Bud Parker /David: David from present day becomes Bud in Pleasantville .

He is Jennifer/Mary Sue’s twin brother.

Mary Sue /Jennifer: Jennifer from present day becomes Mary Sue in Pleasantville.

George Jenkins:  Bud and Mary’s father in Pleasantville

Betty Jenkins: Bud and Mary’s mother in Pleasantville

Mr. Bill Johnson: Owner of the soda shop

Skip Martin: Mary Sue’s boyfriend in Pleasantville captain of basketball team.

Peggy Jane, Lisa Jane, Betty Jane all friends of Mary Sue in movie

Margaret Henderson: Whitey’s girlfriend in Pleasantville who becomes Bud’s girlfriend

The Mayor of Pleasantville Town leader , head of chamber of commerce

Alienation: a sense of separation, of not belonging, of being estranged. Includes the idea that one has little control over the social world. Alienation of self is overcome through and denoted by becoming 'colored'.

Ascribed role or status: A role or status assigned according to hereditary traits without regard to individual preference, ability, or performance. These roles shape the characters of Bud/David Mary Sue/Jennifer.

Achieved role or status: a role or status attained through individual choice, effort, action, or accomplishment. Those status roles earned by work or other merit. Jennifer has achieved role of social popularity was afraid it was in jeopardy when leaving it behind.

Authority: Who had Traditional Authority? ....legal-rational?    ....charismatic?

Clique: a small group of intimates with intense in-group feelings based on common sentiments and interests. This group type defined the girlfriends of Jennifer/Mary Sue in each of the different high school scenes (past and present).

Cultural diffusion: the process by which the characteristics of one culture are adopted by members of another culture. This occurred among the teenagers when David and Jennifer came to Pleasantville.

Culture lag: a dislocation or imbalance due to the material culture changing more rapidly than the nonmaterial culture.

Definition of the situation: The first step in the construction of social reality is to define (collectively) what kind of social event is going to be produced. The definition must be shared, or at least not challenged, by all present. This shared definition is accomplished by symbolic interaction.

Dramaturgical analysis: viewing human interaction as theatrical performances. People are seen as actors, their clothing of the senses were liberated in the movie ? and by whom ?

Emancipation of the Senses: In Marxian Theory, part of emancipation is emancipation of the senses: thinking for oneself; acting on one's sexuality as a subject rather than the object of another [male] person; enjoying new food tastes, new and lively music, actively creating new forms of art, literature and poetry.
Each person in Pleasantville becomes colored as one or more senses is emancipated.   Watch for whose sense(s) is liberated; watch to see which sense and how it is liberated in the movie.

False Consciousness: The inability to identify and act on one's own human interests. Marx's assumption was that the class controlling the means of production controlled the production of ideas. The ruling class produce and distribute ideas which justify its own existence.  What were the ruling ideas in Pleasantville?  How were the ruling ideas in Pleasantville produced?  How were the ruling ideas subverted?

Gender Division of Labor: What scenes supported and which scenes subverted the gender div/labor?

Impression management : All social reality requires the management of impressions...most of the time, the impressions given off by others in a social occasions are appropriate to the definition of the situation: sometimes there is a sociology of fraud in which people only act like they are 'there' sociologically...this is when the sociology of fraud begins.  Is there fraudulent impression management by women, children or men?

Looking-glass self: perception of the self that one forms by interpreting the reactions of others to him. This was noticeable in Bud’s reaction to the teenagers in the soda shop who by giving him a new respect and attention empowered him.

Non-person: Who was treated as non-person?  ...by whom were they treated?

Power: Change in color usually denotes change in some kind of power: social, moral or economic...watch for such changes.

Rite of passage: any ritual which marks movement from one status to another. Bud thought his trip to Lover’s Lane with Margaret Henderson was going to mean this to him...did it?  Why or why not?

Role set: All those status roles in a given group or occasion. Notice the role sets of Betty Jenkins, and Mary Sue and how they transformed in the movie.

Revolution: a relatively sudden usually violent change and relatively complete change in a social system. The stage was being set for the revolution that broke out at the end...what was the revolution? What triggered it?  Who lead it?

Stigma: a physical feature treated as degrading of the persons who have it...What was stigma based upon in the movie? How was stigma distinguished in the movie?

Species Being: This term means about the same as human being. The idea is that people do not automatically realize their being as a human species but rather have the potential to become human if they work hard at it. What did it take Mr. Johnson to recognize his "human side" ?  What did it take for Betty Jenkins ? For Mary Sue Jenkins ?

Segregation: Separation of two or more groups based on a desire to avoid equal-status social contact. Look for scenes in the movie for this - along what lines does it exist ? Look at gender, class, age segregation?

Sociology of fraud: The deliberate attempt to create the impression of a social relationship for purposes of private gain. The creation of social reality requires trust, faith, belief and innocence. Who was practicing the sociology of fraud upon who else?  Why did they do that?

Structures of inequality: class , gender, age - what structures of inequality was most evident taking place in Pleasantville ?

Symbol Sets: Voice, Clothing, Body talk, Behavior...each symbol set can be used to create social facts or to mystify them. Notice how each of these was used to define the situation, social classes, and communicate ideologies and values.

Role conflict: contradictory expectations between two or more social identities in one’s self system. Examine the conflict inherent in Mary Sue’s role, the problem in Betty Jenkins accepting her new role at first, and finally the unresolved conflict of the Mayor at the end.

Technical Division of Labor:  In Pleasantville, who had trouble when the tech/division of labor broke down?  How did Bud repair the break down?

What types of symbols sets are used to indicate the differences between the present day world and those of Pleasantville.