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Declaration

I declare that I have worked on my bachelor thesis on my own using only cited literary sources, other information and sources in agreement with the Disciplinary Regulations for Students of Faculty of Education at Masaryk University and with the Law 121/2000 Coll., on Copyright, Rights Related to Copyright and on the Amendment of Certain laws (Copyright Law), Subsequently Amended.

I agree with storing this work in the library of the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University, and making it accessible for study purposes.

___________________

Brno, Bc. Ivana Maršálková

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my husband and my dear children for their patience with me during my studies. I would also like to thank to my friends who helped me and encouraged me to fulfil all the duties.

I appreciate professional attitude and supervision of Mrs. Hana Waisserová who was my supervisor.

Table of Contents

Introduction.........................................................................................................5

1. Background of the film Billy Elliot.........................................................7

1. Context of the story ................................................................................7

2. Summary of the story of Billy Elliot....................................................8

3. What was going on in Great Britain – historical overview ..................11

1. Great Britain before 1984 ..................................................................11

2. Margaret Thatcher – The Prime minister .............................................13

3. 1984 - The miner’s strike ...................................................................15

1. Analysis of the main characters and their expectations from Billy.....17

1. The main characters and their roles.....................................................17

1. Billy Elliot – The Protagonist...............................................................17

2. Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher – supporter of Billy and a mother-figure .................................................................................................19

3. Jackie Elliot, Billy’s father – working class male representative, Billy’s moral authority ...................................................................................20

4. Other characters shaping Billy and forming the story, expressing the class differences ...............................................................................21

2. Aspiration of... .................................................................................22

1. Billy – the working class youth ..........................................................22

2. Billy’s social status and role ...............................................................25

3. Father’s expectations of Billy ............................................................25

4. Mrs. Wilkinson’s expectations – expectation to follow a talent and desire regardless social rules ................................................................26

5. Tony, Michael, Debbie and Nan – different expectation based on their wishes and adopted rules ...................................................................28

2. Class difference ..................................................................................30

3. Conclusion ..........................................................................................33

Works Cited .......................................................................................34

Introduction

This bachelor thesis examines class, gender and generation clashes in the movie Billy Elliot, filmed in 2000 and a novel written by Melvin Burgess according a screenplay Billy Elliot by Lee Hall. The film and novel are compared, though the film version is highlighted.

The film is about an eleven year-old boy Billy Elliot, who has a chance to change his life, which is strictly given by the working class bounds. Billy and his family have to decide whether he will be a ballet dancer or a miner. Billy’s father and his brother are against the Billy’s dancing career. Whereas Mrs. Wilkinson, who is a teacher of a ballet, appreciates Billy’s talent and she wants him to concentrate on it. Billy manages to assert himself to attempt the audition for the Royal Ballet School. Elliot’s’ family collects money for a travel to London. After some time Billy gets a notice saying that he had been accepted. Billy becomes a professional ballet-dancer; in the last scene he dances the main character of the Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The first part of this work is devoted to the main plot of the story and the period. The aim of this part is to give an overview of the context, period, the plot of the story and basic facts about the movie. The story is set in the years of 1984-1985, the historical background features substantial part of the story. This was a time when Margaret Thatcher was a prime minister of Great Britain. She had ordered to close about 20 mines and a fight with The National Union of Mineworkers begun. The Miners’ Strike plays remarkable role in the film and the story.

The second part analyses the character of Billy Elliot and the other main characters are introduced. Billy Elliot is the one to reflect on the aspirations of people closely connected to him. And so, Billy Elliot is presented as a complex picture consisting of different perspectives.

Some characters of the film are examined in detail according presence in the plot and their importance. Billy Elliot is the main character and so he is given a single subchapter. Billy’s father, Jackie Elliot, is an opposite figure to Mrs. Wilkinson a teacher of the ballet and a subchapter is devoted to their character as well. Some more influential, however, not that prominent people around Billy are discussed, too.

Every person has an expectation from Billy, depending on their social status and personal experiences. In a conclusion of this part Billy’s own perspective on his future and his life is examined and compared with other pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that his character represents.

The third part introduces the class difference as an explanation for better understanding the characters dilemmas. The main characters represent both working, class as well as, the middle class therefore we can follow the conflict of these two classes of the British society in the time of 1984-1985. Due to the characters representing different generations, we can also tell how the class conflict is perceived by the younger generation and the older one, parents and the children. This part also discusses the legacy to change the social class conscious, roles and status.

In the conclusion i.e. the last chapter, a class clashes and class mobility is argued according the plot of the film Billy Elliot. A possible perspective on the film’s background is suggested. An ambivalence of the film in gender roles is given by means of the main characters.

Background of the film Billy Elliot

1.1 Context of the story

The story is about class mobility; it is about a working class boy breaking unwritten rules of his class and social status to fulfil his desire.

The main character of the film is Billy Elliot who is a son of a miner, Jackie Elliot. The entire story takes place in a fictitious town of Everington, in the North of England, namely the Durham County and in 1984-1985. That time was called as a Thatcher era; a rise of unemployment is specific for this time.

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Fig.1 Durham County. ; “Maps of Durham”; World Maps; web; 2 May 2012

Billy lives in one household with his older brother – Tony Elliot, father and his grandmother. Their house is a small shabby terraced row house. Billy Elliot has to share his room with his brother. Their mother died in December 1983.

Jackie Elliot, the father, and Tony Elliot, the brother, are both miners and both are in the National Union of Mineworkers. The story takes place during the Miners strike in 1984-1985. For that reason Jackie Elliot and Tony Elliot don’t go to work but they participate in a protest every morning. They have little money to live on which is obvious in the couple of scenes. They own no car and the furnishing of the house is dingy.

In a community hall the free time activities are arranged for youth, there are lessons of box for boys and a ballet for girls. The room for ballet is originally in a different room than the boxing classes, yet due to the Miners’ strike they must fit in the same room. The place for ballet is taken by women making food for the miners, as the whole community of the working class is involved.

Due to the strike, the police is present throughout the story and makes the reality of the miners’ strike more prominent. However, they do not get any special part where they would be presented as individual people. There is always a group either protecting scabs, being present on the strike or background of a scene.

