Barthes' 5 and Levi Strauss's Binarry Opposites (What We Do In The Shadows S1E01)

 

What We Do In The Shadows S1E01

Levi Strauss’s theory of Binary Opposites

1 Servant v Master (Master wins?)

In the first episode, we see the dynamic between the vampires and their familiars which creates a servant v master situation where Guillermo has been working hard in order to impress his vampire masters. Guillermo hopes he can get something out of the situation as he wants to become a vampire himself. In the end, all was in vain as his wishes are unfulfilled because Nandor forgets that it is his 10 year anniversary of becoming his familiar - He also receives no consolation for this.

2 Illusion v Reality

The vampires were seen to be living in a world of illusion. This is especially evident in Baron Afanas who is so disconnected with reality that he thinks that Staten Island is the throne to the New World. Another person who was affected by this is Nadja, who believes that a random man is the reincarnation of Gregor and also expects him to retain memories from the mediaeval period

3 Human v Vampire

It may seem like that vampires have a superiority complex over humans, causings them to treat them as mere servants, food or objects. An example is Lazslo and Nadja deciding to outright murder someone on the streets. Another example is Nandor saying “Vampires only laugh”. Perhaps another example could be the discrimination against the most human vampire - Colin Robinson.

Barthes’ 5 Narrative Codes

Hermeneutic

• Mansion intro with mandolin playing in the background

• What do the vampires look like?

• What's inside the letter?

• Who is Baron Afanas?

• What will Baron Afanas and the vampires do to conquer Staten Island?

Semantic

• Almost-human family dynamic, like a father with 2 hard to control children

• Gregor’s “reincarnation”

Symbolic

• Baron Afanas: He becomes a symbol of the evil in vampires as he is associated with conquest

• Nandor’s glitter obsession may become a symbol of ignorance

• “Vampire only ___” as a symbol of superiority that vampires feel

Cultural

• Western romance dynamics

• Vampire costumes being stereotypical

• LARPing

Proairetic

• Vampire Waking

• Capture and murder of “virgins”

• Sudden murder of a man in the park

• Opening the letter

• Waking Baron Afanas

• Going Shopping