Representation

‘It is argued that in contemporary ‘postmodern’ societies our lived experience is increasingly mediated. Discuss this claim in relation to how space is represented in the Truman Show’
In studying systems of space, representation and postmodernism we first must define what each term means and then give examples (in this case scenes from the movie the Truman Show).

A postmodern society can be constructed in five ways according to Soja (2000). They are cultural integration (global), wired (networked), surveyed (watched), simulated (hyperreal) and material (consumer). The “real” world in the Truman show depicts all the elements of a postmodern society; the global city is shown by the diverse audience (different ethnics, age groups and countries like Japan) that watch the show while the production crew display an orderly and efficient system through their advanced technology (wireless headsets) which includes the multitudes of cameras in Seahaven that allow Truman to be watched at all times. The place of Seahaven is simulated therefore hyperreal and in-show advertisements are an indicator that consumption is thriving in the “real” world.

Holloway and Hubbard (2001, 145) define representation as the existence of a shared system of meaning which people draw upon in a variety of ways in order to communicate meanings. These are further categorized by Hall (1997) into three different ways: Mimetic, Intentional and Constructivist.

The mimetic way theorizes that the meaning lies within what one is representing. There are no underlying meanings, only what is depicted. This view does not further explore the author’s representation in depth and is therefore simplistic like the intentional way which relies on the language (i.e. words, pictures and sounds) ability of the author in order to communicate meaning as it does not address the different meanings that can be taken from one representation.

The constructivist way treats meanings as culturally constructed. A representation of something can mean different things to different types (class, sex, age, race) of people. This way stipulates that meaning is produced by communication rather than through it. Hence, the world of symbols is separated from the material/immaterial one to which they refer to. I will be focusing on this particular way in representations of the film.

Henri Lefebvre (1974) sees spaces as lived experiences. They are a product of how we think about and understand space and how we routinely use it. This becomes the conscious experience of space, how it is understood and made use of.

In the Truman show, we see two different kinds of space with contrasting comparisons: the simulated world of Truman and the “real” world where people watch Truman. Seahaven is a suburban area while the “real” world depicts people living in a city. The inhabitants of Seahaven have individual personalities that make them stand out from each other; the “real” world is a sea of endless faces. From the constructivist way we see that the representations of people and places, moral and immoral, desirable and disgusting, good and bad, affect the ways in which the places and people being represented are related to (Sibley, 1995). This includes the false perceptions created by people and places, in this case Seahaven.

The suburban town of Seahaven depicts the “traditional” homes of the 50s/60s. The architecture of the houses, the white picket fences, well trimmed lawn and conservative fashion styles give the image of nostalgia; an impression that everything seemed simple and decent in the past. The actors in the show are perpetually happy, offering virtually no signs of negative displays while a musical score plays in the background to convey Truman’s emotions. The meanings associated with such a depiction are that such spaces were serene, economically stable and positive examples of morality, in short, the perfect place to live. These “traditional” homes give viewers the impression and understanding that places and values such as these once existed in the past. When Truman goes about his daily routine (talking to the mirror, greeting the neighbors) the viewers see him using the different spaces in Seahaven and therefore they consciously experience the place (and time) of Seahaven through the eyes of Truman.

Foucault (1981) said that knowledge is produced through discourse; a general way of talking about, thinking about, or representing something. Discourse is specific to particular times and spaces and it is related to practice (what people actually do). In the Truman show the audience talk about Truman as if they know what he is experiencing. By acknowledging the simulated space and timeline of Seahaven (which is imbued with certain moral values) they negotiate the triumphs and downfalls of Truman based on their perceived understanding of the time period and how Truman uses his spaces (i.e. The docks with his best friend or the phobia of large bodies of water).

Mingay (1989) talks about the rural idyll: A myth that depicts rural landscapes as timeless. There is emphasis on traditional family/community values, harmonious relations between nature and culture, the absence of social problems and fostering of good physical, spiritual and moral health. Filmmakers tend to show such spaces in this form/time because of selective nostalgia, ignoring that places in that time had their share of problems (i.e. racism).

While in the “real” world, the city depicted as the antithesis of Truman’s world. It is dystopian compared to Seahavens utopia. Human interaction is minimal and the only conversations the people have are about the show; how they feel about it, the theories of Truman’s character, their personal video collection of the show and so on. There is no eye contact with each other, everyone is staring at only one direction and that’s towards the television. There is no depiction of an open sky; people are holed up in rooms (i.e. pubs, homes, parking lots) and it gives a feeling of claustrophobia (a symbol of being a prisoner of television perhaps). There is no soundtrack playing in the background, only static noise. The “real” world is thus depicted as impersonal and its people voyeuristic. Their lives are centered around the Truman show. This might represent the need for the audience to escape from their seemingly desolate lives, to have hope that there is something good out there in a bad world. This is how our contemporary ‘postmodern’ society is depicted, our lives being mediated by a screen and having our communication based on the content that is displayed.

References:
Foucault, Michel (1981) The History of Sexuality, Harmondsworth, Penguin

Hall, Stuart (1997) The work of representation in Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, London Sage

Holloway, Lewis & Phil Hubbard (2001) People and Place: the extraordinary geographies of everyday life, Pearson Education

Lefebvre, Henri (1974) La production de l’espace (The Production of Space), Wiley-Blackwell

Mingay, Gordon (1989) The Rural Idyll, London, Routledge

Sibley, David (1995) Geographies of Exclusion. Society and Difference in the West, Routledge

Soja, Edward (2000) Postmetropolis: Critical Studies of Cities and Regions, Oxford