The Brady Bunch Symbol Analysis

The Black family’s ongoing argument over whether to watch The Brady Bunch or Gilligan’s Island on television symbolizes Blacky’s evolving attitude toward his family and the concept of responsibility. The TV show The Brady Bunch portrays a harmonious, supportive family, an ideal Blacky does not believe his own chaotic family could ever achieve. Blacky especially dislikes how The Brady Bunch always portrays its adult characters giving useful advice to its child characters, because in Blacky’s experience real-life adults create more problems than they solve. Blacky’s preference for Gilligan’s Island at the beginning of the novel shows his initial orientation toward survival and self-sufficiency, which Gilligan’s Island promotes, over the values of mutual responsibility and interconnectedness that The Brady Bunch portrays. However, as Blacky is faced with the larger societal issues of racial injustice, he realizes he must depend on his family and take on more responsibility himself, shown in the climatic event when Blacky and his siblings defy their abusive father by stealing the paint needed to cover up racist graffiti. After Blacky and his siblings paint over the racist graffiti together, they sing the theme song from The Brady Bunch. Blacky hesitates at first but then decides to sing along. His participation shows his acceptance of and love for his family, as The Brady Bunch symbolizes the values of familial love and responsibility that Blacky embraces at the end of the novel.