1.2 Summary of the story of Billy Elliot

The story begins with a sound of boggy song, a song which sets the time frame of the story. Billy enjoys listening to one of his brother’s record, even though he is not allowed to do so. He prepares a breakfast for his grandmother and soon he finds out that she is gone. Billy runs out of the house to search for her. Billy finds her in a field, she seems all puzzled. In a background of the scene on the field there are police cars and policemen ready to fight. In the book Billy Elliot, Nan’s reaction to the police is aversion:

“ ‘Bastards’ she shook her fist at them. ‘Bastards’ she screamed.” (Burgess 8)

While looking for his Nan he seems angry about her, however, as soon as he finds her, all his anger is gone and he is gentle and sensitive telling her that she has a breakfast prepared. Then Billy and his Nan walk home slowly. Billy was very gentle to her. As the story is set in 1984 the policemen are there to protect the scabs in strike of the National Union of Mineworkers.

As every morning, the next day father and Tony go to join the protest. They have their placards “No surrender!” “Thatcher out” and “SCAB! SCAB! SCAB!” prepared. There is a quarrel between Tony and his father almost every morning. They seem to have different attitudes to the strike. Tony believes there is a great chance of getting what the National Union of Mineworkers is asking for. He feels the power and the urge to let the nation and Mrs. Thatcher know that they are strong. Yet his father has given up already. He only goes to the picket line not to betray Tony and his friends miners. At home he attempts to sway Tony and his trust as he says:

“We’ll be digging it out of the ground again next month” and his father replies “Don’t kid yourself.”(Burgess 11)

During the morning rush, Billy is trying to play the piano and he recalls memories of his mother. There is a paragraph of sentimental thoughts in the book, whereas in the movie camera shows a picture of Billy’s mother.

On Saturday morning, Billy has got box training. He gets in the ring and starts to fight with a peer. His style of box is distinct from the typical boxing style. Rather than let the fight get too close to a physical touch, Billy is “dancing” around making his adversary baffled. His father comes to see Billy boxing and sees this dance. Therefore he shouts at Billy to strike, the moment Billy gets a punch. For that he is ordered to do special exercise with a punching bag after the lesson. Due to the miner’s strike a soup is served in a dancing room and the ballet lesson, which is usually there, is moved into the same room with box. While all the girls are dancing and piano playing Billy gets into the rhythm of the song, as written by Gary Simmons:

“He even sways poetically to the slow swinging movement of a punching bag in the gymnasium.” (Simmons 119)

Soon he joins the girls by the pole. The ballet lessons are lead by Mrs. Wilkinson, always seen with a cigarette.

All the moving and new impulses excite him. He appears as a person who has found some secret corner of himself. There is Billy dancing on the street shining his new vigour. The music of the movie emphasizes every emotion strongly and the performance of the young actor Jamie Bell makes the mode of the movie passionate. Dynamics of that composition High Had by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin sung by Fred Astaire underlines untold Billy’s emotions as well as all the soundtrack of the film; the music for the film is done by Stephen Warbeck. (Billy Elliot, Daldry, cover)

Billy has to make a decision where to spend the fifty p., which he gets for his boxing lesson. He should use it for box, to become a box macho like his father and grandfather and be a “proper man”, an expected male role of the community or he could use it to become a dancing butterfly. Billy‘s final decision is to give the time and money into the ballet, which is more tempting. Of course, his father as well as brother mustn’t find out about his new interest.

Sometime later, the secret is revealed and Billy is forbidden to attend the ballet. Billy goes to visit Mrs. Wilkinson, seemingly to apologize and explain. Mrs. Wilkinson and Billy make a secret agreement. Billy takes private lessons to get prepared for the entrance examination for the Royal Ballet School. Due to the confidential atmosphere, an open and intimate relationship has developed between Billy and Mrs. Wilkinson. Billy shares the letter from his mother with the ballet teacher.

On the day of the examination, an illegal protest of miners takes place. Tony gets involved in an open fight. The police get the upper hand, Tony is beaten and arrested. Billy and his father go to fetch him at the court. On the way back home these three men meet Mrs. Wilkinson, who is waiting for Billy to find out why he has missed the entrance examination date and the possibility to become the ballet dancer. The clash of Billy’s desire and the fragrant reality of the family situation puts an end to Billy’s possibility to become something more than a miner. For this moment, the ballet lessons are over.

On Christmas 1984 Billy and Michael (Billy’s close friend) go to the boxing hall. Michael wants to see Billy dancing. Michael also puts on a tutu which he always dreamt of. Billy’s father comes in and sees Billy for the first time to demonstrate his talent and ability to move his body. Billy does not stop dancing when he sees his father, on contrary: he expresses all his anger, than any explanation he could offer to his father. Possibly, this is the most understandable way of communication for these two men.

Jackie Elliot runs to Mrs. Wilkinson to learn about the Royal Ballet School.

Billy and his father travel to London for the entrance examination. Billy performs his piece. The entrance examination board does not appear much interested. On the oral part both Elliots answered the committee’s questions. Last question for Billy is how he feels about dancing. First Billy pauses and then he describes him emotions when he dances.

The Elliots are waiting for the letter from Royal Ballet School with a little hope. After some time, Billy gets the letter of acceptance. At the same time, the strike is stopped, the mining community lost.

Last chapter takes place couple years later. Billy has a performance; his father and brother come to London to see the opening night. Next to their seats, Michael is sitting dressed as a lady. Last scene goes back to the theatre stage where Billy is getting ready for a jump as he dances the main character in The Swan Lake.

1.3 What was going on in Great Britain – historical overview

Billy Elliot starts in 1984 and finishes in 1985. A short passage of Billy’s adulthood is at the end of the film but this year is not specified. We, the audience, are driven into a miners’ strike. In this chapter more of the historical connection is written to examine the time. Margaret Thatcher was the prime minister and her rule influenced all the British. The National Union of Mineworkers played also an important part as oppose to Margaret Thatcher reforms.

