Prejudice
Prejudice – the ill thought or discontent towards something with no prior knowledge or supporting facts. While it seems illogical to decide upon something without having experienced it firsthand, it is a very common theme in today’s society which makes people unacceptable to us. The theme of prejudice has been weaved into multiple shows, one such example is “Wednesday Addams”.
Wednesday
In this series, Wednesday, the main protagonist is a very interesting character. Having a very specific sense of monochromatic style, this very cold and exacting figure begins her journey in the Nevermore Academy with a lot of prejudices. Her point of view is- she doesn’t want to be there because her parents went there as students. This sets the ball rolling for a host of prejudices that she harbors and falls prey to, making it an intriguing teenage saga of friendship, jealousy and volatile emotions.
Enid
Upon arriving at the school, it appears that her parent’s reputation precedes her, and she is treated as such because of her parents, something that disgruntles Wednesday deeply. Soon she is met by her roommate, Enid Sinclair, who is a very cheerful character, compared to Wednesday’s gloomy self. It is clear that Wednesday’s prejudices make her create an invisible wall as Enid is her polar opposite. But throughout the show, we see these prejudices break down one by one and form into a lasting friendship.
Ms Kinbott
Moving further, we meet Wednesday’s therapist in the academy, Ms Kinbott, who Wednesday immediately takes a dislike to. The fact that she is a therapist flares up Wednesday’s prejudice. Number one, she is against people in this profession and number two, has a total disgust toward opening up.
The Sheriff
While escaping from Ms Kinbott’s therapy session Wednesday enters a cafe where subsequently she meets the local sheriff. Upon realizing that she is part of the Addams Family he takes an instant dislike to Wednesday. This dislike keeps on intensifying as the show progresses. It shows how the man develops a prejudice against Wednesday because of her father, Gomez Addams, who was accused of murder many years ago but had got away with it.
Xavier
Another character who suffers at the hands of Wednesday is Xavier Thorpe. Xavier is very accepting towards Wednesday but it turns out she would not reciprocate that feeling. She began to harbor prejudice against him as she sees recurring motifs of the monster in the boy’s artworks. This prejudice makes her believe with all her might that none but Xavier is the monster himself.
Wednesday breaks Prejudices
But all those with a smart mind, eventually use logic, facts and faith to break through the illusions of prejudice and come to accept people for who they are. We see Wednesday Addams reach this point towards the end of season one. The culmination of the show brings together all the characters whom Wednesday initially held prejudice against. She comes to accept them when she sees them as allies in the battle that she thought was hers alone.
Like in the show, society is also full of prejudices but the world is still functioning because someone somewhere is working on breaking down the prejudices that run rampant in today’s world. Whether it is Wednesday Addams or yourself, anyone can form prejudices, but we are also capable of breaking them down. Accepting people for who they are is an important part of life and it is a fact that we are all endowed with this quality.
Writer : Ethan
Grade : 10 (Year 2023)
Place : Sydney, Australia
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