Shaun of the Dead- Social background
In the movie the protagonist Shaun and his girlfriend-exgirlfriend-girlfriend Liz, both of them are very influenced by their surrounding and social environment which during the narrative changes and they find the gold middle for their relationship to work. At the beginning Liz is the type with high expectations of upper-middle class and overall is just more ambitious than Shaun indeed and as in the opening scene she says she wants to go somewhere like some nice restaurants instead of pubs, do something exciting like go on a holiday or visit some places and have better life than this as it's under her standards and mainly as she mentions she wants to spend time with him alone. She is influenced by her friends Diane and Davs who also suggest them to go to the theatre or visit some buildings same as them two do, and so Diane and Davs are a representatives of the upper-middle class. However, Shaun sees it from a different point of view as his main influence is his friend Ed who drags him down and all he does is playing games, being home, unemployed and just has so boring life. Shaun is the one who is inmatured for a serious relationship and he screws up many things such as when he promised he will reserve a table at some restaurant but he forgets and then comes to apologise to Liz and gives her flowers which were supposed to be for his mother. This also causes Liz to break up with him.
We can also notice this difference at their workplaces. Shaun works as an assistant manager at electrical shop and is referred to "senior staff member" yet still doesn't have any respect from his younger co-workers and they do all the same job. He argues that he still has plans for his future and his co-worker answers "when?" which refers to him being still waiting for something to happen but doesn't realise he's already not the youngest and he has to do something for it. His problem is that he is just lazy and unmotivated to have new fresh start to the life. We are told that Liz works as an english teacher which is still more reputable than Shaun's job and she might be still trying to get on some higher workplace position and is more ambitious in this case. Here are showed the differences in their willingness to work and different classes.
When we meet Shaun's mother we can tell that she fits into that middle class category. Her house looks nice and also the way she behaves to problems and other things hints this category. However Shaun lives different life than is mother so at the beginning he is not a product of his environment but then slowly changes many things. He might also reject this life due to his step-father with who he doesn't have good relationship because this life would remind him of his step-dad and mother's life. Shaun seems to grow up and change since he fixes his relationship with step-father which looks as a good step to accept some things and mature and then when he decides to lead the "group", he sacrifices himself to avert the zombies from his friends, Liz and mum and then managing to come back to them to the Winchester. Liz also changes during this surviving process and becomes more acceptable with things and makes compromises. Also in the last scenes when the apocalypse is over the mise-en-scene of Shaun's house reveals some changes and clear compromises in their conversation about what are they going to go as well as the image of their house.
So at the beginning Shaun and Liz were product of their environment as they had some extreme expectations based on their surroundings and friends however as the movie continues and some things clarify they both find the good way together and end up in the middle class at the end.
In the movie the protagonist Shaun and his girlfriend-exgirlfriend-girlfriend Liz, both of them are very influenced by their surrounding and social environment which during the narrative changes and they find the gold middle for their relationship to work. At the beginning Liz is the type with high expectations of upper-middle class and overall is just more ambitious than Shaun indeed and as in the opening scene she says she wants to go somewhere like some nice restaurants instead of pubs, do something exciting like go on a holiday or visit some places and have better life than this as it's under her standards and mainly as she mentions she wants to spend time with him alone. She is influenced by her friends Diane and Davs who also suggest them to go to the theatre or visit some buildings same as them two do, and so Diane and Davs are a representatives of the upper-middle class. However, Shaun sees it from a different point of view as his main influence is his friend Ed who drags him down and all he does is playing games, being home, unemployed and just has so boring life. Shaun is the one who is inmatured for a serious relationship and he screws up many things such as when he promised he will reserve a table at some restaurant but he forgets and then comes to apologise to Liz and gives her flowers which were supposed to be for his mother. This also causes Liz to break up with him.
We can also notice this difference at their workplaces. Shaun works as an assistant manager at electrical shop and is referred to "senior staff member" yet still doesn't have any respect from his younger co-workers and they do all the same job. He argues that he still has plans for his future and his co-worker answers "when?" which refers to him being still waiting for something to happen but doesn't realise he's already not the youngest and he has to do something for it. His problem is that he is just lazy and unmotivated to have new fresh start to the life. We are told that Liz works as an english teacher which is still more reputable than Shaun's job and she might be still trying to get on some higher workplace position and is more ambitious in this case. Here are showed the differences in their willingness to work and different classes.
When we meet Shaun's mother we can tell that she fits into that middle class category. Her house looks nice and also the way she behaves to problems and other things hints this category. However Shaun lives different life than is mother so at the beginning he is not a product of his environment but then slowly changes many things. He might also reject this life due to his step-father with who he doesn't have good relationship because this life would remind him of his step-dad and mother's life. Shaun seems to grow up and change since he fixes his relationship with step-father which looks as a good step to accept some things and mature and then when he decides to lead the "group", he sacrifices himself to avert the zombies from his friends, Liz and mum and then managing to come back to them to the Winchester. Liz also changes during this surviving process and becomes more acceptable with things and makes compromises. Also in the last scenes when the apocalypse is over the mise-en-scene of Shaun's house reveals some changes and clear compromises in their conversation about what are they going to go as well as the image of their house.
So at the beginning Shaun and Liz were product of their environment as they had some extreme expectations based on their surroundings and friends however as the movie continues and some things clarify they both find the good way together and end up in the middle class at the end.
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