Stereotypes are human nature and can never be avoided
completely. However, stereotypes about Northern England and
Northerners seem to be particularly deep-rooted and longlasting.
There is general agreement that they date from the 18th
and 19th century when Northern England was the starting point
of the Industrial Revolution (Jewell 2). “When we speak of
stereotyped characters we are dealing, in particular, with […]
traditions deriving from the effects of the Industrial Revolution”
(Morris 9). The stereotypical “Northerners” are working-class
people, not well educated, and their lives are full of struggle and
conflict. According to many preconceptions a male Northerner
is unhealthy, badly dressed and frank about sex. Further cliché
attributes are pragmatic, direct and even rude, but also downto-
earth, passionate and heartily. Northerners feel alienated
from the government in the “centre” London and distinguish
between “us” and “them” which creates to a strong sense of
community.
In today’s pop culture these stereotypes are
predominantly media-transmitted. By using a certain mode of
presenting Northern English reality and its inhabitants
stereotypes are rather reinforced than replaced in the media.
Hence, there is a specific pattern used to reinforce stereotypes
about Northern England and Northerners in films such as in the
film “Brassed off”. The most striking features that intensify these
clichés in “Brassed off” are setting, language, protagonists and
4
topics. All these characteristics can be found in the scene when
the Grimley Colliery Band practices Rodrigo’s “Concierto de
Aranjuez”; thus this scene reinforces stereotypes about
Northern England to a large extent.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Setting in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”
3. Language in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”
4. Protagonists in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”
5. Topics in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This work examines how stereotypes regarding Northern England and its inhabitants are constructed and reinforced in modern media, specifically through the film "Brassed Off". The research investigates how a single, iconic scene serves to perpetuate deep-rooted clichés concerning Northern identity, social struggle, and class divide.
- Analysis of media-transmitted stereotypes about Northern England.
- Examination of setting, language, characterization, and themes as narrative devices.
- Evaluation of the North-South divide in socio-economic and political contexts.
- Role of music as an evocative tool for cultural and emotional expression.
- Interplay between historical reality and cinematic representation.
Excerpt from the Book
Setting in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”
The named sequence is set in the rehearsal room of a brass band in a coal mining village called Grimley. Grimley is a typical Yorkshire village with green and hilly landscapes as well as grey skies and rainy and stormy weather. The village is marked by the mining industry that employs all the (male) characters in the film. The village’s industrial atmosphere is accompanied with a rather bleak, dirty and dark depiction of the streets, the houses and its interiors. Moreover, Grimley is stamped from unemployment, relative poverty and a poor infrastructure. Hence, this village is exactly what people from the South of England would describe as “northern”: an industrial, proletarian, and grim social problem area. To sum it up, Grimley is a stereotypical Yorkshire village that fits perfectly into the cliché that has arisen of the industrial revolution. In other words, “any southern prejudice against the north […] is as old as the Industrial Revolution” (Jewell 4).
In the scene Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” Northerners are portrayed corresponding to their reputation. First, the miners are attending their brass band’s rehearsal. Thus, the scene’s setting is an everyday situation describing the daily life of the protagonists. Furthermore, playing brass music is a stereotypical working class activity. Therefore, the way the village and the brass band members are pictured matches the prevalent concepts of Northern England and its inhabitants.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides the theoretical foundation for the study of stereotypes and introduces the specific focus on Northern England in the context of the film "Brassed Off".
2. Setting in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”: This section analyzes how the visual environment of the mining village serves to confirm established clichés of a bleak, industrial North.
3. Language in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”: This chapter examines the usage of Northern dialect and colloquialisms, illustrating how language is linked to perceptions of class, education, and directness.
4. Protagonists in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”: The chapter explores how the characters are portrayed as embodiments of Northern working-class attributes, including their values, physical health, and social behavior.
5. Topics in the Scene “Concierto de Aranjuez” in the Film “Brassed-off”: This part addresses the broader socio-economic themes of mine closures, political conflict, and the North-South divide depicted in the narrative.
6. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that the filmic representation relies on and reinforces traditional stereotypes while suggesting the potential for more innovative portrayals.
Keywords
Northern England, Stereotypes, Brassed Off, Industrial Revolution, Working Class, Film Analysis, Social Identity, North-South Divide, Mining Community, Media Representation, Cultural Clichés, Regionalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic work?
The work investigates the construction and reinforcement of stereotypes concerning Northern England and its inhabitants as presented in contemporary pop culture, using the film "Brassed Off" as a primary case study.
Which central themes are explored throughout the text?
The primary themes include the depiction of the industrial North, the social and economic struggle of mining communities, the North-South political divide, and how language and setting contribute to characterization.
What is the primary research goal of the study?
The goal is to demonstrate how specific cinematic elements—such as setting, language, protagonists, and narrative topics—function to perpetuate well-established, potentially reductive clichés about the North of England.
Which scientific or analytical method is applied?
The work employs a qualitative film analysis method, focusing on a representative, singular sequence to deconstruct the specific narrative techniques that intensify stereotypical portrayals.
What content is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the filmic sequence into four key analytical categories: the visual setting, the use of language and dialect, the characterization of the protagonists, and the overarching thematic concerns regarding labor disputes.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Northern England, stereotypes, film analysis, working-class identity, the North-South divide, and media representation.
How does the author define the "northern" image through the setting of Grimley?
The author defines the setting as a stereotypical representation of a "northern" industrial village, characterized by its bleak, dirty landscape, poor infrastructure, and the omnipresence of the mining industry, which aligns with long-held southern prejudices.
What role does music play in the analyzed sequence?
Music is described as a source of hope, identity, and a means of escaping the grim reality of unemployment for the miners, while also providing a melancholic atmosphere that reflects the characters' current social condition.
- Quote paper
- Julia Wehner (Author), 2011, Stereotypes about Northerners are reinforced in the scene Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez in the film “Brassed Off”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/189949
