The next thing where color can be used to symbolize change is within the setting of Pleasantville itself. As characters begin to make new and different decisions, the setting around Pleasantville begins to ooze bright colors compared to its once drab black and white world. The first big example of the setting changing with colors happens after the sex scene in the car between Reese Witherspoon’s character Jennifer and Skip Martin. The first thing we see that has changed post sex is the rose in skip’s front yard “Red, of course, is the color of both passion and danger, and we’ve seen a little bit of both here, and Skip’s puzzled reaction is just the dawning of the raising of consciousness that goes on all over town in the days to come. I think the use of the rose itself is a little joke. Umberto Eco, author of The Name of the Rose has said that he likes the idea of the rose, because roses are so heavy with symbolism (ironically, often used when introducing students to semiotics)” (Why we study media, 2008). When skip arrives home from hanging out with Jenifer, he notices a bright red rose. This red rose acts as a …show more content…
When David and Jennifer first get to Pleasantville, everything is ran by a certain idealistic standard. Everything is “Pleasant” with things being ran the way it’s supposed to be. However, when the power of choice is introduced to the townsfolk for the first time, things begin to change. When the mayor of Pleasantville begins to hear of the changes going on in town, he struggles with coping with the actions of the new colored townsfolk’s actions. “ Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. Now, it seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant.” (Mayor in the