This blog will be dedicated to analyzing the display of representation in the tv show The Good Place.
Eleanor Shellstrop
Her character starts the series as selfish and morally flawed. Eleanor's background is explained as she is in the working-class division of society. This is represented especially through her use of explicit language and her lack of knowledge about other cultures or philosophy/philosophers. These traits reinforce stereotypes about class and its correlation with intelligence, suggesting that people from lower class backgrounds may not have the same moral or mental experience as other people who might come from wealthier, more educated backgrounds. However, as Eleanor evolves throughout the series, the show begins to deconstruct these stereotypes, showing that personal growth and moral improvement are not necessarily dependent on a person's economic class status.
Chidi Anagonye
This character represents a more complex combination of identity. He is a black scholar from Senegal and works in contrast to some stereotypical representations of black men in media, who are often associated with physical or athletic abilities. Chidi's identity as a philosopher helps break those stereotypes and allows people to relate black characters to play the roles of intelligent people. His extreme indecisiveness becomes a big part of his character and helps develop certain parts of the plot. This could be seen as exoticizing the "other" by emphasizing his Senegal heritage and displaying him as a person who overly-thinks to the point of breaking down.
The diversity within cast features an Asian-American woman (Tahani Al-Jamil), a Nigerian-British man (Chidi Anagonye), and a South Asian man (Jason Mendoza).
One of the other types of representation in
The Good Place is how it separates morality from Western traditions. While Chidi, Eleanor, and Michael spend much of the series discussing traditional Western philosophical ideas, the inclusion of non-Western perspectives like Buddhist and Hindu concepts of reincarnation, karma, and cosmic justice expands the moral universe of the show. By introducing these ideas, the series "decenters" the dominant Western moral framework and opens space for alternative worldviews, though it sometimes presents these concepts in simplified or romanticized ways.
In conclusion, The Good Place navigates representation with a blend of progressive and problematic elements. While it celebrates diversity and offers characters from a wide range of backgrounds, it also falls into patterns of exoticizing and stereotyping, particularly in its portrayal of non-white characters. Yet, by decentering traditional Western moral frameworks, it broadens the conversation about what it means to live a good life, inviting viewers to consider a more inclusive and complex worldview.
