Long, Long Time : An Examination of Identity and Status Connected to Scenography in the Tv-Series The Last of Us (2023)

Sammanfattning: This study examines cinematic storytelling by looking at screenshots from episode three of the tv-series The Last of Us (2023). The purpose is to illustrate how scenography in the chosen material can represent meaningful concepts about the main character's identity and statues. The study examines how scenography in the character Bill's home can be seen as identity markers based on Pierre Bourdieu's capital theory. The study further uses Petter Skult to contextualize the world and zombie genre in which the tv-series takes place. Through a qualitative visual analysis the screenshots are described and analyzed in relation to Bourdieu's ideas about economic and cultural capital. The results suggest that Bill's status has increased both in terms of economic and cultural capital in the context of a unraveling zombie apocalypse. Scenography in Bill’s home further suggests his contradictive identity as both tough survivalist and cultural connoisseur. His home in an idyllic small-town neighborhood further suggests his identity as a symbol for American patriotism. The result is lastly followed by a discussion about class and xenophobia.