Soap operas are usually watched by women. Eastenders can be watched by families because of the wide age range. There is a moral for the children in nearly every episode. The adults can watch everyday situations and enjoy the storyline. There are also elderly people in Eastenders so elderly people can also watch this soap opera.
There is a wide range of female characters in a soap opera. There is a wide range of ages. There are young people, middle aged people and elderly people. There is usually a good looking woman and an ugly woman. There maybe women who are married and women who are single. Some women may have a good personality. They may help people and care about others. Other women may have a bad personality. They may not help anyone and may not care about anyone. The characters are either sympathetic or unsympathetic.
There are usually stock characters and stereotypes. There is usually a witch who stirs up trouble. There may also be a slut who goes around with all the men. There is a wise woman who is always willing to give you advice. Then there is a career woman whose interest is money. There is usually a teenager, a mother, single mother, pensioner, holy woman, chorus, troublemaker, peacemaker and an ethnic character. The ethnic character is to get as big as audience as possible.
In Eastenders Sarah is the witch and the slut because she is trying to break up a marriage and is causing trouble to Martin. Martin is already married to Sonya and doesn’t want to hurt her. Sonya is the caring type and doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She cares about everyone and has a good personality. The pensioner and the holy woman is Dot. The ethnic characters are Ronny Ferreira, Ash Ferreira, and Kareena Ferreira. This family is to get as wide as audience as possible. The peacemaker is Jim Branning. He always talks things over. The chorus are Minty, Billy and Jim. They always discuss about things that have happened and comment on them.
Women are portrayed as caring towards other women. When Martin started shouting at Sarah, Sonya intervened and felt sympathy towards Sarah. Men in this case were portrayed as loud and aggressive. Men and women share their feelings in bed. Women have to work hard to gain affection from men. Sonya put her arm around Martin which shows women are caring and are willing to listen to other problems.
When Sharon was talking to the graphics designer, who is her half brother felt jealous and poured milk onto the graphics designer’s laptop. Sharon immediately started getting tissues and doing her best wiping off the contents. Martin meanwhile left the room. This shows women are respectful and care about other people’s property and are willing to help fix the problem. Men are just aggressive and competitive.
Martin who is Sonya’s husband is trying to get rid of Sarah who is annoying woman who Martin once slept with. Martin forgot about the whole thing. This shows men are weak because they did not think of the future consequences. Sarah who still thinks Martin still loves him will not get out of his life. She thinks martin will leave Sonya and go with her. Martin on the other hand does not want to hurt Sonya so tells Sarah to leave him alone and get out of his life. Sarah believes that Martin will tell Sonia. She realises how hard it is for him to hurt Sonia, which is just proof to her of a what a lovely guy he is. She genuinely doesn't think that there's any problem. Finally Martin convinces Sarah to leave. She asks him to kiss her for the last time. Martin being a fool does. Martin is at the fruit stall and meets Sarah. Sarah then takes an apple and Martin thinks it is the last time he is ever going to see her. Martin is very happy when gets home but is shocked when Sarah is there.
This shows women as very seductive, clever and manipulating. The kiss was a symbol that Sarah was going to come back. Martin being a fool kissed her not knowing the consequences. The apple is a symbolic item representing Adam and Eve. Adam was naïve and ate the apple that Eve gave him. This shows Sarah was seductive. Women always give eye attention to the person they are talking to. Women are portrayed as emotional (Sarah), like to talk things out and have empathy. This means that women share the emotional pain.
