REPRESENTATION OF STUDENTS -
The students in 10 Things I Hate About You are heavily represented in the conventional cliques and groupings at Padua High School on California's west coast.
The popular group, coffee drinkers, nerds, and so on. The many groups are seen in the film's introduction; the very first shot features a bunch of giggling girls in their luxury car, their hair done, listening to pop music. These are most likely depicting the popular girls. The main character of the film, Kat, a rebellious and socially inactive adolescent, suddenly pulls up alongside them in an old car, blasting loud rock music. They turn and look at eachother stunned as she glares at them. The girls feel judged by Kat and although she is not popular like the rest of them they are intimidated by her and what she stands for in their perception.
Again in the next scene, when Cameron is being shown around the groups are explained,
When Cameron asks about Bianca: “what group is she in?” - as Bianca walks past
“The “don't even think about it group’”- his guide replies.
This once again indicates the invisible divide between groups, if your not popular enough then don't think about getting with them because all you'll do is get hurt.
REPRESENTATION OF TEACHERS -
The teachers in 10 Things I hate about you all perceive the students in the same cliches that the students do. Mr Morgan shows this when Kat raises her hand in class and Mr Morgan says ‘Yes Miss-I-Have-An-opinion-about-everything’ This shows him judging his students and not giving them a chance to grow and surprise him. He treats his students differently depending on how he perceives them which limits both his and his students' development.
Ms Perky Is the guidance counsellor at Padua High school, she meets with Kat after Mr Morgan sends her to the office for disrupting his class, during this meeting Ms Perky says, ‘People perceive you as somewhat… a heinous bitch. You might want to work on that.’ In this line Ms perky is admitting to seeing Kat the way she is seen by everyone else, instead of digging deeper as a counsellor should, she looks on the surface and judges her on the outside, reinforcing that teachers see students as just another cliche and not giving them the chance to grow.
REPRESENTATION OF PARENTS -
The film 10 things I hate about you offers a representation of overprotective and fearful parenting. This representation is primarily conveyed through Walter’s construction. In one of the beginning scenes Walter expresses very clearly that there is “no dating till you graduate” this shows how overprotective and how terrified he is of his daughters becoming less reliant on him as they grow older. Despite Bianca still having interest in boys, throughout the film, dialogue is used as Walter continues to try and steer the girls away from boys and the drama laced with them. By continuously stating the rule “no dating till you graduate” twice implies that he wants his girls to focus on school rather than boys. Walter is scared for his daughters to grow up and become independent, this is shown through dialogue and behaviour portrayed throughout the film. Walter expresses to Kat that “fathers don’t like to admit when their daughters are capable of running their own lives, it means we have become spectators.” He expresses this to her to try to help her understand where he has been coming from all these years, he tries to portray how scared and fearful he is of letting her run her own life. Walters construction, particularly in regards to his dialogue, works to offer a representation of fearful and overprotective parenting.