As a society, we are less likely to change when we are given a mirror image of ourselves in a text. In A Single Man directed by Tom Ford, 1960s society offers modern audiences events and characters that are not in the contemporary world, but the issues addressed in the film are still very present in our society. The film addresses issues of stigma within societies, fear of the unknown and the search for happiness after loss. The causes of these issues have changed throughout history and the setting of the 1960s allows the audience to more objectively examine the issues raised and compare them to modern society. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay It is human nature to fear the unknown because we have no understanding or ability to predict the consequences . In the A Single Man society of the 1960s, fear controls and influences the actions and decisions of the population. With the Cold War constantly on people's minds, it is no wonder that society is controlled by fear. Fear of nuclear annihilation, fear of communism taking over the world, and fear of communism already infiltrating American society. This fear causes selfishness among the masses and a lack of concern for anyone but themselves: "there will be no time for emotion when the Russians fire a missile at us." Society has moved from being a unit to only caring about its own safety and not that of the masses. All is for one but not for all. Society is so afraid of the threat of communism that it is convinced that there is no doubt about nuclear war, not if, but when. They don't know what the consequences of the war will be, so they prepare for the worst and believe it's the only option. “If the minority is invisible in some way…and the fear is much greater. It is this fear that explains the persecution of the minority. Fear is the strongest emotion, it can make irrational actions seem like the only option, fear will always have a direct correlation to action. Communism and the Cold War are not the only "threat" to society in the film's 1960s social context; there is also the black civil rights movement and the increased awareness of different sexualities. This change in society was seen as a threat to “natural” American society. These fears were not a fear of the object itself but a fear of difference and change. Fear is an important part of human nature, it is the brain's survival mechanism in the face of danger and risk. When Christopher Columbus crossed the ocean, people were afraid that he would sail to the ends of the earth. The unknown has always been something that has always had consequences inside the human brain, we have always been afraid of what we don't understand. This is why people are afraid of the dark or of falling, because we don't know what to expect once we get to the ground. History will always repeat itself, we can see that within our own society. The fear induced by communism is the same as that felt today by terrorism. As terrorism is an ideal and a thought, it can be invisible, which is why we are afraid of what we cannot see and what we do not understand. As an audience, we are able to relate the events of the film to our own experience, learning lessons from the character and applying them to our own lives. In ourcomplex social world, many social expectations influence our behavior and actions. Within societies, there will always be pressure to adapt and conform to society's norms. This can lead to restrictions in people's lives due to these stigmas and expectations, which force them to be what came before them. In the film, Charley's character is confined by the social expectations of women in the 1960s. She has done everything society expects of her, but she is still unfulfilled and unhappy. She married, had children and had what seemed like the perfect life: "I don't think Richard ever loved me...and Clay." I don't know. You raise a child and when he's old enough, he leaves. but when that fell apart and she divorced and her children left, without the perfect facade, she felt like she was missing a role and purpose in her own life. She no longer has the stereotypical housewife facade she once had. The expectations that society had implanted in Charley's life about what was the right thing to do to have a happy life and be satisfied with that life collapsed and she no longer got the life she deserved to meet those expectations. expectations. In a mid-close-up shot, the audience can see Charley trapped in her life and society's expectations, Charley is surrounded by darkness, shows the entrapment in her life. The door that locks her inside her house shows that she is trapped in her life and in her house, but that she no longer has her husband and child to represent her perfect facade. Charley is confined by the limitations of her society and the role she must play because of her gender. As she is a woman, she is not able to aim higher than the role of perfect housewife that society limits her to play. As women in today's society, expectations and stigmas remain issues but are less present within society. For women in particular, we are still subject to rules that we must follow, there is still a stigma attached to getting married and having children, but we have more opportunities than 1960s society depicted in the film. Stigmas or stereotypes within societies do not allow people to be themselves, but rather to follow underhanded rules and regulations based on one aspect of their appearance or personality. As this film depicts 1960s society as a modern audience, we are able to harshly judge the actions and aspects of this society better than if it depicts a contemporary world. This is because when watching a text from a contemporary world, the audience is more likely to justify problems and actions taken by certain characters, whereas with a past world we can conclude opinions without regret or apology. Sometimes a loss or tragedy can bring a new dimension. lease and perspective on life, this is seen in the character of George who has just lost his long-term partner. George wallows in his grief and, overwhelmed by poverty, he decides to commit suicide at the end of the day. Throughout the day, the color is almost monochromatic, depicting his lack of happiness and the "color" he feels throughout his life after Jim's death. But as the day progresses, George discovers moments in his life that are worth living. In these moments, the color saturation is high, these show one's moments of happiness and clarity in life. By the end of the film, he realizes that life is all about these moments and they are important enough for life. This idea of ​​finding happiness is seen again in the drowning motif throughout the film. In the scene.