1.3.1 Great Britain before 1984

Thanks to a substantial technical development (including a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles) and its overseas possessions, Britain held a position of a world power after the World War II. Yet its power was going to shorten as the United States were against the colonization and they forced Britain to pass the rule in the colonies into their own hands and led them towards self-government. (McDowall, 172)

In 1956 Britain lost control over the Suez Canal. That was mainly for the US disapproval with Britain keeping the power there. Britain had to withdraw its troops under the US pressure mainly. It was the main reason for the British lost of its international position and power for some time. It was counted as a political defeat. (McDowall, 169)

However, the United States financed the Britain after the World War II as some other European countries through the Marshall Aid Programme. The living conditions grew quickly on a fairly good position. Also the fact that there were some social reforms during the 40’s established gave the British population a feeling of a social security. The main reforms are state by David McDowall:

In 1946 a labour government brought in a new National Health Service, which gave everyone the right to free medical treatment. Two years later, in 1948, the National Assistance Act provided financial help for the old, the unemployed and those unable to work through sickness. Mothers and children also received help. (McDowall, 169)

The Labour government went for nationalisation; they took over control of the Bank of England, coal, iron and steel production and the railways and airlines. (McDowall, 169)Some of these new British possessions were privatized during the Margaret Thatcher period in 1970’s and 1980’s, mainly industry (closer in a chapter 1.3.2).

Here I supply a table of Prime ministers since 1957 till 1990.

|Name of the Prime minister |Party he/she represents |Period of being the Prime |

| | |minister |

|Harold Macmillan, |Conservative |1957-63 |

|(from 1984, 1st earl of Stockton)| | |

|Sir Alec Douglas-Home, |Conservative |1963-64 |

|Harold Wilson |Labour |1964-70 |

|(1st time) | | |

|Edward Heath |Conservative |1970–74 |

|Harold Wilson, |Labour |1974–76 |

|(from 1976, Sir Harold Wilson) | | |

|(2nd time) | | |

|James Callaghan |Labour |1976–79 |

|Margaret Thatcher |Conservative |1979-1990 |

Tab 1. Prime Ministers since 1957-1990 (Britannica)

The Labour Party represents the working class and its interests. “This was formed in 1900 with the financial backing of the trade unions” (Storry, Childs 228). As such they should apply the trade unions politics often (Lloyd, 343- 496).

The Conservative Party is more traditional. It has changed its politics since its establishment in 1830. The party defends the monarchy, the aristocracy and the empire. (Storry, Childs 226) As Mike Storry and Mike Childs state his thoughts of the Conservative Party:

“... the Conservative Party was the only true national party which could rise above class and special interest groups to represent the people as a whole.” (Storry, Childs 227)

Yet it rather represents the upper classes than the working class interests.

The economic conditions of Great Britain went worse from the 60’s. There were several reasons for this development. One of them was an increase of import which exceeded export and violated the balance. (Lloyd, 418) Other reason for farther economic slump was the open boarder within the Commonwealth. Over 230 000 immigrants came to the British isles for better life. (Johanisová, 54) There was a high unemployment rate and these immigrants made the situation even more complicated. Considerable fact within the economics of Great Britain was its non-acceptance of its application to become a member of European Economic Community. France held its vote to keep Great Britain out of E.E.C. till 1973.

As the main two parties handed the power over to each other, they govern the state budget according their politics. After the majority of Conservative Party in 1974, the Labour Party took over. Edward Heath passed the Prime minister office to Harold Wilson.

Harold Wilson and the Labour government cooperated with the trade unions. They dealt with the financial problem according their politics.

From 1970 till 1974 many strikes took place. Great loss of working days was counted within this period. Since 1974, Harold Wilson governs hand in hand with the requests from the trade unions. This cooperation held the strikes back, however, in the same time it continued to make the economic matters worse. (Lloyd, 564)

The Conservative party won the majority back in 1979. The Prime minister was Margaret Thatcher.

1.3.2 Margaret Thatcher, the Prime minister

The origin of the term prime minister and the question to whom it should originally be applied have long been issues of scholarly and political debate. Although the term was used as early as the reign of Queen Anne (1702–14), it acquired wider currency during the reign of George II (1727–60), when it began to be used as a term of reproach toward Sir Robert Walpole. The title of prime minister did not become official until 1905, to refer to the leader of a government. (Britannica)

Mike Storry and Peter Childs give a short passage to the term too:

Elements of the idea that running the country was a part time job, almost akin to running an estate, persisted until the mid-nineteenth century, when Britain had its first ‘professional’ prime minister, Disraeli. Hitherto the office had been a part-time duty rather than a full-time occupation. It was not formally recognised as a government position until the twentieth century. (Storry, Childs, 30)

Margaret Thatcher is remarkable person, not only for British politics. She has a rich career behind her. Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister in 1979-1990. That is 11 years all together. She was the first lady to be the Prime Minister in Great Britain. All the British society knows her as Iron Lady. She represented the Conservative Party.

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Fig.2. Margaret Thatcher.; „Margaret Thatcherová – Životopis.“ Euroekonom.cz. Euroekonom, 13 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

„Margaret Thatcher had come to power calling on the nation for hard work, patriotism and self-help” (McDowall, 180)

Margaret Thatcher started her career as the Prime minister in a harsh time. Many strikes were organized. The trade unions were used to the Labour government and the cooperation with them that equals to get what they were asking for. Margaret Thatcher did not want to give up her economical goals for the demands of the trade unions. She shortened the legal power of the union’s leaders. The status of the trade unions decreases. (Zemánek, Jaklín)

In 1981, the National Coal Board announced that some coal pits will get closed. (Chronology). Margaret Thatcher ordered to make coal reserves for the strike. At the end, 20 pits got closed and about 20 000 men were made redundant. (Jeavans). Consequently, Margaret Thatcher became the greatest enemy of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Margaret Thatcher introduced many other changes. Her rhetoric was to give power to individuals, not unions. (Storry, 203) Great part of industry was privatized.

Her influence on British society was enormous. Mike Storry and Peter Childs write about her in respect: “ ‘Thatcher Revolution’ removed class from the political landscape” (Storry, 203).

1.3.3 1984 - The miner’s strike

National Union of Mineworkers was one of the most powerful trade union in Great Britain before the strike in 1984. The members were working class men with strong faith in their job and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). A former miner Neil Greatrex comment on his relationship: “The NUM was the greatest union this country had ever seen - we used to feel lucky to be part of it.” (What is a scab?).

