W6.2 The movie Pleasantville —JIA YUAN

Pleasantville: A Theatrical Awakening of the Self

Pleasantville is more than just a film about two teenagers trapped in a black-and-white 1950s sitcom—it’s a metaphorical journey of social awakening, personal identity, and constructed appearances. From a sociological perspective, the entire town of Pleasantville is a stage of “self-presentation,” as described by Erving Goffman in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. The characters, trapped in scripted roles, gradually discover individuality through color, emotion, and rebellion. Under Goffman’s framework, Pleasantville becomes a vivid illustration of how daily life is a performance governed by roles, expectations, and impression management.

1. Stage and Performance: The Perfect Town as a Theater

In Goffman’s theory, the “front stage” is where individuals perform roles that conform to social norms, while the “back stage” allows space for authentic thoughts and behaviors. The town of Pleasantville itself is the ultimate front stage—an idealized version of 1950s America where everything is clean, polite, and controlled. Characters like Betty (the mother) or George (the father) follow strict routines, rehearsed scripts, and expected gender roles.

However, once the modern teenagers David and Jennifer enter the scene and begin challenging norms, the backstage begins to reveal itself. Betty’s private moments of self-reflection, or the town’s quiet desire for books, color, and passion, represent the hidden, unspoken backstage yearning for authenticity.

2. Impression Management: Controlling Identity in a Controlled World

The core of Pleasantville’s order is impression management. The town’s citizens strive to maintain a flawless appearance—smiles, fixed routines, and clean lawns. Goffman’s idea that we “define the situation” by projecting an image others can accept is central here. George tries to present himself as the authoritative, calm father, while Betty tries to appear as the perfect housewife—even as inner change threatens to break through.

As characters begin to change (often symbolized by becoming “colored”), their old roles crumble. Betty can no longer hide her desires; she must adopt a new identity that doesn’t align with the Pleasantville script. This breakdown of impression management leads to social unrest, as the town struggles to accept performances that no longer fit its rigid mold.

3. Group Performance and the Collapse of Shared Illusions

Goffman notes that people often act as part of “performance teams,” maintaining a shared illusion. In Pleasantville, this team is the town itself, collectively maintaining the illusion of perfection. Once individuals break free from their assigned roles, the collective performance begins to crack.

The black-and-white townspeople try to resist change by banning colors, books, and art—attempting to restore the front stage illusion. But the transformation is unstoppable. As more people embrace authenticity, the performance team dissolves, and Pleasantville transitions into a new kind of stage: one where roles are self-defined rather than socially imposed.