The Anatomy of Dreams

In the article The Pathos of the Unconcious: Charlie Chaplin and Dreams, David LeMaster discusses the technique of using dreams and daydreams to give the audience a deeper understanding of the characters. Specifically, the author states, “it may be concluded that the most effective manner of analyzing character in film is by a full examination of the character’s dreams” (LeMaster). ShondaRhimes, the producer of Greys Anatomy, frequently uses this technique throughout the 12 seasons of the show.

The clip above shows George O’Malley’s dream. At this point in the television series, George and the three girls in his dream are still interns at the hospital. Since George is not the most masculine or attractive man on the show, the girl interns tend to treat him as a brother and never look at him romantically. In the beginning of the clip the audience hears Meredith Grey ask, "What's the one thing you've always dreamed of doing before you die?". By showing George’s dream, the viewers are able to take a look inside George’s thoughts. We learn that George fantasizes that the girl interns are attracted to him and give him romantic attention. By portraying George's inner feeling in a dream, the audience is able to better understand his views on his brotherly relationships without him actually having to explain it.  

Some background information before you watch the clip below: Owen Hunt, head trauma surgeon, has recently come back from the war in Iraq. Teddy Altman, head cardiothoracic surgeon, just got a job at the Hospital and was in Iraq with Owen. Owen’s PTSD is more severe than Teddy’s, and talking to Teddy sometimes triggers his memories from the war.

By showing Owen’s daydream, Shonda Rhymes was able to reveal his inner thoughts, “without disrupting the flow of the film, and give the character a brief escape from what is happening to him” (LeMaster). Up to this point in the television series, it was never revealed to the viewers just how close Owen and Teddy were in the war. There was always awkward chemistry between them, but no one knew why. Owen is currently in a relationship with another surgeon on the show, however with Teddy around his feelings have become conflicted. Instead of taking up time explaining exactly what Owen is thinking, his daydream portrayed his past and conflicted feelings about Teddy in approximately one minute.