The Great Strike of mineworkers started on 8th March 1984. The government lead by Margaret Thatcher closed a pit Cortonwood in Yorkshire. It was only the first pit, more were to follow. It was said that 20 more pits would get close that equals 20000 miners losing their job. (History of the NUM)

The strike went on for a year. A great number of miners joined the strike: “Scottish miners joined the action and by 12 March, half Britain's 187,000 miners had downed tools. “ (Jeavans) All of these men were members of NUM. They were fighting for their jobs and future. This event united the working class communities, many people showed solidarity and support for this strike. Miners’ wives joined the protest, they were on a picket line with their husbands, they organized supporting demonstrations and they set a community kitchen to serve a soup and food to the miners in strike. (Miners’ strike of 1984: Your memories)

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Fig 3. Miners’ strike 1984-86: “Miners’ strike.” South Yourshire, BBC Local. N.d. web. 20th May 2012.

Margaret Thatcher learnt a lesson from Ted Heath and his confrontation with the NUM. Ted Heath lost his fight because NUM went on a strike so there was not enough of coal to heat the British households. Margaret Thatcher got prepared and ordered the National Coal Board to stockpile the coal. This way she was ready to defeat the NUM and not to do any harm to the rest of the nation. After a year on 5th March 1985 the strike was voted over by the members of the NUM. As Christine Jeavans notes in her article about the Miners’ strike:

“From 1985 onwards the pit closure programme picked up speed. Margaret Thatcher had taken on the strongest union in the land and won.“ (Jeavans)

1. Analysis of the main characters and their expectations from Billy

This chapter analysis the main characters of the film. It focuses on their social background therefore their social roles and the way the main characters adopt on these. Billy Elliot the protagonist is there to reflect on others expectations as well as his own. Billy has to decide how will he adopt the social roles.

2.1 The main characters and their roles

Only three main roles are in the film: Billy Elliot, Jackie Elliot and Mrs. Wilkinson. Beside these there are some smaller parts: Tony Elliot, Nan, Michael and Debbie. The minor characters are still essential to recognize as they form the story and they raise the class and gender conflicts.

2.1.1 Billy Elliot – the protagonist

Billy Elliot is eleven year-old boy. He is a son of Jackie Elliot who, as well as his other son Tony Elliot, is a miner. They represent one of many poor miners’ families. However, the screenplay writer Lee Hall has made the story of the Elliot family even more dramatic as father is a widower and they take care of their grandmother, who cannot look after herself.

Billy attends a public elementary school. As many other young boys of this mining community, his male role was set before. He has inherited boxing gloves from his grandfather and he is expected to do box and become a miner (Burgess 12). Boxing is not his favourite activity and he really does not seem to be gifted for this sport (see fig. 4). He only follows the customary path of the real men as a symbol for patriarchal model and he is trying to fulfil his father’s expectations as well as the expectations of the society. In the boxing ring, Billy struggles to pretend or perform boxing. It is obvious that he is not the one to give a punch. Billy is not the best example of a future miner, a macho. Billy is the youngest member of the Elliot’s household. It seems that Billy as a “child” still keeps the right to miss his mother who has died and he has the right to talk about her, doubt father’s claims and bring a memory of her, or cry over her death. He is free of conventions and social expectations (and prejudice) that every man should be strong and not cry or miss people who are not with us anymore. His mother, even though she is dead, has very powerful position in Billy’s heart. Billy had got a letter from his mother before she died. In his reaction, the affection he has to his mother is obvious.

“That is my mam. For ever, she says. Only there’s no for ever, is there? Not for her, anyhow. I was supposed to keep that letter for when I was eighteen but I opened it anyway. I keep it in a box under me bed and I take out to read time to time - not too often, because the paper will wear out one day.” (Burgess 10)

Due to his family background Billy has not got a rich and wonderful childhood. He is often responsible for his grandmother “Nan”, and he has some duties towards her. He faces the reality of miners’ strike, the clash of class differences and impossibility to cross the class barrier, this topic will be closely dealt with in chapter 2. On the other hand, he is young enough to dream about better future and to try to follow his goal.

In the movie, Jamie Bell plays Billy Elliot. This young performer of the main character has a similar life story, a discovery of the ballet for males. He comes from North England, so he has the right accent. By chance, he has only one parent, his mother is a widow. Jamie Bell is a talented dancer

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Fig 4. Jamie Bell as Billy Elliot in a boxing ring.; “Jamie Bell”; The Internet Movie Database; 19 September 2001; Web; 20 May 2011.

2.1.2 Mrs. Wilkinson, the ballet teacher – supporter of Billy and a mother-figure

Mrs. Wilkinson is someone who believes in Billy, and helps him discover his talent; she is a mother-figure person in the film with an emotional value for Billy.

By profession, she is a ballet teacher in Everington. She represents British middle class of those days. She is about forty. She lives with her husband and daughter Debbie. The husband has been made redundant and is unemployed. They all live in a detached house in a better spot and better street, a middle class street while Elliot’s’ live in a working class suburb.

Mrs. Wilkinson symbolizes the feminine aspect and mother-figure person. Living in these days and this town, she has given up any higher goals. She only exists from day to day, there is not much enthusiasm. She is a sarcastic person. She is often shown with a cigarette. The upper class position suggests also the fact that Mrs. Wilkinson drives her car home after the ballet lessons. Mrs. Wilkinson appears to have abandoned the hope to create better life for her and her family. This is to change when she meets Billy but even then she is trying to change Billy’s life and not hers’. Garry Simmons says:

“The narrative lens also distils the life of Mrs. Wilkinson, a strong, no-nonsense independent woman who can see Billy’s talent and becomes his self-appointed mentor and guardian.” (Simmons 120)

In the film Julie Walters plays the part of Mrs Wilkinson. Due to her build it is not visible that she would ever dance ballet (see fig. 2). She looks feminine, rounded hips, a little ample bosom and not too slim waist.

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Fig.5. Billy Elliot dancing with Mrs. Wilkinson.; Walters Billy; “Billy Elliot - Jamie Bell , Julie Walters.” ;. N.d; Web; 20 May 2011.

