There are many different ways in which soap opera's attempt to construct reality. Writers have to try and create a balance of realism and also entertainment so the viewer enjoys what they are watching but don't find it too over-the-top or far-fetched that they will be put off from watching it because it is too unrealistic. To do this writers of soap operas often write about taboo subjects such as murder, rape, domestic abuse and so on. These are all subjects that happen in the world we live in, so they are realistic and also interesting and intriguing to watch. Soaps constructs reality through themes, technical codes, theories of realism and characters.
Soaps can construct reality through mise-en-scene. This can be where the soap is portrayed, the characters dress or make-up and the interior design of houses, pubs etc. So for example one soap I examined was Coronation street. Because the soap is set in Manchester the setting is what people expect a typical Manchester street to look like, the streets are cobbled and it looks very old and original. Because the characters in the soap are meant to be working-class people, there costumes are very bland and not extravagant, normal clothes, what we expect normal people to wear. Although, some of the women characters who are portrayed as flirty and fun, wear quite revealing outfits which helps to support the notion that they are flirty women.The interior design of the houses are also what we expect from a normal working class family. They are very small, the furniture is not very good and they look like the typical interior design of a working class family. So mise-en-scene is crucial for soaps to construct reality because if an unrealistic setting is used for working-class families it would be hard to believe in any of the story lines or characters in the soap.
Themes, especially taboo subjects are also an important tool in constructing reality in soaps. The aim of a soap is to entertain and intrigue the viewers, but to also have enough realism so they are not ridiculous, so the themes in soaps have to be entertaining but also contain a strong sense of realism. An example of this in a soap is Eastenders. One storyline in their soap was about paedophilia, where an older man was having a secret relationship with an underage girl. So although this is interesting and entertaining to watch for the viewers it also is realistic because we know younger people are victims of this every year. It also shows that soaps are an important feature in life because it gives publicity to taboo subjects people don't want to talk about, so the audience has an insight in to these subjects and it may help victims to gain the encouragement to come forward and get help, thanks to the realistic themes.
Characters in soap operas, especially archetypal characters, are important in constructing reality in soaps.There are a variety of different characters in soaps but a lot of soaps, especially Eastenders use stereotypical characters to try to construct reality. For example in Eastenders, there are characters such as Billy Mitchell, who people living outside of the east end of London would generalize as a typical east London man because of his cockney accent, his scruffy appearance and that he is lower working class. This makes the soap seem more realistic to people who live outside of east London. Archetypal characters are also important because they add to the realism and help construct reality. This is because in many peoples lives there are usually matriarchal characters who seem to be in control of people and seem to be like a boss type. In Eastenders, Peggy Mitchell is the archetypal character as she is portrayed as a matriarch f the pub, one of the main settings in the soap.
Soaps construct reality through cinematography aswell. This consists of camera angles, lighting and editing.
