Binary Opposites

A french anthropologist by the name of Claude Lévi-Strauss came up with a concept of how people understand words. He suggested that words are not understood as much by their definition, but rather through our understanding of the word and its binary opposite. For example, people understand the word “GOOD” not so much because its definition is something that is positive, but rather that it is the binary opposite of “BAD”. (In fact, if you Google the word “good” one of the definitions is “not negative, bad or mediocre.“). Other examples include: “happy and sad”, “good and evil” and “hero and villain”.

These binary opposites are embedded in many narratives through multimedia, from the news and television to films. There are always characters of good and evil that are presented. One example from a film franchise which has binary opposites of the classic “Good” and “Evil” characters is Harry Potter. This is a franchise that almost everyone will recognise, it is based around lifetime battle between hero and villain. Harry vs Voldemort is one of the most famous rivalries in film, spanning seven books turned into films. Its the tale of sworn enemies and complete binary opposites, these characters are presented as binary opposites in a few different ways: First of all through appearance, Voldemort’s physical appearance resembles that of a snake this was done so that the audience will instantly recognise him as an evil character while Harry looks like an ordinary boy so we relate to him. The actions of Harry also present him as the opposite of Voldemort. Harry is merciful, brave and honourable while Voldemort could be described as the binary opposites of these words. Overall they are complete opposite characters.

Another example of binary opposite characters in film could be Batman and the Joker, once again an iconic and recognisable rivalry in cinema. This is another example of hero versus villain and binary opposites in character and beliefs. One way in which the audience can tell that the joker is the villain is once again through appearance as the joker has scars on his face and wears the colours: purple, which can represent power, and green which can represent greed and evil. While Batman sports a suit and cape, representing heroicness and bravery. Also Batman stands up for justice and truth, while the joker tries to wreak havoc and cause mischief. However in these seemingly binary opposites, Batman is seen by the public as a dangerous vigilante at times and therefore this could be a point against the theory that there are always complete binary opposites in a narrative.