Representation

After learning about representation in the media in class, I would like to discuss some representational patterns in one of my favorite tv shows, The Walking Dead. I would like to discuss two major characters, Daryl Dixon and Michonne. 

Firstly, Daryl Dixon is introduced in the show as a red neck from the Appalachian region of Georgia and they include some very common stereotypes in the development of his character since the beginning. For example, in the first season of the show, they make Daryl and his brother Merle very racist towards the other characters. They also include in the story that the brothers were both abused physically by their father. They make it a point throughout the show to include numerous times that Daryl didn't grow up with fancy things, and that he actually had a very rough childhood. These traits are shown at the beginning of the show by selection, which is creating a very negative view of people who grew up similarly. He and his brother seem othering compared to the rest of the characters, as he is fundamentally based on stereotypes. It wasn't until the character became more popular that the writers of the show began to take his character to another direction and actually develop him to a deeper level.

As the show continues, his character is shown to be a lot more caring and loyal to his friends despite it being a zombie apocalypse. He becomes selfless and very accepting towards people who are also prejudiced. He becomes friends with members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of many different kind of ethnicities and races which was what his character was completely against at the beginning of the show. This could be due to majority rule. The character in general wasn't supposed to last a long time, considering his harsh views weren't very liked by most people, but because audiences wanted to see how his story and relationship with others developed, they dedicated a part of the storyline to illustrate his importance to he main character Rick Grimes, and to all the other survivors.

Another example of this is the character Michonne. Michonne joins the show in the third season, so relationships have already been formed and the fans have already created strong opinions on the characters that they like and dislike. Michonne is a black woman and the show definitely plays into the "angry and strong" stereotype at the beginning. Because of this, a lot of fans of the show actually didn't like the character. The writers of the show definitely used selection to only show select traits that Michonne had for the beginning of her storyline. Because of this, it influenced the fans to not like her and think that she was trying to take over their beloved fan favorite characters. 

However later in the show, Michonne is shown to be thoughtful and like a mother figure to Carl Grimes and eventually ends up with Rick Grimes. She becomes a powerful heroine and not just because of her strength and courage, but also because of her kindness and loyalty. In the end, she becomes a fan favorite and even gets a spin off made on her because of her popularity.