2.1.3 Jackie Elliot, Billy’s father – working class male representative, Billy’s moral authority

Another essential character is Jackie Elliot, Billy’s father. He sets the patriarchal model of a family. Jackie Elliot would be called “macho” by the contemporary vocabulary. Jackie Elliot is a father of two sons Billy and Tony. As it is said Jackie E. is a widower and he is single. He and Tony are miners on strike; they stand for the working class. Miners’ future is not bright due to the political situation, yet being a miner is the only prospect he can imagine for his sons. Jackie E. and Tony comply with the image of their men role. They do not show affection for Billy openly nor do they explicitly demonstrate any passion concerning the dead mother and wife explicitly. In everyday life, Billy is expected to take care of himself. Yet, there are moments where Jackie Elliot reveals his paternal quality, too. He is brought into an ambiguous and unpleasant position by the situation, which he has to solve.

2.1.4 Other characters shaping Billy and forming the story, expressing the class differences

Four more characters complement the story; it is Tony, Debbie, Michael and Nan. Each of them has his/her specific value and none of these should be left out. Only missing character is Billy’s dead mother, who is a moral, emotional yet unembodied Billy’s support.

Tony is Billy’s brother. Tony shares his room with Billy. It seems that his only possession and passion is a phonograph, a set of earphones and couple of records he enjoys to listen. Billy is not allowed to even touch this pressured possession of Tony at all. Tony strongly trusts in the success of the strike just like he assents to the indicated role of working class male. Here I disagree with Gary Simmons and his description of Tony as an “emotionally bruised person” (Simmons 121). Gary Simmons describes him as a lost person within the problems he has had to face; yet, he disregards the basic status as an older brother. Tony’s position characterizes him as well as the death of his mother, the strike and the class limits.

The last person of Elliot’s’ household is Nan, Billy’s grandmother. She is about eighty (Burgess 5). She is confused most of the time and she relies on help of her family since she cannot care for herself. She walks slowly and once in a while she walks away and gets lost. Even though she is a female she doesn’t represent the feminine values. She used to do ballet. She often recalls her memories about dancing.

Michael and Debbie are Billy’s two friends. Michael lives in mining community; he represents a working class friend. Michael’s sexual orientation is pointed out: as a child he enjoyed dressing up his sister’s and mother’s clothes. In the final scene he shows up dressed as a lady and accompanied by a black man.

Debbie is the only Mrs. Wilkinson’s child; she is a middle class member. She attends the ballet lessons and she is Billy’s age.

2.2 Aspirations of…..

There seems to be other people, especially his father and Mrs. Wilkinson, who project their personal, intimate or collective aspirations on Billy. He seems hardly to be given a choice. Nevertheless, his persistence leads to his self-realisations. Throughout the narrative, he is facing various pressures and is asked to make choices. Besides the two significant formers of Billy’s future, he meets other people who influence him by their opinions frankly shared with him. These characters; Tony, Michael, Debbie and Nan, don’t exert pressure that much, yet their affect and expectations shape Billy and help him to do the decisions.

2.2.1 Billy – the working class youth

Billy as a young man has his life with possibilities ahead of him. Both Billy’s father and his brother see Billy as a bearer of their values. They expect Billy to follow the path to fulfil the male role as they did. The possibility of different future Billy meets thanks to Mrs. Wilkinson. Mrs. Wilkinson opens a new space for Billy and she leads him to explore it. She expects him to trace this new possibility. Billy’s friend Michael sees Billy as his fellow in his sexual oddness. Even though, Michael finds out that Billy is not homosexual the oddness bound these two friends together. Billy has to cope with all these expectation and decide what to incline to.

2.2.2 Billy’s social status and role

Billy falls into the working class as a son of a miner. Mike Storry and Peter Childs introduce the working class as the last class to be examined in their book British Cultural Identities and they explain it in the first sentence:

“It is the working class, at the bottom of the social pile, who have been most closely examined.” (Storry,Childs 215)

Later in the text about the working class they note that despite greater possibilities in 1950s and 1960s, a working class member still found it important to vote Labour Party and have a trade union membership card. (Storry, Childs 218) The social background had very powerful position in one’s life.

The movie takes place in a working class suburb until Billy goes to visit Mrs. Wilkinson, after about 30 minutes of the movie. There are terraced houses, no garages and one or two cars standing in the street. Even the streets are narrow as they are meant only for pedestrians. There is not any trim green foliage, no pretty gardens and flowers. Elliots’ house is a brick house, two floors. There is a little concrete yard, which is all concrete. There are two toilets outside. The whole house seems untidy and messy. The rooms are small and gloomy. In comparison, the street where Mrs. Wilkinson lives is on a top of a hill and so it affords a wonderful view. The houses are detached and cars are parked in the driveways of every house. A well trimmed park is nearby. Mrs. Wilkinson has roses in bloom beside the pavement to her house door. There are large windows and so the house is lighter than Billy’s. The house is well furnished with pretty decorations.

The stigma of Billy’s working class stands out against the difference in living standards of these two classes representing the different future of children from lower and middle class. He is predestined to become a miner. He will go to pit every day and he will be a member of the National Union of Miners. He will fight for the rights of the Union, he should not be a scab. As a boy he should do box, football or wrestling. When Billy’s father finds out about Billy’s attending ballet he pronounced the universal truth angrily:

“Lads do football, boxing or wrestling – not frigging ballet!” (Burgess, 49)

Boxing itself was a sport of the lower classes. The boys were to learn how to give a punch. Boxing as it is presented in the film seems to be about being strong, not to give up and keeping up fighting. It might look as a reasonable quality to learn. Unfortunately, the boys will not only learn to hit the adversary but the aim is to give the punch first and keep on punching until the competitor cannot stand up. There is no place for friendly agreement. A third side called a referee or a trainer decides when the round is over. There is no place for gentleness. If a boy fails he must work more to get fitter and try to win the next round. Yet, the game teaches the “lads” to follow rules and authorities.

The interest of the working class is focused the practical way only. When Billy is with his father on the audition in the Royal Ballet School there is a short episode between Billy and a boy present in the dressing room. The boy tries to be friendly and polite and he asks Billy where he comes from. Billy replies that he comes from Everington, County Durham. The boy knows about its beautiful cathedral and he says:

“Durham? Isn’t there supposed to be this amazing cathedral there?” (Burgess 133)

Billy is obviously unaware of a cathedral in Durham nor does he probably knows very much about art at all and he has not travelled around Great Britain, the England nor even the County Durham. Billy isn’t used to the small talk of the middle class and therefore his reaction is quite inadequate.

