Young People

Shaun, as a young person is represented in this film as being a vulnerable and impressionable boy that can easily adapt to what others say to him. He is easily influenced by Combo’s ideologies which is a real representation of how so many real young people in the real world start to fall into far-right ideas. But at the end he shows that it is still possible for young people to change. Shaun is also seen as a victim of circumstance, of the social and political problems happening around him as he is rightly clueless.

Older People

Shaun’s mum throughout the film is the only parental figure seen that doesn’t manipulate Shaun’s vulnerability and constantly supports him. She can be seen as a positive light for Shaun, especially when she talks with Shaun about his dead father and offers help. She is seen as a responsible, caring mother.

This differs to Combo who, for Shaun, seems to fill in the void that Shaun’s biological father left when he passed away. Combo is represented as an adult who is angry and very outspoken- he doesn’t sway in his ideas and wants to spread them around. He may think of himself as a hero for Shaun, but actually he is a manipulative figure that used his authority due to his age to pick on Shaun’s insecurities and lack of a parent. He is not responsible, and is not a good representative for what an adult should be and do.

Class

All of the characters in This is England represent the lower working class. We see them navigate their childhoods while in this class and this is reflective of the director’s own experiences. For Shaun, we see the drawbacks of his own poverty reflected in the mise en scène in his bedroom- the chair as a bedside table, the dim lights and the décor in bad condition.

Black People

Milky is the victim of racism in This is England. He represents the views held by many English people in the 1980s, and when he is brutally beat up by Combo, we see the extent of the deep hatred. However, he explains how he has a good and big family around him, and him and Combo even find a point to relate on when they discuss music, but Combo’s racist views eventually prevails.