Billy Elliot – Characters



Billy Elliot – Characters

Billy Elliot:

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. His 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. Boxing is not his favourite activity and he really does not seem to be gifted for this sport. He only tries to fulfil his father’s expectations as well as the expectations of the society. In the boxing ring, Billy is not the best example of a future miner. When Billy began to dance he is afraid that he will be thought a “poof”.

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 that every man should be strong and not cry or miss people who are not with us anymore. His mother 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.

He faces the reality of miners’ strike, the clash of class differences and impossibility to cross the class barrier. On the other hand, he is young enough to dream about better future and to try to follow his goal.

Jackie Elliot:

Jackie Elliot is a father of two sons Billy and Tony. His is the most complex character and the one that grows the most. He sets the patriarchal model of a family. A quick-tempered man embittered and deflated by the experience of the dispute. He would be called “macho” by his peers. As it is said Jackie 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 and Tony comply with the image of their men role. They do not show affection for Billy openly nor do they demonstrate any passion concerning the dead mother and wife. 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.

Mrs. Wilkinson:

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.

She is a ballet teacher and leads the ballet lessons. She represents the 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.

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 and 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’.

Tony Elliot:

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. 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 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:

Debbie was Billy’s friend and maybe perhaps a classmate. She is the only child of Mrs. Wilkinson. She attends the ballet lessons, too and 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.

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.

Michael:

Michael was Billy’s very close friend. They lived in the same suburb and they came from the same milieu. At first Michael thought Billy is a homosexual because he likes. 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.

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