Analogically, on a bus to the audition Billy’s father cannot answer Billy’s question about London, because he has never been there. Billy is surprised by this information as London is the capital and Billy expected the father to be there before. His father has a simple and seriously meant excuse:

“Well, there’s no mines in London.” (Burgess 131)

In this short sentence, the scope of Jackie Elliot’s life is displayed: as a miner he makes just enough money for the family to get by. As Rob Breton cites Carlyle in his work: “ ...desire to work only for the sake of working. The working class, according Carlyle, need work in order to fulfil an internal need.” (Breton 76). Identically, Jackie Elliot has no desire to travel and his possible travel to London connects only with his work.

A boy from a working class family should sure be a proper man, get married some day and have children. There is no interest in higher education. He is expected to finish a school and become a manual worker without a qualification as well as most of his social class peers. (Storry, Childs 217) The male of the working class should be the head of the family and the breadwinner. He is allowed to be aggressive, too. If a boy is interested in a ballet it is assumed that there is something wrong with his sexual orientation. That is the first impression of a boy attending a ballet lessons, ballet bears a stigma of gentleness and “wrong” sexual orientation. Michael obviously comes to the same conclusion and so he shares his secret passion and sexual aberration with Billy. Once Billy comes to visit Michael, Michael opens the door dressed in his sister’s clothes. In his room he puts some lipstick on Billy’s lips. Billy is shocked, but he keeps Michael’s secret and explains that he is only interested in dance and that it is not connected to his sexuality.

2.2.3 Father’s expectations of Billy

Jackie Elliot adopts to the role which is given by his social standing: he accepts the role of a male of working class, of a son of miner and a member of a mining community. This is a normal life cycle he witnesses every day, he sees the same life for his sons. It may have never occurred to Jackie that Billy´s life could be different. There is no pressure on Billy in terms of education. The film shows no scene when Billy is told to study or read. Billy’s study results do not get in focus, they don’t seem to bear any value for Billy’s father. He is rather told to be conscientious when looking after his Nan and the gloves he inherited from Jackie’s father, Billy’s grandfather. Jackie Elliot decides to give Billy 50p once a week for a boxing lessons which is a considerable amount of money in their situation. He points out this fact when arguing with Billy about the ballet:

“Listen, son, from now on you can forget about ballet dancing. And you can forget about the frigging boxing as well. I’ve been busting my arse for those fifty pences. You know how tight money is.” (Burgess 50)

That demonstrates Jackie’s Elliot agreement with the social class implicit rules. Even though they are short on money, box is a pride and necessity for a boy to do. Box is worth to spend the money of a little budget, which Elliots live with.

On the other hand, Jackie realizes the difference between Tony and Billy. Billy doesn’t seem to carry the lad’s potential unlike Tony who appears to be more accurate in this matter. He is younger, that means he lost his mother in an earlier age and he can possibly miss her. Billy brings up his memories playing piano, which is his mother’s instrument. Billy often emphasizes his mother’s possible opinions, this way he reminds his father the invisible and untouchable presence of his wife. Billy’s gentleness, his attempts to play piano or do the ballet brings his dead wife back and hurts him again. During the Christmas the family has no coal nor firewood to heat up the house so Jackie E. chops up the piano and puts the wood of the instrument in the fireplace. Billy again reminds his mother’s possible disagreement with Jackie’s behaviour, this time about burning the piano.

“Do you think she’ll mind? .... Shut it, Billy. She’s dead, isn’t she?” (Burgess 97)

The reaction of Jackie E. is expectable and understandable. It appears as he is angry at his wife leaving him in the troubles. As a widower, Jackie Elliot must master the household core, he guards or raises his sons, furthermore a non-self-reliant person to take care of lives in the house, the Nan. So he decides to sacrifice the piano, a memory of his late wife, for practical reasons.

2.2.4 Mrs. Wilkinson’s expectations – expectation to follow a talent and desire regardless social rules

Mrs. Wilkinson is a middle class woman. She teaches ballet. For these reasons her point of view is different as well as the pressure she has to cope with.

Mrs. Wilkinson detected Billy’s gift for dance. She was aware of his different social class, but probably was not fully cognizant of the limits.

During the first lesson, Billy curiously joined the dancing girls by pole, Mrs. Wilkinson noticed the well-grown figure. During the next lessons, she gave him more of her attention than the other pupils got. She led and cultivated his movements. Her expectations of Billy were higher than of the other girls. She watched his movements carefully, made him dance alone to give him precise feedback and support. She wanted him to fully concentrate and do the figures better.

After Billy was forbidden to attend the ballet, Mrs. Wilkinson offered him private lessons because she could see his potential in both, making a good ballet dancer career and leaving the mining community with predestined future behind. She agreed to provide the lessons for free and secretly, so the father does not find out until the audition for the Royal Ballet School. Mrs. Wilkinson and Billy developed a strong relationship.

When she came to Billy’s house to tell the father about the missed term of audition, Billy asked her to leave:

“Please, miss, don’t.” (Burgess 92)

Even though she was aware of the miner’s strike and community roles, she did not realize how little her word means to Jackie and Tony. Also she did not see the impossibility for Billy to stand up his desires. After this accident Mrs. Wilkinson vanished from Billy’s life. She was not able to persuade Billy’s family to let him do the ballet. The secret lessons were over and there was no other reason for them to see each other.

Mrs. Wilkinson was a sarcastic woman. It appears she has given up her life. Billy embodies her aspirations for better future. She saw he could break the social class limits. She didn’t work with Billy for her pleasure as Tony accused her nor was it her own aspiration to become a ballet dancer. It was rather her disapproval with the division of the British society and its implicit but very evident rules and given roles. She didn’t want to feel bound by all these non-formal rules concerning the class system in England nor did she want to sacrifice Billy’s talent for this system. She argues with Tony and the quarrel gets personal and rude:

“What are you so scared of? That he won’t grow up like you to race whippets or grow leeks and piss his wages up the wall? ... don’t lecture me on working-class solidarity and the British class system, comrade. Got it? Right, so piss off yourself.” (Burgess 94)

Mrs. Wilkinson meet with the class conflict again when Jackie Elliot came to her to ask how and where can Billy can take the audition at the Royal Ballet School. Mrs. Wilkinson’s candid offer to help Billy financed the travel to London was turned down, Jackie Elloit felt patronized:

“ ‘Look, if it’s the fare I’ll give you the money.’

