The document discusses binary opposites and provides examples of common binary pairs such as strong/weak, powerful/powerless, active/passive, good/evil, dominant/submissive, practical/impractical, and logical/illogical. It then prompts the reader to analyze how binary opposites are used in scenes from Spiderman 2 and Zombieland to enhance narratives and represent masculinity and femininity.

1. Binary Opposites

2. What are the binary opposites of...
• Strong
• Powerful
• Active
• Heroic
• Good
• Dominant
• Practical
• Logical

3. What are the binary opposites of...
• Strong • Weak
• Powerful • Powerless
• Active • Passive
• Heroic • Cowardly
• Good • Evil
• Dominant • Submissive
• Practical • Impractical
• Logical • Illogical

4. Watch this scene from
Spiderman 2
(Raimi, 2004).
Identify the binary opposites that have been used
and explain:
1. How do they enhance the narrative?
2. How do they create a sense of masculinity and
femininity?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fv
wp&v=N6AoCZ2CaBI

5. Watch this clip from Zombieland
(Fleischer, 2009).
(Shopping mall scene – where the female
characters are introduced)
Explain how the narrative plays on audience
expectations of binary opposites?
Compare this to the ending of the film. Does
the representation of men/women change at
the end?