Analysis

The author Melvin Burgess wants to say that there is no typical boy or typical girl. He has the opinion that a girl can box and a boy can dance ballet. When sombody loves a special hobby he should realize his dream. The auther wants us to model oneself on Billy. He has changed his personality, he became more self-confident and we should do the same like Billy. He also wants to show us the hard and poor life of the miners, the strikes and the existential anxiety. This people have not enough to eat, the whole day they work hard or strike and all the time they are in fear of unemployment. The working class (= miners) and the middle class (= culture, ballet teacher ...) are contrary. Ballet and boxing are cantrary and Billy and his father are contrary too. In the end the miners loose. But Billy wins: Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true! Billy´s dream is so powerful that he is convincing even his father and brother of it. So the conflicts between Billy and his father and brother end. At last they are proud of Billy and take part of his new life in a new world, far away from working class, miners, strikes and boxing.

Analysis2

In this post I would like to write something about the style of writing the author Melvin Burgess uses and the structure of the book.
The book has 20 chapters. The titles of these chapters are alternating and have names like "Billy", "Jacky Elliot", "George", "Tony" and "Michael", the most important persons of the book. The Chapters are written from the point of view of these different persons. So you can read about the feelings of Billy, but also about the feelings and opinions of his father, his friend, his brother and so on. That´s very interesting and exciting. In the end you are able to understand the point of view of everybody and nobody is only right or wrong.
The whole book is written in a colloquial language, like people are speaking. The linguistic usage is powerful and strong. I suppose it´s typical working class. This direct speech is exciting. It transports many different feelings. The reader of the book is feeling like beeing right in the middle of it. German pupils like me, who have never been in England before, have a first impression of the colloquial language. That´s very interesting and useful.
(195 words)

Looking back "Billy Elliot"

Now I have read "Billy elliot", so I am able to tell you the whole story:
You know already, that Billy lives in a miner family with a boxer-tradition.
Because of that there are conflicts beetween Billy and his father(Jackie)
Billy loves ballet and secretly he goes to ballet lessons. The problem is Jackie realizes it and he bans Billy going there an other time. But the ballet teacher gives Billy secretly gratis individualised teaching, because she wants Billy to make a qualifying examination, so that he is able to go to the famous "Royal Ballet School".
Billy misses the qualifying examination. On christmas Billy shows his friend Michael the dance and Jackie watches the dance too. He realizes that Billy has talent.
In the end they drive to London, Billy dances and passes with flying colours. 140 words.

Development / prediction "Billy Elliot"

While Billy Elliot was dancing in one of the first secret ballet lessons his father came in. The teacher turned round and saw him. His father gone blood red. This was the moment Billy  Elliot was afraid of since weeks.
How will his father react? How will the story continue?

First suggestion:
His father will be very angry with Billy and he´ll get many impositions. Billy has to go to the boxing lesson and he will obey his father.

Second suggestion:
Billy will change his personality. He will be more self-confident. He will convince his dad of his opinion about boxing and ballet. He will say that his mother would be proud to have a dancing child, too. So he will be able  to go to the ballet lesson and the boxing lessons will be finished for ever.

Third suggestion:
Billy will find an excuse. His dad will believe him and Billy will box 4ever.

I think the second suggestion is most likely!!!!

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character analysis "Billy Elliot"

Billy Elliot is the main character... The story doesn´t tell much about the physical characteristics of him, but we know that  he is 12 years old, athletic and light. Billy likes jiggling around with Nan (his grandma), he loves music and the ballet lessons. In the past he learned football tricks. He didn´t stop practicing the football exercises till he was perfect in doing that. This special patience in doing movements till they are perfect is what some people call a tick. But that´s why he is becoming excellent in ballet.
On the other hand he hates boxing and his teacher grumbles, because he is dancing in the boxing ring. He doesn´t like violence and fighting.

I like the character, because he is not like other boys, who love fighting and other sports e.g. football, handball, boxing...but I think he could be more self confident and it would be better if he gived his opinon what he likes and dislikes.
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Personal connections "Billy Elliot": diary entry

 Billy Elliot, diary entry to his mum - 11th September 1984

Dear Mum,
you know that I love ballet, feel the music, jump high. I love it so much. It is my dream to dance. Today I was in the ballet class again, and I had to show Miss my jump, that I have practiced all the time. Miss said, I´ve got promise. She spends half the lesson just teaching me, that´s embarrassing. I´m good in dancing, I could be famous, some day... But Mum I can´t go to the ballet class any more. I´m scared of Tony and Dad: If they realize, that I´m dancing in the ballet class, they´ll kill me. Oh Mum, I wished you were here! Michael kept warning me: "He´ll find out! What you going to do then?" I know that he´s right, but if I keep on doing it and not thinking about it, nothing´d happen. Just this week, just one more lesson, then I´ll go back to the boxing.

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first impression Billy Elliot

The novel "Billy Elliot", written by Melvin Burgless is about Billy Elliot, his brother Tony, his father Jackie and his grandma Nan. Billy´s mother is dead.
The story tells about the problems of this miner family during the time of the goverment of Maggie Thachter.
There are two traditions in this family: The first thing ist everybody has to be a miner and the second is boys have to be a boxer. Both don`t fit to Billy.

tough lads

Billy loves dancing and music...
I recomment this book for teenager, because you are able to find these conflicts with the parents about hobbys in your own life. Especially it is interesting for german teenager, because the style of writing is good. The author writes how brithish people speak e.g.:"when me (my) dad and Tony are out in the picket line", "I dunno ( I don`t know )"
Also the changes of the perspectives are convenient to read.
You have to buy this book, it is a bargain, it costs only 12,20 p in the english bookshop of Konstanz.
175 words

Melvin Burgess

Maggie Thatcher

miner