Pleasantville Symbolism

David starts off the movie as a loner and an innocent. He doesn’t really like his school and would rather spend his time watching the tv show Pleasantville. When a tv repairman takes both David and Jennifer into the tv and in the alternate reality of Pleasantville, he continues to stay as the innocent character. He realizes that he loves being in this alternate world, and does everything in his power to keep it that way. To him, living his life as Bud was everything he ever wanted. When Jennifer, or Mary Sue, tries to change the way people act in the world by acting promiscuous, he gets angry and tells her that they must not break character, for fear that it would “mess with the order of this universe.” As the film progresses, he witnesses

With the introduction of free will, people are finally given the chance to portray their true selves. When colors first start to appear, it only happens to inanimate objects. Color first appears in the form of a red rose. The red symbolizes the emotions felt by Bud after breaking free from the “original plot” of Pleasantville’s universe. While some people are starting to believe in different things that branch off from the plot, objects change color, but it is still too early for there to be a true personal change.The changes in color happen to objects first because they are often easier to change. It is harder to change a person’s personality than change an object. As people start to change color, they begin to understand that they have choices, and take full advantage of that. The transition of color from object to person is the point of no return for the town, as people finally unlock their true

The basketball team never misses a shot, the weather is perfect, and nobody is unhappy. Pleasantville fulfills every stereotype about the era of the 1950’s. After Mary Sue and Bud arrive, Mary Sue immediately makes changes to Pleasantville. She introduces sex to Skip and the boys, a previously unknown and untalked about topic with the characters. The basketball team who previously never lost a game nor missed a shot ever, started to lose games. Color also begins to show in the form of inanimate objects. Mary Sue also introduces masturbation to Betty, which later incites a fire - a phenomenon never seen in Pleasantville at the time. People start to change color, as they unlock their true identities, and the idea of reading sweeps across town. Books become filled with words and pictures, and Mr. Johnson acquires his interest in painting from said books. In the end, the utopia turns into a more of a haven, where people are free to roam around and do things as they