Billy Elliot Stereotypes

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In the film Billy Elliot, director Stephen Daldry uses different obstacles and techniques to show the message that if we believe in ourselves strongly enough, nothing can stop us from succeeding. These obstacles include the society in which Billy lives in and the stereotypes they have, and also Billy’s family who hold similar values. But Daldry also demonstrates the importance of relationships to help one remain true to oneself.

One of the biggest obstacles for Billy is the traditional roles and gender stereotypes of the society in which he lives. An example of this would be the recurring image of the rows upon rows of miners’ cottages and brick walls, which are always looming in the background or on either side of him, but there is always …show more content…
Billy’s boxing gloves are one of these traditions. These boxing gloves symbolize his family who from each generation take the same roles, because these boxing gloves have been passed down from father to son to Billy, as Jackie reminds Billy and the audience of this when he says “they were me dad’s gloves, you better take better care of them”. This causes distraught for Jackie and Tony when they find out that Billy wants to do ballet, because it is not what boys do, as summed up by Jackie when he tells Billy “Lads do football, Billy. Or boxing…or wrestling. Not friggin’ ballet!” Another example of the traditional roles in his family would be that all the men in their family become miners. This is because both Jackie and Tony were miners, and through the dialogue between Billy and Jackie when they are going to London, when Billy asks why Jackie has never been there, Jackie replies with “why should I? There aren’t any mines there.” This reply may seem humorous on the surface but it is the sad reality of his family, they go wherever the mines are, and to do anything that is not mining is not acceptable. This makes it hard for Billy as he needs to full support of his family to
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