Analysis of a Scene From Brookside

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Anoop Dhaliwal

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GCSE ENGLISH- ANALYSIS OF A SCENE FROM BROOKSIDE

I intend to discuss the issue of euthanasia in terms of how the subject is reflected in soaps such as Brookside. Firstly, I shall explain what the term Euthanasia means. I will then go on to debate why soaps deal with contentious topics such as Euthanasia.

According to the dictionary the term Euthanasia refers to a painless death, as administered to avoid suffering by incurable disease. In other words, to help someone to die to stop them suffering unnecessarily.

I believe soaps deal with contentious issues such as Euthanasia, for a number of reasons, firstly to create a dramatic storyline so they can attract a larger audience. Although it is illegal to perform Euthanasia in the United Kingdom, the media industry tries to compete for audiences and ratings with other soaps. Secondly, to raise awareness and to introduce an unbiased view about Euthanasia so that people can discuss with others their thoughts on the topic in the real world.

I will now go on to discuss how the issue affects characters in Brookside. I shall start by conveying what has occurred in the scene and previous episodes related to this scene/episode, In the soap, the characters Elaine and Mick are married. Elaine's mother Gladys is very ill and is diagnosed with cancer and bedridden. She had previously tried to commit suicide but this was in vain as Mick and Elaine found out what she was planning to do and intervened. One night Mick and Elaine had just entered Gladys's room and were shocked to find that she had a pillow over her face and that she was trying to suffocate herself. Elaine tried to stop her from taking her own life, but Gladys firmly holds Elaine's hand on top of the pillow. Mick tries to pull the pillow off Gladys's head, however instead of pulling it off he applies extra pressure to the pillow and suffocates Gladys. Then we realise he has committed Euthanasia not an act of murder.
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I think the aims of the programme makers were to make the issue look as realistic as possible as if it was occurring in real life. To do this they have to set the scene using the main features i.e. cameras, lighting, editing, dialogue, costume, action.

I will now go on to analyse the scene.

The editing is quite talented, it builds up a sense of anxiety within each shot and within the character. This is done by editing the shots so that they are only a few seconds long this single-handedly builds up the drama. ...

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