At first, I want everyone to think about what is discovery and why we need to discover?
Vlay Krishna has said that “ the essence of living is discovering. Indeed it is the joy of discovery that makes life worth the effort”.
The fiction ”China coin” written by Allen Bailie reflects that discovery is a journey that can enhance individual’s understandings about family relationship.
At the start of the book” China coin”, discovery is confronting and challenging for Leah. In the quote” I’m being taken to village so primitive they file their teeth and eat raw meat.”, the inner monologue is used to reveal Leah’s frustration about going to China to find the mysterious” China coin” and her confusion about what this discovery means for their family. However, as time goes, this discovery experience allows Leah to get much closer to her mum. In the dialogue, ”It’s over.” Leah took Joan’s hand and squeezed. “we’ve have been through a lot, eh?”, Leah’s intimate tone demonstrates she has been developing a better understanding on her mum’s feelings. At the end, the union of two “half-China coin” is symbolic to highlight that Leah has bonded with her lost family in China. The experience of discovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed has offered Leah’s renewed perception to her family.
In a similar manner, the film “Billy Elliot” directed by Stephen Daldry explores that self-discovery can empower individual to challenge the social expectations and achieve their dreams. The high-angle shot of Billy stamping on his feet on the concrete and slapping the brick walls captures an idea that self-discovery can be showed as Billy’s determination to break down the barriers and develop his creative spirit. The background music” children of revolution” emphasizes that Billy has gone through an emotional and spiritual discovery of exploring the ballet world and this discovery has motivated him to challenge stereotyped social expectations about gender.