Who is Ryan Atwood? Social Mobility and the Class Chameleon in The OC

  • Elizabeth Bullen Deakin University

Abstract

In the first season of the Fox television series, The OC (2003–2004), a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks finds himself in wealthy Newport Beach, Orange County — the OC of the title. Rescued from an implied future of juvenile delinquency, 16-year-old Ryan Atwood is at first perceived to be a threat to this world of luxury, ostentation and conspicuous consumption. Over the course of the season, Ryan is able to win the heart of rich girl-next-door, the troubled Marissa Cooper, and, it seems, transcend his class origins.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Bullen, Deakin University
Elizabeth Bullen lectures in Literary Studies at Deakin University's Warrnambool campus. She is currently a co-researcher on a research project on representations of social class in recent children's literature and the implications for citizenship.
Published
2007-12-20
Issue
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2007)
Section
Alice's Academy
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