Billy Mills' Journey part 2

     After taking the first place in the race against Nebraska Billy learned a lesson from the coach as he said that he had to humiliate his opponent so they know he can't even be touched. Given the results of the race and by the length by which he won got his invited by a member of a prestigious fraternity at the Kansas University Campus. Arriving at the meet he had mixed acceptance right away. His host at the meet was told by the Fraternity leaders that the Indian could not participate in the activities of the fraternity being a member because they did not accept Indians even though he could still assist as a guest. As for internal journey Billy felt furious at this fact maybe because he was somebody important for the university being and underdog etc. and still be treated as an inferior even as he was taking the track team on the way to win a gold medal. As an exterior journey his host felt really bad about taking the news to Billy because did not invite him there to be judged by racist on purpose. Competitions went by as Billy started to feel overworked for carrying the whole team on his shoulders he started to view himself more of a machine than a human and seeing running as a duty not a way to have fun, he was being exploited. On top of that the coach would never be pleased by his results until that resulted in a championship, it just wasn't enough for him, so much that Billy's body started to give indications that it was wearing down when he was competing at a track meet in which he received the MVP award after winning the race. To feel better an connect with his old friends Billy and his girlfriend Pat  invited over to her parents' house a few Indian friends that didn't stay at the house more than 10 minutes because they understood that Billy was "Americanized" by his girlfriend and the university life

What Billy Mills must have felt like

. They left giving Billy a taste of what was for him a feeling of being alone and empty on the inside being nothing more than a race machine for a university and a insurance salesman that resume in just the feeling in note belonging anywhere neither with the Indians for which he receives racism nor with the Americans which treats him with racism in the first place. This drove Billy to lose himself and head for his old house in the reserve after feeling that he was being used by the coach and his sponsor. A few days went by at the reserve and he started to feel the same passion he had for life and for running as before moving to Kansas University, one day when he is going to look for Frank, a brother his father adopted, Billy found he had shot himself this gave him a shock so he went and joined the US Marines in a attempt to flee his problems. Eventually he went to visit Pat at her house, after dumping her and going to the reserve, so he could ask for forgiveness and reunite with her. Billy's next event The Olympics was a very inspiring moment in which he proved to himself he had made it on his own revealing himself who he really was without any judgement. During the race in the final lap there were many lead changes between Billy and other runner and at the finish Billy came from the back which for me is a metaphor of all his life in one event, there couldn't be a more perfect representation. In the end Billy won the 10k event at The Olympics, the only american to do so yet, and soon afterwards the coach went to see him and praise him for his good effort on winning despite what had happen between them. The train station where Billy made his arrival was packed with fans, in the middle of the riot there was an Indian traveling in the opposite direction as Billy, symbolizing Billy leaving his Indian side where the Indians belong and head  on with his new found life.

Billy Mills' Journey part 1

     On the movie seen from an internal perspective, Billy Mills is simply a young native american boy dealing with problems in the search of the education and the american lifestyle. As it can be seen in beginning of the movie his desire to be the first student in his family drove him to participate in a track and field team at a university so he could pay for his education, he was that good that a few teams offered scholarships but Billy chose the University of Kansas. At the first races Billy did not have a wining attitude although he did have the skills. As it shows in his first race against the university of Nebraska where another track star Indian raced for, he was worried more by how everything he does is perceived by other people that he wanted anybody to feel bad, that may have to do with some beliefs set in his culture, but for the perception of the coach it didn't look enough he wanted Billy to show-off to crush his opponents. The coach is a major factor because in Billy's journey though his first year of college is no run through the park because in the late 50's early 60's racism was small talk between the Kansas University Track team and among many students too given that most students were white and racism was not tolerated but still practiced. As for external perceptions on Billy's life there the one about racism, he seen as an intruder, the only thing the coach was seeing  in him was as player on his team that could make him win, racism aside even though his teammates still made fun of him, and his father who died when Billy was at a very young age after leaving  a fight he hustled to raise money for themselves to survive. That is a tough lesson for Billy  which showed him that to win you have to be capable and ready for anything. As his father he only saw him like a son nothing more nothing less.

Billy Mills