Carnival Row is a television series that explores the theme of racism in great detail, as the showrunners extrapolate social issues into a fantasy setting that portrays a grim future. People of various origins attempt to survive in the city of Burgue, which is divided by different species and undergoes civil unrest. A diverse array of characters creates a unique atmosphere by mixing real-life problems with fantasy tropes, shaping a familiar, dire situation. Rycroft, Vignette, and Argeus represent different social positions, although their characters are not stereotypical. These personas enable the showrunners to explore the topic of xenophobia with great precision. The assimilation/cultural pluralism and cultural encapsulation theories reveal how the show can explore the subject of diversity through conflicting interests and ideologies. Further focus on the connection of fictional communities to real-life ones, representation of minorities via oppressed groups, and tensions between species can convey a critical social message.
It is possible to trace how modern ethics and moral values affect society through the current media. The topics of diversity and inclusion are openly discussed by numerous screenplays available on popular streaming platforms. Carnival Row stands out among other recent TV series due to its grim portrayal of racial division and its consequences. The show depicts modern struggles experienced by different ethnic communities due to prejudice and hostility toward their origins. However, the showrunners highlight these problems via a fantasy setting, using faerie creatures as the target of racism. In the example of Rycroft, Vignette, and Argeus, it is apparent that showrunners used these characters to connect their series with critical social issues, thus promoting diversity.
The portrayed characters’ backstories possess a connection to real-life situations that represent widespread narratives in the real world. Rycroft, one of the main characters, is a half-faerie who has a link to both human and fey societies (Freudenthal, 2019). His struggle to live in both worlds is the focus of moral choices in the episode. Another vital real-life issue is explored in the example of character interactions between Argeus and his social circles. Once a faun moves into a previously human-only neighborhood, he is met with hostility and contempt, even though he does his best to fit in the local community (Freudenthal, 2019). Finally, Vignette is a fae who adds another layer of realism to the story through her path to radicalization, which is explored in the episode. Vignette’s path in life is shaped by outside forces that push her to flee her home, yet she is trapped in a city filled with both humans and faeries trying to live together (Freudenthal, 2019). There are stereotypes regarding relationships that these characters reveal in the first episode, yet their personalities are not related to racial stereotypes, instead creating an opposite picture.
The central conflict in the series is based on the theory of assimilation versus cultural pluralism, as vastly different groups are forced to live together. Based on this model, the notion of a multi-species city can be expanded further. First, the enforced attempts of assimilation can provide a critical context for showrunners to explore outside of Argeus’ story (Medlen, 2023). It is also vital to assess the possibility of racial representation among minority communities. Saunders (2022) writes that the creators of the show try to “displace the black-white axis of representation via actors of various ethnicities” among both fairies and humans (p. 8). It is possible to leverage viewers’ familiar topics via this show by highlighting how faerie cultures are closer to minority groups.
The series can also utilize the cultural encapsulation model through the rulers of its primary location. Victorian society is portrayed as anachronistic in many aspects, and the division of species can resonate well with modern racial tensions (Dean, 2019). For the fifth recommendation, crimes that occur in Burgue can be used to highlight the deficient laws against perpetrators motivated by hatred. Once the notion of ‘otherness’ becomes a political tool, the underlying negative feelings between races or species can be used to explore how cruelty thrives in nations (McGregor, 2021). Again, due to the cultural encapsulation, law enforcement is represented primarily by the human race, creating unfair perceptions of authorities in the city. Tensions based on this factor can reveal how the fight for equal rights within a diverse population can bring turmoil, after which peace can be made.
In conclusion, Carnival Row embraces diversity and focuses on critical social issues related to a rift between communities. The show successfully uses its fantasy setting to portray real-life issues stemming from xenophobia. The main characters drive the story forward through their challenging positions in society without adhering to common stereotypes. The series can embrace its fictional socio-political environment in full and depict current problems stemming from inequality, authoritarian policies, and cultural tensions to leverage the existing diversity of species in Burgue. The showrunners can adapt their work into a commentary on racism, hatred, life in a multicultural world, and biased authorities.
References
Dean, T. (2019). Carnival Row is a surprisingly complex take on Victorian fantasy tropes, race, and politics. Tor.com. Web.
Freudenthal, T. (Director). (2019). Some dark god wakes (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In Carnival Row. Amazon Prime.
McGregor, R. (2021). The urban zemiology of Carnival Row: Allegory, racism and revanchism. Critical Criminology, 29(2), 367-383. Web.
Medlen, D. (2023). Carnival Row doesn’t hold back depicting the ramifications of xenophobia. The Mary Sue. Web.
Saunders, R. A. (2022). Out of time/in place: Norwegianness, ‘immigration’, and spatial belonging in Beforeigners. Cultural geographies. Web.