The Decline of the WASP and the Promotion of Ethnic Diversity in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002)

Dossier / Travail , 2016 , 22 Pages , Note: 1,0

Filmologie

This paper aims at exploring the filmic deployment of White and Greek ethnicity in specific contexts. The central questions discussed in this paper are: How are Whiteness and Greekness depicted in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”? More importantly, which essential message does the film convey? For this purpose, the paper will first of all take a closer look at American ethnic relations from a historical perspective in order to establish important references to the following film analysis.

In a second step, the paper will plunge into the analysis of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” as such. In this regard, it initially explores how Greekness and Whiteness and their relation as a cultural clash are portrayed in the film. Subsequently, it will examine how these two divergent worlds are connected by analyzing the two main characters Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller. Thereafter, the result of connecting the White American and the Greek American culture is investigated by analyzing the wedding. Finally, the paper concludes by summarizing the main findings and giving a brief outlook. It should, however, be mentioned that this paper solely examines how social structures of American ethnic relations are represented in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. To be more precise, it exclusively refers to the filmic level and does not aim at generalizing the main findings concerning American society as a whole.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• American Ethnic Relations: From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl
• Film Analysis
  • Portraying Greek Immigrant Culture - The Portokalos'
  • Delineating Whiteness - The Millers
  • Cross-Cultural Encounters – Reversal of Original Power Relations
  • Connecting Two Different Worlds
    • Toula Portokalos - Constructing the Ethnic Heroine
    • Ian Miller – Deconstructing Male Whiteness
  • The Wedding - A Celebration of Cross-Ethnic Understanding
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper explores the filmic deployment of White and Greek ethnicity in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). The central question discussed is: How are Whiteness and Greekness depicted in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? More importantly, which essential message does the film convey? The paper examines the film's portrayal of Greekness and Whiteness as a cultural clash, analyzes how these two worlds are connected through the characters of Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller, and investigates the result of connecting the White American and the Greek American cultures by analyzing the wedding.

• The portrayal of Greekness and Whiteness in My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• The cultural clash between Greek and White American cultures
• The connection between the two worlds through the characters Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller
• The result of connecting the White American and the Greek American cultures
• The film's message about cross-ethnic relations

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides an overview of the paper's topic and research question. It also discusses the importance of filmic portrayals of ethnic subjects and cultures in American cinema.

Chapter 2 explores the history of American ethnic relations, focusing on the concepts of the melting pot and the salad bowl. It examines the historical development of American ethnic relations from the colonial period to the early 20th century, highlighting the dominant role of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) group and the assimilationist ideals that shaped American society.

Chapter 3 analyzes the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, focusing on the portrayal of Greekness and Whiteness in specific contexts. It examines the film's depiction of Greek immigrant culture, the delineation of Whiteness, and the cross-cultural encounters between the two groups. The chapter also explores the construction of the ethnic heroine Toula Portokalos and the deconstruction of male Whiteness in the character of Ian Miller.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The paper focuses on key themes such as American ethnic relations, cultural assimilation, the melting pot, the salad bowl, Whiteness, Greekness, cross-cultural encounters, and the portrayal of ethnic characters in American cinema. It also examines the specific filmic examples of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the characters of Toula Portokalos and Ian Miller.

• Note: 1,0
• Auteur: Kim Frintrop (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2016
• Pages: 22
• N° de catalogue: V322082
• ISBN (ebook): 9783668212886
• ISBN (Livre): 9783668212893
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Greekness, Cross-Cultural Encounters in American Cinema, Nia Vardalos