Billy Mill's Internal/External Journey 2

Assignment #1 part 2: Consider the internal and external journey that Billy Mill's experienced and describe both. How were his internal and external journeys related, i.e. how did they influence each other? Be sure to reflect on his decisions and the outcome of the race.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" (Lao Tzu) As we continued to watch the movie, Running Brave, this is exactly what happens to Billy's journey. The first part of the movie, which I already wrote about, is just a small step into what is going to happen. As the story develops, we are shown how Billy's internal journey keeps getting more complicated as his emotions begin to take more control of his actions and his values get tested with every decision he makes. His external journey complicates and takes many turns as well; his passion to become a great athlete succumbs to the pressures of living outside the reserve.   

As the coach told Billy, in order to get to the Olympics "don't ease up". For Billy running is not an obligation, but rather something he enjoys and loves to do. As the pressure builds up with the team and coach, the love and fun in running begins to fade for Billy, and he starts lose many races. This is the major part of his external journey. Billy starts to lose this identity that people have created for him, since he stops being Billy, the runner who always wins. Also as he begins to date Pat, a white girl, he confronts the prejudiced against indians even closer. Her parents don't approve of their relationship, since Billy is half native american. This ordeal doesn't end here since Billy is also prohibited to join a fraternity because of his race. As his external journey begins to take the shape of prejudice, hate, seclusion and pressure, his internal journey also begins to develop.    

Billy begins to feel out of his comfort zone and running no longer serves as a vehicle to release his tension. He starts to miss the reserve and hate the way the white world works. Once after a race, an interviewer asks Billy that if he thinks his game is not perfect because of his ethnicity (referring to his indian heritage). Billy wisely answers: "Im also half white, so which side do you think loses?". He is fed up with all of the prejudice and racist remarks. His internal journey consists of trying to emotionally cope with all of this. I believe Billy's breaking point is when his family comes to visit and he feels he doesn't fit in with them anymore. His first reaction is to try to run away from it all, but since Pat disagrees with this idea, Billy quits the team and returns to the reserve to rediscover his roots. "If the sky and earth are in flames, the eagle flies until falling", Billy feels like he is falling. I believe Billy quits inside. He quits the white world, his team, his dreams, but never his passion. Once back in the reserve, he rediscovers his love for running and himself. 

In the end, in the process of rediscovering himself and his roots (internal journey) Billy shapes his external journey. He makes the decision to quit and return home, but never stops loving Pat or running. Even though I haven't seen the end of the movie I believe Billy is obligated to find a balance between both worlds in order to be happy. This is where Frank fails and thats why he ends up committing suicide. As history shows, he does find this balance since he goes to the Olympics, but never denies where he came from and who he is.     

It takes a winner to come from behind: Video on Billy's winning moment

Billy Mill's Internal/ External Journey

Assignment #1: Consider the internal and external journey that Billy Mill's experienced and describe both. How were his internal and external journeys related, i.e. how did they influence each other? Be sure to reflect on his decisions and the outcome of the race.

Billy Mill a regular boy with and extraordinary talent, running. From early on in the movie, Running Brave, Billy's external journey is revealed as he constantly struggles against prejudice, since he is a Native American. Billy's life in the reserve is completely different from the "white world" outside and coping with these differences in culture, language and sense of "sameness" are Billy's external journey. Billy's identity doesn't fit his peer's preconceived notion of normal. As his identity continues to be questioned Billy faces his internal journey: to continue to stand by his values and culture or to let them go in order to accept the "white world" ways. 

As seen through this example, the internal and external journey will always be connected in some way or other. Billy's struggles begins with being considered for a scholarship to attend college. The coach who is making the decision doesn't want to choose Billy on the basis that his heritage will affect his development as an athlete and he will eventually quit to go back to the reserve where he came from, even though he is clearly a gifted runner. People around Billy strongly believe that Native Americans don't have what it takes to fit in and survive outside the comfort of their reserve. To the surprise of everyone, Billy decides to take the challenge to attend college in Kansas and keep doing what he loves, running. Once there, he's team makes fun of him and his coach encourages him to compete in a dirty way. Either way Billy always decides to think about his values and history and makes the right choice. This is where both the internal and external journey join. 

Billy's external journey, the circumstances he is in and the choices he makes, affect his internal journey which is what he feels and his process of deciding how to react to his external journey. As he explains, his dad greatly inspired him to think about his heart and desires, which in part shape his decision-making and how handle his emotions. For Billy running is his escape from the world. Running is his way of dealing with his internal journey, because he feels free from prejudice, awful treatments and the white world. We see in his first race after arriving at college that even though he is encouraged to play dirty and win this way, Billy goes on to win fairly. Billy wants to prove to the whites that he can and will fit in without abandoning his culture. He believes he can unite both worlds and obtain from each what is important, as his father did being white and living in the reserve. A perfect example is Billy’s father's funeral where both a catholic service and a Native American ritual where administered before he was buried. I believe Billy's journey (internal and external) is summarised as achieving a balance between both cultures and ways of life. A hard task that will definitely change his identity forever.  

Fun facts: 

• Mills won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympic Games held in Tokyo.
• Mills brought home the first gold medal won by any American in the 10,000-meter race, and was a source of pride for Native Americans. 
• The only Louis Tewanima, also Native American, is the other person to ever win in the event; bringing home a silver medal on 1912.