What does The Truman Show suggest about the way that groups are empowered or disempowered in our society?

The question asks you to consider groups who are empowered or disempowered within a particular society. This is not a straightforward task for The Truman Show as the film depicts a society (the “fake” society of Seahaven) within a society (the “real world” society of the American producers and audience of The Truman Show). In the small society of Seahaven, Truman has some power. He has a secure job, a family and a network of friends, neighbours and colleagues. He can choose where to go and what to do and the other characters (actors) must respond to him and his decisions. In the larger society of the “real world” of the film, Truman has less power. His options are limited by the producers and his life is shaped and manipulated for public consumption. Power shifts within both of these societies.

Identify the key conventions that were used within The Truman Show to represent different groups and reveal their power. You should consider both narrative conventions (such as setting, characterisation and plot structure) and multimodal/film conventions (such as dialogue, costumes, camera angles/distance, and symbolism).