The experience of moving into the new world can challenge individuals

attitudes and beliefs.

Discuss this view with reference to your prescribed text and at least ONE
related text of your own choosing.
Individuals undergo different experiences and respond to them individually as they
progress into new stages of life. This notion is explored in both Stephen Daldrys film
Billy Elliot (BE) and Junko Morimotos picture book My Hiroshima (Hiroshima), an
autobiography the atomic bombing in Japan, 1945. Both composers demonstrate that in
order for an individual to shift into new stages of life, barriers and obstacles must be
faced and overcome.

Distressing events often increase the rate of an individuals transformation and cause
changes to their perceptions of the world around them. In BE, Daldry provides the
audience with background context of Billys family, through the use of panning shots
and symbolism of the piano. The piano serves as a reflection of Billys connection to his
deceased mother, highlighting the impact of her loss in her life. Daldry utilises the
leitmotif of the diegetic tune played by Billy on the piano throughout the film. At the
beginning of the film, Billys piano playing is out of tune and somewhat annoying, which
is reflective of Billys dysfunctional family unit and his inability to be who he truly is at
the time, as per societal expectations and stereotyped gender roles. However as the
film progresses, his musical abilities improve, mirroring his transformation as a dancer
and his familys (who are representative of society) gradual acceptance of his newly
formed identity as a ballet dancer. As a result, it can be concluded that it is this
connection to his late mother that is the facilitator for his passion for the arts and
dance, which results in his progression towards new experiences and evolving
attitudes.

This concept is further explored in Junko Morimotos My Hiroshima (MH), as she focuses
on the difficulties faced during her transitional stages of life. Morimotos use of change
in tone conveys to the audience the seriousness of the war and foreshadows how she is
forced to advance into a warring society. The contrast between the innocent and
sombre tone reinforces the serious nature and impacts of the war. Despite this change
in tone, Morimoto still retains a childlike essence as she comes to an understanding
that a big war [has] started. Through this retention of child naivety coupled with the
use of first person narration, Morimoto clearly demonstrates the personas forced
progression into a belligerent society, epitomising the struggles encountered during
1945. Just as Daldry depicts Billys metamorphosis as a young boy to a dancer through
the changes in his clothing, Morimoto does the same. She utilises transitional images
from her child to young adult self to portray not only her physical change, but also the
changes from her surrounding environment. This is evident through the changes in her
clothing worn, as it shifts from a dress to military like attire, ultimately serving as a
representation of the world around [her changing] a lot, underpinning the notion of
traumatic experiences posing as a catalyst for the growth of an individual.

When individuals undergo transformations into the broader world, they are often
compelled to overcome various challenges. During the entirety of the movie, Billy is
constantly reminded of gender roles and societal expectations during the 1980s. As
exemplified by through the choice of costuming, the boxing gloves which hang around
Billys neck accompanied with his facial expression of complete bluntness reveal to the
audience that boxing is not of his interest, but rather a burden. However, through his
decision to replace his gloves with ballet shoes, he undergoes the journey of going
against social norms which ultimately results in his growth as a dancer and an
individual. This consequence is evident through the close-up shots on Billys feet at the
beginning and end of the film contrasting his dancing abilities and depicting his
evolvement as a dancer. His journey is further highlighted through the leitmotif of
Tchaikovskys Swan Lake which symbolises his transformation from a nave young boy
into a refined and world renowned ballet dancer, much akin to the tale of The Ugly
Duckling, where in which he overcomes the taunts and restrictions that are society.
Furthermore, Daldry utilises the pirouette to symbolise the beginning of Billys journey,
depicting his initial struggle of both becoming a ballet dancer as well as receiving his
familys acknowledgment. The juxtaposition between his pirouette at the beginning and
end of the film signify not only his growth as a dancer but also the overcome obstacle
of the acceptance from family and society.

Though different in nature to BE, the challenges which arise in Hiroshima ultimately
result in Morimotos growth as she is forced to conquer them. The juxtaposition
between two single page illustrations with their contrasting colours of blue and
brownish-black signify the impact of the bomb and foreshadowing how much of an
obstacle it later proved to be. Additionally, the use of a double-page illustration with the
centred Mushroom Cloud causes the audience to reflect on the seriousness of the
bombing and the degree of the obstacle which was now present. Accompanied with the
illustration of a bright yellow sun at the top of the page, Morimoto confesses that she
was very lucky, [her] family were all alive and [they] were all together, sheltering in a
cave. The yellow tones applied when depicting the sun reflect the hope and feelings of
warmth she experiences for being able to survive with her family, momentous of her
overcoming her obstacle of death. As the Morimoto reminisces, all she sees now is
clean white ground and peaceful images of young students, who are just like I was so
long ago. The connotations of white and peaceful imply a sense of purity and
harmony, showing the result of the overcome wartime. Morimoto and Daldry both
demonstrate their protagonists shift into a new age through the triumph over obstacles
which resulted in the success of their transition.

As individuals move into new stages of life, it is the ordeals that they face and the
barriers in which they must overcome that allow for them to be successful. As evident
in Billy Elliot and My Hiroshima, the different experiences each individual faces
ultimately shape the way in which the respond as they move into the world.