Social Classes and Death Note
Let me just start by saying, this is not an in depth analysis of Death Note, nor is it some crazy theory. Really this is just something I noticed about viewers of Death Note who I personally know.
And let me tell you something I noticed about how viewers perceived the show, their social class did seem to take a large part of how they perceived Light and his quest to become the “God of the New World”
Okay, let me just state this. Light and I grew up in the same social class. We both grew up in higher middle class, healthy households. Despite all this, I disagreed with Light the moment he chose to use the Death Note after his first victim died. I was very strongly on L’s side from before he even appeared!
Provided, I ended up making all my friends watch it, and two in particular really helped me bring light to the realization how much a persons upbringing affected their stance on Death Note.
The first person I showed the show to was my best friend. She grew up in a broken working class family. Upon watching the show, she initially agreed with what Light was doing. Cheering him on to kill all the criminals. It was only when Light killed Raye did she change sides and began to cheer on L.
The second person I showed the show to was, like me, someone from the higher middle class. Much like me, she very quickly began to route for L to bring down Light, but that want until the very end of the first episode she she disagree with Light’s actions. She disagreed with everyone Light killed accept for one. Takuo Shibuimaru.
For those who don’t remember his name since it was so passing. In the anime he is Light’s second victim, who was very clearly attempting a rape a woman.
When I asked about why she didn’t think Light was wrong to kill him, she simply said he was the only one who deserved to die. From this I concluded two things.
1. Those who’ve grown up in lower classes, and have seen more shit then anyone should, more often then not, seemed to agree with Light’s actions. They supported the death’s or criminals, because they have seem the true injustice of the world. Really, of all my friends to watch it, higher classes tented to frown more on Light’s actions then those from lower classes. Does this mean that the lower classes are more violent? Not at all. What I’m trying to say is that due to shelter upbringings, higher classes tend to have more black and white morals then those from lower classes.
2. I noticed that the only time really someone from the upper middle class/high class really agreed with Light’s actions was when they saw the violent nature of the crime themselves. It is easier to simply hear about crimes rather then to watch it. Provided, had my friend grown up seeing such violent crime, I think it was have taken her much longer then one episode to change over to L’s side, if she did show at all.
What I’m really trying to say is that really can effect how a person views Death Note. Noticed i said can, provided nothing is truly defined by our social classes, that being said there is a trend though, which was just really something I found interesting.
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