Lévi-Strauss - structuralism/ Binary opposites

Killing Eve/ Lupin

Levi Strauss Binary oppositional/structuralism theory?

Two different things being represented as two different things.

 He believed these oppositions help create meaning and narrative tension, as stories often explore the conflict or blurring between the two sides.

Importantly, these opposites aren’t always resolved — instead, their interaction reveals cultural values and ideologies.

Applying Lévi-Strauss to Killing Eve - Good and evil

Good vs Evil

• Traditionally, spy thrillers position the law enforcement agent as “good” and the assassin as “evil.”

• In Killing Eve, this opposition is blurred: Eve, an intelligence officer, becomes increasingly morally compromised, while Villanelle, the assassin, is charismatic and emotionally complex.

The show challenges the audience’s expectations of morality, showing that both women exist in a morally grey space.

Applying Lévi-Strauss to Killing Eve - Order vs Chaos

• Eve represents order — she works within institutions like MI5, follows procedures, and initially values justice.

• Villanelle represents chaos — she lives freely, kills for pleasure, and refuses societal norms.

• However, as the series unfolds, Eve is drawn into Villanelle’s chaotic world, symbolising how fascination and obsession can destabilise order.

This opposition drives the narrative tension throughout the series.

Applying Lévi-Strauss to Killing Eve - Masculinity vs Femininity

• The spy/assassin genre is usually coded as masculine, but Killing Eve subverts this by cantering two women in traditionally male roles.

• Villanelle’s violence and confidence contradict stereotypical ideas of femininity, while Eve’s analytical control contrasts with the emotional impulsiveness often coded as “feminine.”

By reversing these traits, the show challenges binary gender roles and exposes how such categories are socially constructed.

 Applying Lévi-Strauss to Killing Eve - Sanity vs Madness

• Villanelle’s psychopathy and lack of empathy are contrasted with Eve’s rationality — yet, as Eve becomes increasingly obsessed, the boundaries between sanity and madness blur.

• This reflects the show’s deeper exploration of obsession, identity, and moral instability.

The interplay between these opposites reveals that madness can exist even within those who seem rational and stable.

Killing Eve - Control vs Desire

• Eve’s professional life is built on control and logic, but her attraction to Villanelle represents desire and loss of restraint.

• Their relationship constantly shifts between dominance and vulnerability, mirroring how desire can overpower rational control.

• This opposition is central to the show’s psychological tension and reflects postmodern themes of duality and obsession.

Lupin - Law vs Crime

Law vs Crime

• Assane Diop, the protagonist, is a thief who uses clever tactics to achieve justice, while the police and law enforcement represent order and the legal system.
  
  

• The series blurs the line between lawful and unlawful actions, showing that breaking the law can be morally justified when fighting corruption and injustice.
  
  

This opposition drives the tension in the story, as Assane is constantly pursued but celebrated as a modern-day Robin Hood.

Lupin - Rich vs Poor / Privilege vs Oppression

• Assante comes from a working-class background and seeks revenge against the wealthy Pellegrini family, who exploited and wronged his father.

• This binary highlights social inequality and critiques the power and privilege of the elite.

The contrast makes Assante’s clever heists more satisfying to audiences, reinforcing the myth of the underdog challenging the system.

Lupin - Justice vs Revenge

• Assane’s actions are motivated both by a desire for justice and a personal need for revenge.

• This binary explores moral ambiguity: is he a hero or a vigilante?

The series keeps the audience questioning his ethical position, which adds complexity to his character and the narrative.

Lupin - Identity vs Disguise

• Assane often uses disguises, changing his appearance and adopting personas inspired by Arsène Lupin.

• This opposition between who he is and who he pretends to be highlights themes of deception, strategy, and survival.

It also symbolises his navigation of a world where appearances and social status define power.

 Lupin - Freedom vs Confinement

• Assane seeks freedom, both from the law and from the oppressive circumstances of his father’s past.

• The wealthy, corrupt characters, and the legal system represent confinement — rules, injustice, and societal constraints.

• The tension between freedom and confinement drives the narrative and mirrors the classic adventure/anti-hero genre conventions.