Eastenders is based in an area of London which is very multi-cultural. This means they have to represent different ethnicities in their soap. They represent white working class families, Asian families and Caribbean families. The particular scene I am focusing on is a Caribbean family.
In the scene the family is sitting around the table, while the granddad is telling them about what life was like for him when he was younger and first came to England.
Firstly, mise-en-scene like props is used to show how wealthy the family are. For example, wine and food show the family are living comfortably. This shows that even though black people have faced hard challenges in the past, they now have improved lives and times are changing, especially after the dialogue he uses where he talks about ‘teddy boys’ and how black people always had to face racism.
Also, the social status of the granddad shows how positively black people are portrayed in Eastenders. He is popular member of the community and owns his own shop that the rest of the characters all used. This shows that black people can be successful and popular in the community.
Editing is also used in this scene. For example, cross cutting is used as the family are talking about the granddads past. This is used to show how involved and interested the whole family are on the subject of being a black person coming to England for the first time. This positively represents black people because it shows how interested the younger generation are in what their elders had to go through, so it shows they are interested in their history.
Diagetic sound is also used in this scene to represent ethnicity. There is Caribbean playing in the background while the family is conversing. This is used to reinforce the fact to the audience that the family are Caribbean and it is showing part of their culture in a positive light because the music is upbeat and fun.
There is a predominant use of close up shots used to show the granddad. This is because it shows he is the main figure in this scene and that he is the man telling the audience about his time living in England.
More mise-en –scene, namely costume, is used to represent this Caribbean family. The granddad is wearing a buttoned shirt and a waist jacket, whereas the rest of the family who are all younger are wearing much more modern and popular clothing. The granddad’s attire shows he is a smart and well-dressed person, positively representing the older black generation as well respected people. The difference in his clothing to the rest of the family shows that event though they are the same ethnicity, the difference in their generation means they are different in the clothing they wear.
