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. TRUE DESIRES – DEEPER THAN A COAL MINE
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 Topics
This work examines the film "Billy Elliot" through the lens of Pierre Bourdieu's habitus theory, exploring how the protagonist struggles to establish his individual identity within the rigid, male-dominated socio-economic environment of a 1984 British mining town.
- The influence of socio-economic environment on individual development.
- Application of Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus theory to cinematic narrative.
- The role of family and mentorship in shaping personal aspirations.
- The tension between traditional community ideologies and individual desire.
- Symbolic representations of class, gender, and social change in the film.
Excerpt from the Book
BILLY IN DURHAM – DANCING IN THE WOMB
The description for one of the first scenes states that “Billy runs into the long grass. To Billy it is almost a jungle” (Hall 6). By creating this image of a primeval forest attempting to devour the hero, the author foreshadows the main conflict of the entire movie: the struggle between a boy who sticks out his head to gaze beyond his limitations and an environment that continually pulls him back. According to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, this environment is called habitus, “a concept that expresses, on the one hand, the way in which individuals ‘become themselves’ – develop attitudes and dispositions – and, on the other hand, the ways in which those individuals engage in practice” (Webb xii). The theory describes the relationship “between objective social structures and everyday practices” (Webb 1) and the mutual influences between these two elements.
Billy Elliot lives in a male-dominated household. His mother died not so long ago, and both his father and brother are occupied with the coal miners’ strike. People like them usually see the high arts as “desiccated, pretentious, irrelevant bullshit – a symbol of the worst traits of the posher classes” (Hall 117). As such, it is not a simple question about Billy’s future when he asks his friend Michael whether it would be preferable to become a ballet dancer or a miner. It is also a comparison between two entirely different ways of life.
Summary of Chapters
TRUE DESIRES – DEEPER THAN A COAL MINE: Introduces the socio-economic backdrop of the 1984 miners' strike in Everington and frames Billy's individual aspirations as a challenge to the established natural order.
BILLY IN DURHAM – DANCING IN THE WOMB: Analyzes the concept of habitus and how Billy navigates the constraints of his environment while beginning to embrace ballet as a means of personal expression.
A TEACHER FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD: Explores the role of Mrs. Wilkinson as a mentor and the impact of her frustrated middle-class life on Billy's development as an artist.
ONE FAMILY, ONE COMMUNITY: Discusses the oppressive nature of Billy's family life, the conflicting ideologies of his father and brother, and the eventual transition toward support for his dreams.
DURHAM IN BILLY – EXCUSE MY DUST: Examines Billy’s transition into a new world after leaving his community, emphasizing the necessity of family support in achieving his destiny.
Keywords
Billy Elliot, Habitus, Pierre Bourdieu, Miners' Strike, Everington, Ballet, Individualism, Social Structures, Ideology, Mentorship, Working Class, Gender Roles, Cultural Field, Identity, Socio-economic environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work provides a sociological analysis of the film "Billy Elliot," focusing on how the protagonist reconciles his personal desires with the expectations of his environment.
What are the central themes of the text?
Key themes include the struggle for individuality, the impact of class-based social structures, the significance of familial support, and the limitations imposed by internalized societal ideologies.
What is the primary objective of the analysis?
The objective is to interpret Billy's character development and his eventual success through the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu's habitus.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a sociological approach, specifically applying Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus theory to examine the interaction between individual agency and objective social structures in the film.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The body covers the influence of the mining strike, the role of key figures like Mrs. Wilkinson, Michael, and Billy's family, and how these forces alternately constrain and enable Billy’s progress.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Primary keywords include Billy Elliot, habitus, class conflict, gender identity, mentorship, and social change.
How does the miners' strike influence Billy’s development?
The strike acts as both a source of oppression and an accidental facilitator, forcing Billy into environments where his talent is discovered while simultaneously exerting economic and emotional strain on his household.
Why is Mrs. Wilkinson’s role considered significant?
She serves as a bridge to the "high arts" and acts as a mentor who recognizes Billy's talent, although her engagement is also partly motivated by her own frustration with her monotonous life.
What change does Billy undergo by the end of the film?
Billy moves from a state of conditioned compliance with his local environment to an active pursuit of his own destiny, having successfully integrated his identity as a dancer.
- Quote paper
- Yannick Brauner (Author), 2017, Billy Elliott and Habitus. A Cosmic Dancer from Everington, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/446799
