Representaion of Age

Textual Analysis - Humans


This is a TV drama that was aired on Channel 4. The series is about our world in the future where we become dependant on these highly advanced humanoid robots called Sims. In the clip we have studied we see how an elderly person reacts to the introduction to a new version of the Sim robots. There are many different representations of age, but we are predominately shown stereotypes of an elderly character. We see the surroundings he lives in, the way he dresses and presents himself to other people.

a common stereotype associated with elderly people is that they like to live secluded from society. People often believe that this is because they ay struggle to conform with the modern and technological advances of the 21st century. This is symbolised at the start of the three minute clip, when we are introduced to some of the interior and ornaments, located inside the elderly mans house, through a panning shot. The scene is accompanied by non-diegetic sound which creates a calming and peaceful atmosphere. The room is also very dark as the main light sources come from two dim lamps in the room. There is also some daylight seeping through some blinds, but the light has very little effect. This may give the audience a dark and depressing feeling as light is often correlated with happiness and darkness is thought of as a representation of sadness, anger or any negative emotion. With the quiet piano music, the soft movement of the camera and the dimly lit room; we are shown a typical scene that we would usually associate with a mature person. This conforms to the stereotype that older people like to cut themselves off from society.