Analysis

The second question in your assignment asks you to write a short analytical essay in which you focus on the main character James from “Sweep” by Spencer Gillis, while including the following analytical terms: setting, music, conflict, main theme.

The four analytical elements you should include in your essay focusing on James are important because some of them are character-building (music, setting, conflict) while the main theme of fear and mistrust is conveyed through James’s character.

Setting

The setting refers to the time, place, and overall context when the events take place. “Sweep” takes place in the US in contemporary society, during winter time as indicated by the mild snow and the characters’ clothes. The actual place of the events is a landfill site or recycling center. Other elements of the setting are the vans and the sweeping broom.

The social setting of the movie touches upon aspects relate to racism, immigration, police bias, family, and money in American society. For example, James is frustrated because he was not paid for a job and Jean offers to pay for borrowing James’ broom. This suggests that money is important for the characters. The issue of immigration is explored through Jean and Benoit who are French speaking immigrants. The fact that they are black and foreign is what makes James and the policeman mistrust them. Furthermore, the attitude of the policeman shows that he is biased towards ...