individual copy of the essay

Imagine a young boy growing up in an economically depressed mining town in northern England where
football and boxing represent the culture. Imagine this same boy with a passion for dance. This is the
subject of Steven Daldry’s film Billy Elliot, (comma, not full stop) which explores the role of storytelling,
the individual and collective experiences and human qualities and emotions. Nam Lee’s short story Boat
and Tony Birch’s podcast The Girl in the Fruit Shop also explore the same themes. Together, (add a
comma) the three texts create a variety of experiences and themes that invite the audience to explore the
tension between individual and collective experiences. 

Storytelling is a way for an author to share their ideas about human experiences. In Billy Elliot the story is
told in the medium of film, where it conveys a visual representation of the experiences of Billy's
metaphorical journey to find his identity. The quotation “Lads do football or boxing, or wrestling not
frigging ballet” illustrates the battle that Billy is facing against the stereotype. Billy’s struggle is reflected
in that of the miners who are striking for better conditions and retention of their jobs. Steven Daldry is
able to illustrate these twin stories through the medium of film. The anger of the miners is reflected in the
scene where they are stoning the bus carrying the workers who refused to go on strike. In contrast, Billy’s
anger is expressed in the scene where he dances furiously down the street. Both of these scenes are
effective because they are told with action rather than dialogue. The short story The Boat is a literary
example of storytelling. Nam Lee uses his parents' personal experience to tell a story. The main character,
(add a comma) Mai, (add a comma) quotes “ The street, like a wound, had closed over the space where it
had been”. The simile is used to draw a comparison between (of – remove) a wound and the trauma of
leaving her family and (leaving –remove) her home where she belonged (that she belonged to - remove).
The Girl in the Fruit Shop is another form of storytelling, (add comma) namely, (add comma) a podcast,
where the presenter, (add comma) Tony Birch, (add comma) is relating his personal experiences as a
(young – change to teenager). It is told with humour (for example – remove) in the way he describes how
“Every day I went to the fruit shop to buy just one piece of fruit”. (add a full stop) His purpose was to try
to express his feelings for the young girl, but there is irony in the fact he couldn't convey his feelings at
any stage of the visits. Each of these forms of storytelling provide a clear image of what the creator is
trying to convey. (full stop, not comma) 

The idea of individual and collective experiences is a popular (and pervasive – remove) concept
(especially – remove) in the literature of many cultures (individual or collective – remove) and is
(are - remove) recorded in many forms of texts. Individuals seek out experiences in a variety of ways with
some seeking (Some seek – remove) more extreme experiences to test themselves against the world. On
the other hand collective experiences are recorded in a group of individuals. In Billy Elliot, Billy's
individual pursuit of ballet contrasts with the collective experience of restrictive gender stereotypes and
sexual objectification in 1980s civilization. In one scene there is a (where the - remove) clash between
ideologies of individual and collective (is seen - remove) with individuality being represented by Tony’s
actions and collective, being the police. Tony (remove comma and who) is rebelling against the
government and the collective goal of the government which is, enforcing law and judgment upon
society, thus resulting in loss of freedom and identity. The wide shot of the police force in the foreground
shows (the loss of - remove) collective identity and contrasts with (remove – between collective and) the
individuality (with – remove) of Tony standing in the background. On the other hand, dancing as a
collective brings joy. The medium long shot (which scene?) shows that dancing creates freedom for some
individuals. (Short story - remove) The Boat is a literary example of individual and collective
experiences. It (The Boat – remove) symbolises transformation because it takes Mai from one life to
another showing individual experiences and her journey while also being part of the (experiencing –
remove) collective experience (remove the s). The Girl in the Fruit Shop also is another example (form –
remove) of human experience (no ‘s’). Tony Birch displays (experiences – remove) individuality through
the journey of confessing love to the girl in the fruit shop, while contrasting his collective experiences
with his friends. Each of these types of individual and collective experiences paints a vivid picture of
what the creator is attempting to convey (persuade – remove). 

Human qualities and emotions are important concepts (no comma) effectively represented (especially –
remove) in many forms of text. Individual emotions and qualities are the most powerful drivers of human
experiences and form the most lasting aspects of any experience. Billy Elliot is a form of text that acts
upon emotion and the qualities of individuals. The final sequence uses a wide shot angle of young
people in the audience as they watch Billy’s powerful display on stage. It reinforces the belief
that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. (In the final sequence, it reinforces the belief that if
you put your mind to it, you can do anything. The film leaves the audience with images of young people
from a wide shot angle. Billy Elliot to remind – remove all of this sentence) The viewers are reminded of
where he came from and (explores – remove) the emotions that Billy experiences (has to face – remove)
while searching for his identity, (and shows – remove) as well as the qualities he gained while growing
and becoming more masculine over time. Another scene, using a long shot camera angle, illustrates the
motif of Billy dancing into the wall and symbolises the obstacles of his journey into a wider and more
experiential world. The walls represent the barriers he is facing: those of gender expectation, family
position, and the loss of identity. Human emotions and characteristics are aroused and displayed to
illustrate how he interacts with these challenges. The text The Boat by Nam Lee shows the reflection
(introduction – remove) of human qualities and emotions through the motif of the rain which appears
when characters are feeling strong emotions or facing significant life changes. Therefore, (add comma)
the motif connects the setting and tone of Le’s stories to represent the characters’ human qualities and
emotions (her individual and collective experiences - remove). Finally, (add comma) The Girl in the Fruit
Shop  is also another form of text that represents the concept. Tony’s feelings for the young girl are
displayed through his trips to the fruit shop, even though he finds it hard to speak to her, and his
human qualities are evident in his persistence. This demonstrates to listeners how he is facing the
challenge before him. (through Tony Birch’s emotions and qualities thus showing his journey to
illustrate his passion for love to the girl in the fruit shop, allowing  listeners to understand the undergoing
challenges he faces. - remove this sentence,) Each of these examples (types – remove) of human qualities
and emotions represents an image of what the creator is trying to illustrate. 

In the conclusion you need to restate the 3 texts. I’ve given an example of what you need to include. You
can use it or rewrite your own version.
(various forms create a wide range of experiences and concepts, inviting the audience to consider the
tension between individual and collective experiences. Individual and collective experience are contrasted
in diverse forms of writing to show human experience and human emotion, and quality expresses the
influence of humans when confronted with themselves and others through storytelling.) 

Various types of media can be employed to tell a story. It can be through film, as in Billy Elliot,
the more traditional written text, for example, The Boat, or through a podcast like The Girl in a
Fruit Shop. Each provides an effective method of conveying the contrast between individual and
collective experiences as well as a range of human emotions and qualities. Through the form of
story, they invite the audience to reflect on their own experiences and identify with the
characters.