Everington, Durham, 1984 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has just declared war on the mining industry, and therefore, on the entire county. The people have laid down their tools to go on strike, and they are willing to make sacrifices until their fight for better salaries and working conditions succeeds. In this environment, hard men cannot allow themselves to show any weaknesses, because it could lead to the ruin of their families or the entire community. The miners stick together—anyone who falls out of line, particularly the picket line, will certainly suffer a loss of reputation among the others.
In this male-dominated, standardized context, the rise of an individual can attract a great deal of attention, and Billy Elliot represents an individual in every sense of the word. He is a boy on the edge of reaching puberty and does not express himself in the rough Durhamian way. He is bad at boxing and speaks softly. His best friend is a secret homosexual, a misfit in the midst of the community. Despite his uniqueness, Billy still seems to possess a predetermined future: one day, he will become a miner, too. In Everington, your origins determine your future, and it is the natural order of things that a boy will follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.
Billy, however, is unwilling to accept this natural order, instead choosing a different way of expressing his feelings and struggle with life. He begins dancing ballet, an unthinkable activity for a boy from Durham, because it exactly contradicts the ideal of rural manhood. Even if Billy works extremely hard to improve his dancing skills with the support of his ballet teacher, he also must convince his biggest critics that his dream is one worth fighting for. Only when his father, his brother and the miners in general finally accept and support his determination can he claim his destiny and achieve his goals.
Table of Contents
- 1, Billy Elliot and Habitus: A Cosmic Dancer from Everington, Durham
- 2, BILLY IN DURHAM - DANCING IN THE WOMB
- 3, A TEACHER FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD
- 4, ONE FAMILY, ONE COMMUNITY
- 5, DURHAM IN BILLY – EXCUSE MY DUST
Objectives and Key Themes
This preview analyzes the film "Billy Elliot" through the lens of Pierre Bourdieu's habitus theory. It examines how Billy's individual journey intersects with the socio-cultural context of his environment, specifically the 1984 miners' strike in Durham, England. The analysis explores the interplay between individual agency and social structures, focusing on how societal pressures and expectations shape individual development and self-expression.
- The impact of habitus on individual development and self-discovery.
- The conflict between individual aspirations and societal expectations.
- The role of family and community in shaping identity and fostering self-expression.
- The influence of social and political events (the miners' strike) on individual lives.
- The transformative power of art and mentorship in overcoming adversity.
Chapter Summaries
1, Billy Elliot and Habitus: A Cosmic Dancer from Everington, Durham: This chapter introduces Billy Elliot, a young boy living in Durham during the 1984 miners' strike. It establishes the film's central conflict: Billy's defiance of his community's expectations by choosing ballet over boxing, a stark contrast to the traditional masculinity prevalent in his environment. The chapter introduces Bourdieu's concept of habitus, explaining how ingrained social structures and expectations shape individuals' dispositions and practices. Billy's journey becomes a study of how habitus restricts, yet also facilitates, individual growth and self-discovery, particularly as his family's support transforms his trajectory. The chapter foreshadows Billy's struggle against the limitations of his environment and the possibility of overcoming pre-determined destinies, symbolized by the lyrics, “right out the womb,” hinting at the transformative power of his artistic passion.
2, BILLY IN DURHAM - DANCING IN THE WOMB: This chapter delves deeper into the concept of habitus and its influence on Billy's life. It analyzes how his environment, a male-dominated, working-class community hostile to the arts, shapes his initial perceptions and actions. Initially, Billy adopts the community's ideologies, feigning conformity through his interest in boxing and expressing homophobic sentiments. However, the chapter shows Billy's inherent difference and his early, unconventional behaviors—such as dancing in the boxing ring—signaling a divergence from the prescribed path. His relationship with his gay best friend, Michael, significantly challenges these internalized homophobia and the narrow view of masculinity imposed by his habitus. The chapter demonstrates how, despite the constraints of his environment, Billy begins to resist and ultimately transcend the expectations placed upon him. The chapter highlights the subtle yet pervasive influence of the miners’ strike, illustrating how it creates both obstacles and unexpected opportunities in Billy’s path towards self-discovery. This subtle influence appears even in the seemingly inconsequential act of stealing a ballet book from the library during a diversion caused by the strike itself.
3, A TEACHER FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD: This chapter shifts focus to the role of external influences, specifically Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy's ballet teacher, within Billy's cultural field. It examines how this external force challenges the inherent hierarchy of the mining community and how the mentor-student relationship facilitates Billy's artistic development and self-acceptance. Mrs. Wilkinson’s own disillusionment serves as a foil to Billy's burgeoning potential, highlighting her recognition of his talent as a means of personal fulfillment amidst the confines of her circumstances. By presenting a contrasting perspective to the rigid social structure of Billy's community, this character underscores the power of external mentorship and the transformative potential of art in overcoming personal and social limitations. The contrasting figures of Mrs. Wilkinson and Billy's father highlight the divergent views on the role of art within the social hierarchy.
Keywords
Habitus, Billy Elliot, miners' strike, social class, masculinity, self-discovery, identity, family, community, art, ballet, mentorship, social structures, individual agency.
Billy Elliot and Habitus: A Cosmic Dancer from Everington, Durham - FAQ
What is the main focus of this analysis of the film "Billy Elliot"?
This analysis uses Pierre Bourdieu's habitus theory to examine how Billy Elliot's personal journey interacts with the socio-cultural context of his environment, specifically the 1984 miners' strike in Durham, England. It explores the balance between individual choices and societal structures, showing how social pressures shape individual growth and self-expression.
What are the key themes explored in the analysis?
Key themes include the impact of habitus on personal development, the conflict between personal goals and societal expectations, the role of family and community in shaping identity, the influence of the miners' strike on individual lives, and the power of art and mentorship in overcoming adversity.
What is the role of Bourdieu's concept of "habitus" in this analysis?
Habitus is central to the analysis. It explains how deeply ingrained social structures and expectations shape individuals' behaviors and perspectives. The analysis shows how Billy's habitus both limits and enables his growth and self-discovery.
What are the chapter summaries provided in the preview?
Chapter 1 introduces Billy and his conflict with his community's expectations, introducing the concept of habitus. Chapter 2 delves deeper into habitus's influence on Billy's life, showing his initial conformity and later resistance. Chapter 3 focuses on the role of Billy's ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson, as an external influence challenging the community's structure and fostering Billy's development.
What is the significance of the 1984 miners' strike in the film and the analysis?
The miners' strike serves as a significant backdrop, creating both obstacles and unexpected opportunities in Billy's journey toward self-discovery. It highlights the impact of major social and political events on individual lives.
What is the significance of the characters of Billy's father and Mrs. Wilkinson?
Billy's father represents the traditional views of masculinity and expectations within the mining community, contrasting sharply with Mrs. Wilkinson, who serves as a mentor and represents a contrasting perspective, highlighting the transformative power of external mentorship and the role of art in overcoming limitations.
What are the key words associated with this analysis?
Key words include Habitus, Billy Elliot, miners' strike, social class, masculinity, self-discovery, identity, family, community, art, ballet, mentorship, social structures, and individual agency.
What is the overall purpose of this preview?
The preview provides a comprehensive overview of the analysis, including the table of contents, objectives, key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords. It is designed to give a structured and professional overview of the themes explored within the full analysis.
- Quote paper
- Yannick Brauner (Author), 2017, Billy Elliott and Habitus. A Cosmic Dancer from Everington, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/446799
