Film and TV shows analyzed in the classroom
Production Staff
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: News
One of those "good" shows, she said, is The Sopranos, a drama on HBO.
The hit series' ambiguous ending sparked conversation among viewers, causing debates and various interpretations, getting people thinking and analyzing rather than just simply watching, Giglio said.
"Shows like The Sopranos reinvigorate literature," Giglio said.
Holic agrees.
"The Sopranos' open ending is art that can be analyzed," Holic said. Did Tony die, or did life simply go on for him? The public was, and still is, torn between these possibilities.
The Awakening, a novel by Kate Chopin that has been accepted into the canon of American literature, also has an ambiguous ending. Was her death intentional? If so, why? If not, how did she die? Scholars have been debating this for years.
So if The Awakening can be studied academically, can television shows and films be studied in the classroom as well?
"A class on a TV show can definitely happen," Giglio said.
Giglio said both fictional literature and television/film question stereotypes and can cause people to think about different cultures.
For example, in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, readers meet a "colonized other," allowing readers to question stereotypes of foreigners.
In The Sopranos, viewers are familiarized with the Mafia, causing them to rethink the stereotypes associated with organized crime.
Weeds, a drama/comedy on Showtime, also offers commentary on stereotypes, specifically those of marijuana smokers and dealers, Giglio said.
"All of these shows give readers and viewers insight into the human condition," Giglio said. But although there are similarities between the print and visual mediums, there are differences between learning through viewing and learning through reading.
"On screen, students can see the characters' emotions better, especially comedy," Giglio said. "Students also have more time to pause, reflect and make connections when they are reading."
The hit series' ambiguous ending sparked conversation among viewers, causing debates and various interpretations, getting people thinking and analyzing rather than just simply watching, Giglio said.
"Shows like The Sopranos reinvigorate literature," Giglio said.
Holic agrees.
"The Sopranos' open ending is art that can be analyzed," Holic said. Did Tony die, or did life simply go on for him? The public was, and still is, torn between these possibilities.
The Awakening, a novel by Kate Chopin that has been accepted into the canon of American literature, also has an ambiguous ending. Was her death intentional? If so, why? If not, how did she die? Scholars have been debating this for years.
So if The Awakening can be studied academically, can television shows and films be studied in the classroom as well?
"A class on a TV show can definitely happen," Giglio said.
Giglio said both fictional literature and television/film question stereotypes and can cause people to think about different cultures.
For example, in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, readers meet a "colonized other," allowing readers to question stereotypes of foreigners.
In The Sopranos, viewers are familiarized with the Mafia, causing them to rethink the stereotypes associated with organized crime.
Weeds, a drama/comedy on Showtime, also offers commentary on stereotypes, specifically those of marijuana smokers and dealers, Giglio said.
"All of these shows give readers and viewers insight into the human condition," Giglio said. But although there are similarities between the print and visual mediums, there are differences between learning through viewing and learning through reading.
"On screen, students can see the characters' emotions better, especially comedy," Giglio said. "Students also have more time to pause, reflect and make connections when they are reading."