitudes and actions of individuals. Social changes can be seen as positive and negative depending on how it influenced the behaviour of society. Pleasantville shows many changes that are evident to the behaviour of the citizens in the film. Part A: Identifying Change Women's role at Home During the 1950's, women were expected to stay at home and complete various tasks such as chores, cleaning, cooking. It was also their responsibility to raise and take care of their children.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays