Maternal Role Analysis in Wasp Video
Wasp, a 26-minute short video is a socio-realistic piece that reflects a poor single mother jangling her maternal role taking care of her children in hardship and poverty, and her youthful past as she attempts to rekindle her relationship with Dave, her ex-boyfriend. The video’s exposition starts in-media-res, captured in a violent brawl between the dominant character, Zoe and her neighbor over a tussle between their kids (Beatriz n.p.). As Zoe’s neighbor, who is only nicknamed as “Bullet-Head” in the film, hits her to the ground, she shouts that she is not fit to take care for her children and that she was going to contact social services. The act makes Zoe and her daughters: Leanne, Sinead, and Kelly to storm out and turn back to portray a rude gesture. In this heart-wrenching film, Zoe represents a generation of too-young mothers who live in poverty, without parents or partners to depend on for help.
From the start, the film immediately portrays the deprivation and sheer danger that Zoe and her children are enduring. The scene entails the stairs of a council flat and a banal color palette, while the camera shifts between close-ups and extreme close-ups focusing on the dirty clothes worn by the children, their bare feet and the baby’s lack of diapers (Beatriz n.p.). This provides a snapshot to the viewers of the situation in which the film will revolve around. The fundamental idea in the movie escalates when Zoe meets Dave and lies to him that she did not have any child while welcoming his proposal for drinks. She suggests to him that rather than visiting her home, she will meet him later at the pub. Zoe then meets Dave at the pub while her kids wait outside. This is the moment in which Zoe’s predicament is conceived, as she has to hide her kids to meet Dave.
The central theme presented in the film is poverty. The structure flows in the rising action of the video whereby a series of things happen to cause Zoe’s misfortune. While at home, a scene pops up that shows expired bread in Zoe’s kitchen and a disorganized interior. Zoe has to feed her children on sugar because they have nothing else. This explains the level of poverty in which Zoe and her family are living. The shaky camera movements emit an unnerving atmosphere, especially when Zoe is walking with her children across a bridge with heavy traffic below it. A wasp is also shown walking across Zoe’s window. This may symbolize an action of being trapped (Beatriz n.p.). For instance, it can show that Zoe was stuck in poverty and her living conditions. The rising action wraps up in the pub scene as Zoe meets Dave while leaving her children outside the pub until it is dark. Zoe herself cannot afford a drink, the children outside are hungry, but no food is sold at the pub. As such, she can only feed them on crisps and a glass of coke. She also has to keep checking on them while hiding them from Dave’s vicinity.
The wall in Zoe’s house which shows a picture of a well-built man resembling David Beckham, a famous footballer, as well as children’s drawings, may symbolize Zoe’s lust for a husband and a wealthy lifestyle. Precisely, the children’s drawings may portray the innocence of Zoe’s children and their naïve minds (Tunningley n.p.). The picture of Beckham, who is recognized for his ‘good looks’ may be attributed to Zoe because her children are too young to recognize attraction. Again, there is a quote on the wall, which resembles the kind of life a mother longed to live. The use of the word ‘bitch’ may also indicate the lower class family, as the lower class is usually stereotyped to use terms like these. The fact that the sticker containing the words are in sight of the kids also portrays Zoe’s nontraditional nature.
The presence of a wasp in the film may also elicit, different ideas concerning what it stands for and how Zoe’s life and her children have evolved. For instance, it may be that Zoe’s life has evolved to become like that for a wasp. A wasp is good for nothing, and when they are provoked or challenged, they lash out and sting people regardless of the consequences (Tunningley n.p.). In a way, this may reflect Zoe’s character as a mother, that she is waspish and selfish because she was unable to rescue her children from poverty. Besides, the mother was in an awful situation, whereby she met Dave with a hope to court him for financial stability. Zoe’s life had worsened to the extent that she was ready to sacrifice her children and risk being taken away for negligence and this is demonstrated when she left her children outside until late in the night to meet Dave. In the end, Dave understands Zoe’s situation and helps her by feeding her children and driving them home. Perhaps, Zoe’s life might have changed after this scene, but this is not reflected in the movie.In a nutshell, the central theme in the Wasp is poverty. Throughout the video, Zoe, who is the main character and her children are shown living in poor conditions. Some images that depict poverty such as bread with mold, dirty walls, and windows, a child without diapers, children with dirty clothes and Zoe walking bare feet are also shown in the movie. The video also demonstrates how Zoe’s life had worsened to a level that she was ready to sacrifice her children and risk being taken away by the social services. Perhaps, Zoe’s meeting with Dave will change her life and those of her children for the better.