Textual Analysis of Eastenders

The class being represented in this sequence is working class. Both negative and positive responses as people are portrayed differently. The character working behind the bar (Joel) seems to be hopeless at his job and is being taken advantage of by the customers behind the bar. This presents them in a negative way as Joel seems not too bright and the customers are scamming him. Another scene shows friends and family happily looking at a baby scan and then Zaynab comes across as unhappy and accuses her husband of cheating on him. Another negative representation as a a married woman does not trust her husband. The scene with Charlie and Stacey is a positive representation as he seems to be looking out for her and this shows that he cares for his family. A long shot is used here to indicate that Charlie is the knowledgeable one as he is standing over her and she is kneeling down.

The different jobs being represented are food caterers and bartenders which portrays the characters living in the EastEnd as working class. This can be a negative representation for people living in the East end as these jobs may suggest that they are uneducated. This portrayal is realistic as many people from the EastEnd have working class jobs.

The different ethnicities presented are Asian and White. This is a positive representation as it shows a multi-cultural society and this creates realism in the programme. The races are presented positively as they seem to be friends and are working together.

As a whole the community are presented in a realistic way as it shows the different sides of the characters that we as an audience can identify with.

Verisimilitude is given by the costume and surroundings of the sequence. The characters costumes suggest that they are ordinary working class people. Most of them are wearing casual clothing which indicate that they don't have as much money as high class people. The character Peggy seems to be dressed smart and her clothes seem expensive making her stand out from all the other characters. This emphasizes her importance in the programme as she is the owner of the pub where many of the characters seem to go. The characters working in the kitchen are wearing typical kitchen uniform such as hair-net and aprons. The surrounding also seems to create realism as the places shown are identified with people everyday in life. As the scene begins the two characters are near a beauticians and sari shop. These places are familiar with working class people and also portray the EastEnd as a multi cultural society, and this gives more sense of realism.

The dialogue in this sequence reveals the issues being dealt within the characters lives are based on family. Charlie is making sure Stacey knows if she is making the right decision. This is a positive and negative representation as it shows Charlie taking care of his family but also a lack of trust in Stacey. Most of the characters have Cockney accents and use casual language. Sayings such as "tell 'em where to sling it!" and words such as "mate" portray the characters in different ways. It may be a negative representation as it shows EastEnd people are not well educated but it also shows realism. Zaynab's Asian accent represents a multi-cultural society which also gives a sense of realism.

The two-shot with Jane and Masood shows that they are on the same side in the argument. Another two-shot with Peggy and Joel shows unity and how she is trying to help him. A close up is used on the box Charlie is holding revealing a doll which belonged to Stacey. This is meant to show that he cares very much for Stacey and still see's her as the little girl that the doll belonged to. An over-the-shoulder shot is used when Masood is looking at Sayeed. This is to show that Masood is focusing on Sayeed's reaction and may also show conflict building between them.