I’d been in there not five minutes. ‘ didn’t come here to be patronized,’ I told her.” (Burgess, 107)

Jackie Elliot of course did not accept the sincere offer; again, it would be humiliating. He rather sells a jewellery inherited from his wife.

When Billy is accepted for the school in London Mrs Wilkinson is one of the last ones Billy tells. By the time he comes to her, she already knows from Debbie. Billy seems to struggle to tell her.

2.2.5 Tony, Michael, Debbie and Nan – different expectation based on their wishes and adopted rules

All of these characters seem have smaller influence on Billy than his father and Mrs. Wilkinson as parent figures. However, they form Billy’s view and encourage him according their vision. Michael stands with Billy and his dream rather than follow the conventions. As an oppose, Tony from the same social background as Michael expect Billy to do what he did as well as the majority of their working class suburb. Nan projects her possibilities on occurrences around Billy. And middle class Debbie simply expect Billy to do what he is good at, she omits his social background; she is not used to such a boundaries.

Tony has accepted his role and he expects Billy to do the same. At this time though, Tony finds Billy too young to make any decision. In the quarrel with Mrs. Wilkinson he says:

“Look at him! He is only twelve for f...‘s sake.” (Burgess, 93)

Tony shares his room with Billy but does not want to share anything more nor does he want to speak to him unless it is necessary and it rarely happens in the movie. Tony believes the strike will be successful and the miners will work in the pit instead of standing on the picket line, so he sees Billy mining just as all other men in the community. The possibility for Billy to do something else is just same as to betray of the working class and especially the National Union of Miners and Tony already calls Billy scab. Tony is mostly very rude to Billy, he turns down every attempt for an emotional dialog.

However, when Billy is accepted and is leaving to London, Tony goes to the bus to see him off with his father. It is obvious from Tony´s facial expression that he will miss his younger brother. In the same time it seems as a possible hope in Billy’s future that gives Tony a slight smile.

Debbie was Billy’s friend and perhaps a classmate what is not clearly stated. She is the only child of Mrs. Wilkinson. She attends the ballet lessons, too. She is interested in Billy as a handsome boy. She persuades Billy to do the dancing at the very beginning when Billy himself is not sure whether he can do the ballet, even though he is not a “puff”. Debbie reminds Billy of Wayne Sleep sportsman of that time.

A problem in this relationship occurs when Billy refuses Debbie’s offer to see her private part. Debbie felt offended. On the day of the audition, where Billy was supposed to go with Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy called to apologize and Debbie was to give the message to her mother, but she did not because she was still angry with him.

She could also be jealous of Billy’s relationship with her mother, because they were very close to each other. And it was Billy who held the aspiration of her mother, not Debbie. Besides he was a gifted ballet dancer, which she obviously was not.

Michael was Billy’s very close friend. The two characters were often on a scene together, chatting or just sitting in silence. They lived in the same suburb and they came from the same milieu. At first Michael thought Billy is a homosexual because he likes dancing and so he revealed his transsexuality. Michael even tried to kiss Billy. It was their friendship what bound them together and helped them to share and keep their secrets. They both were unacceptable for the community with their desires. They were stronger together. It was Michael who was in the gymnasium with Billy when he gave the exhibition dance, a protest to his father Jackie Elliot. It was easier for Billy to fight with his father’s expectations with a friend who is not fulfilling the common expectations either. The last scene in the theatre shows both Billy and Michael living their dreams.

Billy’s Nan tries to support Billy’s dream. She often reminds Jackie E. her lost chances to be a professional dancer to point out the possible source of Billy’s talent. But as she is the last person in the household, her word is worth nothing.

3. Class difference

Great Britain has a social class division; the division forms and characterizes the full picture of Britain. (Storry, Childs 203) As the movie Billy Elliot covers only the middle class and the working class, this chapter will only examine these two classes and will leave the upper class out.

The division has no formal form. As an article “‘It’s like saying “coloured” ’: understanding and analysing the urban working classes deals with a term working class itself:

“Indeed, feelings about class can be raw, visceral, painful, and the ambivalence

(that Savage and colleagues identify ) perhaps points indirectly to a recognition that class engenders and embodies strong emotions in individuals, fractures and divisions in society.” (Vincent, 63)

This article, as the title says, is also concern about the correctness of using the term “working class” without its usual negative denotation. I shall leave out these theses and I shall work with the terms “middle class” and “working class” as an established concepts.

Both the classes form their own communities with their own ideologies. “ The classes remain loyal to themselves only, and therefore ideologically opposed” (Breton 89). The connection between these two classes is a matter of a fragile relationship of individuals. This class issue bothers some people of the British society and this is a long lasting issue, which appears in a literature and art through the époque.

In the movie Billy Elliot, it is Mrs. Wilkinson who is trying to reach Billy from the working class from her stable position in middle class and Billy trying to get out the working class stereotype.

The Elliots are a working class family. They follow a patriarchal model of a family. The father should have the household under his control. He is allowed to be aggressive and rude, to keep the household working properly. They live in a narrow terraced house.

In the film Billy Elloit, Billy’s mother is dead, she is not a living character hence we are not given the whole picture of a working class household and we are only allowed to guess of the given hints in the film, what the female role was. Women had weaker position in the family, they were not asked to work and they were not expected to have a job. Their role was to raise children and look after the household. They should keep the house clean and tidy. Every woman should take care of her husband’s needs without any questioning. (Vincent 72) A woman who worked and had a salary of her own was considered as a weakness of the husband. Even though it would raise a household income and could enhance the economic situation of a family, the working class society views it as a male’s failure.

