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Billy Elliot

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Billy Elliot
Context Assignment For Billy Elliot
Topic sentence:

Different types of conflict often occur within a family.

Families are portrayed throughout most films and texts, as indestructible, constantly supportive, and held together by a bond that is not able to be changed or broken. This ‘perfect’ image is unable to be supported in reality. Conflicts that occur between families, particularly between parents and children, are common in today’s belligerent world. Although, the stereotypical views of the perfect family, lead one to believe these indestructible and constantly supportive relationships are accurate representations of families today. These relationships often evade reality, providing a a tainted view to those in search of the true meaning that is family. A more realistic view of a family in today’s society can be taken from the film “Billy Elliot”. The idea of a single father raising two adolescent boys in a poor household, where the idea that a bond in a family cannot be changed or broken, shows flaw in the idealist view one is led to believe. Many conflicts between the protagonists in the film, when focusing on the relationship between parent and child at the time of adolescence, it is shown that conflict is unavoidable between a father and son.

To disobey one’s family, one requires a a lot of courage. There are rules put in place by the head of the family, these rules help to minimize conflict in the family. However, when these rules begin to be challenged, which is often seen through the time of adolescence, conflict occurs. It can be said that children obey their parents out of fear. Fears such as punishment and perhaps even the threat of being disowned often keep children in line. In the film “Billy Elliot” a rule that is heavily enforced by Jackie, Billy’s father, is the idea of gender roles. Throughout the film Billy is faced with enormous difficulty because of the views of society, which helps to enforce his rule, as Billy enjoys

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