Precious Analysis 15th November 2010

Who is represented?
Precious
Her Mum:
Her Dad/rapist:
The welfare

How are they represented? Precious is represented to be an disadvantaged, overweight teenager. Whom lives with her mother who is abusive to her verbally, physically and mentally. Precious has been sexually abused by her Father and subsequently has two children by him. She is shown to be insecure, illiterate and other negative representations. However she is represented to be a good, caring and loving Mum to her children who will go to any extents to keep them safe. In addition Precious has dreams and admires to be a model, married to a light skinned man. The idea of her wanting to be married to a light skinned man suggests that she feels that the lighter your skin colour the more successful you are.

The Mum is represented to be a big fat bully who harasses and uses her teenage daughter. She smokes in the house which is obviously not good for her Precious as a young girl, moreover because she is pregnant and there is another child in the house.
She is on benefits and she claims to the Welfare that she is looking for a job(which she is not). Moreover when the welfare people come to her house asking questions she makes out that she loves and likes Precious' baby. She creates that impression however, the audience know that this isn't true. Moreover, Precious' Mother pretends that Precious' first child lives with her, in order for her to get more money from the welfare, the fact of the matter is that the child lives with Precious' Grandmother, whom is also dependant on the welfare.

In addition although the welfare is not a person, representations are still there. The welfare is shown to be gullible, naive and soft. Because it is obvious that the Mother doesn't want to work: she has no proof of going for job interviews. Precious has no adult role models, she only has her Mother and Grandmother who are both on benefits.

Also her father has inpregnated Precious twice and then disappeared, and she is left with her benefit claiming, lazy Mother. Whom spends most of the time blaming Precious for her boyfriend leaving. In moments of pressure all Precious can do to escape is go into one of her fantasies: of being married to a light skinned man and being a model.

In which ways might the representation conform to stereotypes?
????

How does place/location contribute to the representations?
The fact that they live in the slums and poorer parts of America signifies that because they are 'black' they don't deserve to live in nice houses and areas.

How might the audience respond to this film and its representations?
The black American audience might react to the film in a pessimistic way because of the issues represented. People of the black community were disgusted at the movie, and therefore didn't want to watch it. Moreover the audience as a whole may react sympathetically to Precious as a character, because she is not responsible for the situation she is in. She has no control over her Father raping her, her mother beating and abusing her physically, mentally and verbally.
The film will be disturbing to those black people whom only have a positive view of themselves and other black people, therefore this might be another pessimistic response, because they may not want to believe it. Also the idea that Precious' Mother and Grandmother are on benefits may suggest that black people are lazy and dysfunctional.


In addition although the films main themes are abuse, pregnancy, poverty and adversity; the film also has a sense of hope that stays with you after watching the film.