Peaky Blinders representation Flashcards
(48 cards)
What does Steven Knight say about the type of history Peaky Blinders explores?
Knight describes it as the “secret history of England” — focusing on the darker, more violent, and hidden aspects of working-class life, rather than the polished portrayals of British history in traditional costume dramas.
How does Peaky Blinders subvert typical costume drama conventions?
The show omits aristocrats, businessmen, and factory owners in Season 1, focusing entirely on working-class life in Birmingham, particularly the Shelby family’s criminal world.
How does Knight’s mythologising of industrial communities affect Birmingham’s cultural identity?
It has sparked civic pride in Birmingham, leading to themed tours, pubs, and dance performances — showing how the show helped reframe the city’s industrial past as something heroic and iconic, despite its criminal associations.
How are the Shelby brothers’ violent behaviours contextualised in the narrative?
Their violence is linked to WWI trauma. Knight describes them as “men who have forgotten about physical consequences,” suggesting their post-war PTSD masks vulnerability behind a facade of fearlessness.
How are male characters represented in terms of masculinity?
They embody traditional gangster machismo (toughness, dominance), but this is complicated by emotional damage and trauma, offering a nuanced portrayal of masculinity.
How are female characters presented in Episode 1?
They are strong and narratively central. Polly is a controlling matriarch, Ada defies traditional roles, and Grace uses her femininity as a disguise to infiltrate a male world — reflecting the post-WWI rise in female independence.
How does the historical context of WWI influence gender representation in the show?
With men at war, women had to “take over” running the country, leading to increased autonomy. The show reflects this shift by giving female characters agency, complexity, and power in a male-dominated society.
How is class represented in Peaky Blinders?
The show offers a gritty, realistic view of post-WWI Birmingham — a city of poverty, violence, and ambition, contrasting with idealised representations of upper-class British life.
What is historical revisionism, and how does the show demonstrate it?
Historical revisionism involves re-examining the past to focus on overlooked groups (e.g. working class, women, LGBTQ). Peaky Blinders challenges elite-centred narratives by focusing on local, marginalised voices.
What visual contrast is used to show Birmingham’s dual identity?
The opening of Tommy’s stylised ride through the streets contrasts sharply with Campbell’s stiff, moralistic entrance from the train station — juxtaposing mythic gangster glamour with external law and order.
How does the show depict Birmingham in 1919?
As “the workshop of the world” — a grimy but industrious city that reflects both imperial power and working-class struggle, offering characters like Tommy both poverty and opportunity.
How does Tommy Shelby embody the gangster anti-hero trope?
He is a “tough guy with a heart of gold” — emotionally closed off, capable of violence, but also loyal, protective, and rooted in community responsibility.
How does trauma challenge traditional masculinity in the show?
Post-war trauma gives depth to male characters, revealing that their violence and stoicism are often masks for vulnerability, breaking down typical hard-man archetypes.
In what ways are female characters more complex than usual gangster genre tropes?
Women like Polly and Grace are not just “molls” or sex objects — they are narratively important, emotionally layered, and central to the unfolding power dynamics.
How does Grace represent ‘performed’ femininity?
Initially appearing “too pretty” and delicate, Grace’s gentle appearance and singing are revealed as a strategic act — she is in fact a ruthless, competent undercover agent.
How does Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity apply to the show?
Characters “perform” gender through clothing, posture, voice, and behaviour. Masculinity (e.g., sharp suits, flat caps, violence) and femininity (e.g., Grace’s innocence) are both constructed roles, not natural states.
How is costume used to express class and gender?
The Peaky Blinders wear tailored suits (upper class) and flat caps (working class), combining sophistication with street toughness. Grace’s attire evolves as her identity is revealed, showing how clothes signify social role and power.
What is David Gauntlett’s identity theory and how does it apply?
Gauntlett argues media helps audiences construct their identity from a mix of role models. In Peaky Blinders, viewers may identify with different characters, creating a fluid, personal narrative of the self.
How does Peaky Blinders promote a diversity of identities?
By rejecting elite narratives and focusing on working-class, female, and traumatised characters, the show offers more authentic representations for audiences of varied backgrounds.
Why are long-form dramas like Peaky Blinders effective for representing identity?
They offer multiple protagonists and evolving storylines, allowing audiences to shift allegiances and explore identity across complex arcs — especially when characters are morally ambiguous.
How is Tommy represented as influential?
“Leader of many of the local men in France”
His wartime leadership grants him control and power.
In terms of camera shots, how is Tommys power/control represented?
Establishing low angle, tracking shot of him on a horse.
Here, we see people making way for him.
NEALE: INTERTEXT REF TO WESTERN FILM, TOMMY=SHERIFF (REINFORCED BY SLO-MO BAR TRACKING SHOT) MARKS DIFFERENCE.
In terms of clothing codes, how is Tommys power/control/masculinity represented?
1950s three-piece suit, epitomises masculinity - reinforced by blade in cap.
How does Tommy somewhat subvert the leader position?
He is the middle brother, yet the leader of PBs/bookmaking business.
Respect gained due to strategic and level-headed nature.