The middle class is more open for alternatives. In Wilkinson’s household the woman drives car, smokes and has her own daily schedule. When Tom, who is the Mrs. Wilkinson’s husband, talks to Billy about the strike and it’s political and economic background, Mrs. Wilkinson tells him to stop and so he stops in a short moment. He does not stop straight away, however, he is not offended by his wife giving him orders, nor does he argue with her in any rude way. The whole situation in Wilkinson’s living-room is not pleasant for Billy because of Mr. Wilkinson’s speech, yet it is calm and unruffled unlike most conversations in Elliots’ house. Mr. Wilkinson heard about Billy from his wife :

“ ‘Well, well, well,’ he went. ‘Everington’s little Gene Kelly, isn’t it? I’ve heard a lot about you.” (Burgess, 52)

That shows that regardless their problems they speak to each other and listen to each other. As Debbie says Billy later in her room, her mother and father has some discrepancies and they no longer have sex with each other nor they share a bed. The separation was made on Mrs. Wilkinson’s incitement. (Burgess, 54)

Again it clearly demonstrates woman’s position and her right’s to express her opinions and will. Raising a child is a matter of both parents, as they agreed on not telling Debbie about the whole affair.

Debbie’s room is decorated by diplomas and cups. Girlish wallpaper gives the room a gentle look. Billy’s and Tony’s room is not as taken care of as Debbie’s one. This aspect shows also what attention was given to children and their environment.

All these signs were lived on a daily basis. Anger and probably a jealousy were embedded within working class. The anger often appears, written in the book Billy Elliot by Melvin Burgess, in Billy’s, Tony’s and Jackie’s mind; ‘Middle class’ is often used as an insult. Mike Storry and Peter Childs name the relationship: “The working class saw themselves as ‘Us’ and the middle and upper class as ‘Them’.” (Storry, Childs 217).

The social class clash is most prominent in the moment when Mrs. Wilkinson comes to tell the Elliots about the audition. The communication style or level is different as well as the women position. These two facts come up and a conversation, which could led peacefully and achieves a constructive outcome, finishes by yelling on both sides. Mrs. Wilkinson starts conversation politely as she is used within her class, yet these middle class manners do not apply in Elliot’s’ household.

“ ‘ What’s going on, Billy?’ she asked’” (Burgess, 92)

Billy keeps the polite manner and tries to explain why he missed the audition. But Tony interrupt this conversation in his manner:

“ ‘Who the fuck are you?’” (Burgess, 92)

Since this moment the encounter turns into a fight. No facts or Billy’s chances are being discussed. Tony rather attacks Mrs. Wilkinson, having in mind a picture of a middle class enemy:

“We’ve got enough on our plates without some middle-class bitch poking her nose around.” (Burgess, 92)

It appears that the two classes clash is too deep to be easily break. Working class community is too close and not willing to open for new possibilities, nor is it easy to accept anything what is out of the working class norm. Jackie Elliot had overcome these conventions for his love for Billy – his son, as a higher power.

4. Conclusion

In my bachelor thesis I examine the film Billy Elliot and on its background the social class clash, and generational gap is discussed.

The story is packed with generational and gender dialogues on class statues, man and woman status, and personal or communal responsibility on one’s fate, which are argued within the film.

The first chapter concerns the plot and the background of the film. I examine the historical situation of the Great Britain. 20 pits were closed as they were found uneconomical. Margaret Thatcher held a strict politics to get Great Britain of the Economical troubles. In the film, we see the effect on the working class families. The whole situation is presented only from the working class point of view.

Billy, the main character, is a working class lad. Working class community gives him a role to fulfil. In the hard times of the strike of mineworkers, Billy tries to define himself and his desire for his future life. His family influences him; they teach him the working class roles, they expect him to finish the elementary school and become a miner and a member of NUM. Anything else than fulfilling these expectations would be taken as a scab behaviour.

Billy meets Mrs. Wilkinson a teacher of ballet. She is a middle class lady. Mrs. Wilkinson recognizes Billy’s talent for dancing and she expects him to do the ballet. She gets in conflict with the class clash and she gives up. Even though, Mrs. Wilkinson is a sensitive person, she is not able to untangle the conflict of talent and class status. She does not know how to persuade Billy’s father and brother of Billy’s gift. Her offer to help is refused and taken as humiliation.

After all, it is Billy who has to stand for his desires. He has to make the decision and demonstrate how he feels about his future. However, it takes him about half year to build up himself, regardless his class status.

The class difference and discrepancy is examined in the last chapter. It is based on the film mostly. The conflict of the two classes is often unconscious and it is almost ever present. The differences are evident on streets; it is easy to recognize middle class street and working class suburb. Working class do not use a small talks, polite manners are not much seen. On the other hand, the National Union of Mineworkers appears as firm community with strong conscious of their rights. The miner’s community is bound together and so they help each other.

The film Billy Elliot is a sort of a fairy tale. A working class boy becomes a ballet dancer in Covent Garden Opera House, the Royal Ballet Company. He happens to be the one to move from the working class expectations. In the same time, the film encourages youth to follow their dreams and it might inspire parents to take the risk and let their children break the class boundaries.

Works Cited

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"Miners' Strike of 1984: Your Memories." BBC News. BBC, 12 Mar. 2004. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .

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Scott, A. O. “Billy Elliot (2000) FILM REVIEW; Escaping a Miner's Life For a Career in Ballet.”, The New York Times. 13 October 2000. Web. 15 May 2011.

Simmons, Gary. "The Gloves Are Off, Billy’s Pumped: Gender and Class Politics in Billy Elliot." Screen Education 44 2006: 119-23. Web. 3 Feb. 2012. .

Storry, Mike, and Peter Childs. British Cultural Identities. London: Routledge, 1997. Print.

"The History of the NUM - 13 The Great Strike." National Union of Mineworkers. NUM, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

TE Editor. “Billy Elliot. TeachingEnglish, BBC. 27 April 2009. Web. 15 May 2011.

Vincent, Carol, Stephen J. Ball, and Annette Braun. "The Sociological ReviewVolume 56, Issue 1, Article First Published Online: 15 FEB 2008." It's like Saying Coloured: Understanding and Analysing the Urban Working Classes. N.p., 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. .

"What Is a Scab?" BBC News. BBC, 04 Mar. 2004. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. .

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Zemánek, Josef, and Jiří Jaklín. "Margaret Thatcherová - Životopis." Euroekonom.cz. Euroekonom, 13 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. .

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