Class and Race in France: A Social Analysis

Class and Race in France

The show highlights the binary opposition between immigrants of color and mostly white citizens in France.
Immigrants of color are often relegated to manual labor jobs, such as cleaning.
Dehumanization of immigrants is depicted through their clothing, which suggests poverty and anonymity.
Grey uniforms make immigrants look the same, further emphasizing their perceived inferiority.
White characters wear costumes that suggest wealth and power, reflecting their privileged status.
The contrast between immigrant cleaners and French citizens emphasizes the existing inequality between classes and races in France.
Lack of trust in immigrant cleaners is evident through bag searches and security cameras, reinforcing the suspicion and prejudice towards immigrants.
The show utilizes camera angles and editing to make Assane appear suspicious, reflecting societal biases that link minority backgrounds to crime.
Flashback scenes demonstrate the fear and mistrust felt by white characters towards characters of color, even in situations where help is needed.
Assane's borrowing of money and his choice to wear a hoodie symbolize his attempt to hide his identity, suggesting a sense of shame or fear associated with his background.
The show highlights the stark contrast between rundown estates and luxurious locations, further emphasizing the binary opposition between classes and races.
Assane's characterization challenges stereotypical representations, portraying him as intelligent, cultured, and a 'gentleman'.
The show implicitly critiques the societal underestimation and disregard for people of color, immigrants, and working classes, epitomized by the phrase "you saw me, but you didn't really look."

Binary Opposition

Immigrants of color are portrayed in manual labor jobs, primarily cleaning, contrasting sharply with mostly white citizens in wealthier settings.
Clothing reinforces the binary opposition: immigrants wearing grey uniforms, symbolizing anonymity and lower class, contrasted with French citizens in costumes suggestive of wealth and power.
This suggests inequality among class and race in France, creating a visual hierarchy.

Trust and Suspicion

Immigrant cleaners are not trusted, evidenced by bag searches and security cameras, highlighting a distrust of immigrants in France.
This distrust is further emphasized through the eyeline matching between Assane and the cameras, making him appear suspicious and reinforcing the stereotype of minorities as criminal.

Stereotypes and Representations

The scene with Assane and Babakar interacting with the white woman, who immediately locks the door, suggests a fearful perception of Black men as assailants, failing to recognize their potential for help.
Assane's use of a hoodie to hide his identity, while borrowing money and walking through a rundown estate, reflects his experience of being a "lower class" individual, creating a stark contrast to the luxurious museum setting.
Assane himself, however, challenges common stereotypes by embodying intelligence, culture, and "gentlemanliness," demonstrating that Black men are not confined to preconceived notions.

The episode emphasizes a societal tendency to underestimate and overlook immigrants, people of color, and working-class individuals, expressed through the quote "You saw me, but you didn't really look.”

Representations of Immigrants and Class

The episode opens with immigrants, primarily ethnic minorities, working in low-wage, manual labor jobs, such as cleaning.
Levi-Strauss’ concept of "binary opposition" is evident in the contrasting representations of immigrants of color and mostly white French citizens.
Clothing plays a significant role in reinforcing social hierarchies. Immigrants are often depicted in dehumanizing grey uniforms, suggesting anonymity and lower class status.
French citizens and white characters are shown in costumes that suggest wealth and power. This opposition underscores the existing inequalities between class and race in France.
The lack of trust towards immigrant cleaners is highlighted through bag searches and security cameras, emphasizing a societal distrust of immigrants.
The camera's frequent eyeline matches with Assane, often after he interacts with valuable objects, creates a sense of suspicion and reinforces the stereotype of minorities being associated with crime.
Fearful reactions from white characters, like the flashback scene with Assane's father and the white woman locking the door immediately, perpetuate the harmful stereotype of Black men being dangerous.

Assane's borrowing of money and his choice to wear a hoodie symbolize his attempt to conceal his identity.
The contrast between Assane's movement through rundown estates, representing lower class spaces, and luxurious locations like the museum reflects the binary opposition of social class.
Assane's character challenges stereotypical representations by portraying a Black man as intelligent, culturally aware, and a "gentleman."
The statement "you saw me, but you didn't really look" suggests that society often disregards and underestimates people of color, immigrants, and those belonging to lower/working classes.