An analysis of Steph Green's The New Boy as a related text for AOS Belonging.

1. The New Boy
A short film directed by Steph Green

3. Observations (chronological)
The diegetic sound of the children’s voices
indicates that communication is key to their sense of
connection and belonging. This is juxtaposed to
Joseph’s silence in the Irish school. His lack of
communication inhibits his ability to belong early on
the in the film, and is not broken until he finds
common ground with his classmates and imitates his
teacher “Now”.

4. Positioning of the title “New Boy” on the left hand side of the frame
indicates that the new boy will be powerless.

5. Notice that, from Joseph’s point of view, his new classmates are blurry and
confusing. This is an example of shallow focus, as well as a point of view
shot, and indicates that Joseph does not understand his new peers or
surroundings, nor does he feel a connection to either.

6. The motif of raising the hands is symbolic of surrender and highlights the
teacher’s perception of belonging being synonymous with conformity. The
use of shallow focus indicates Joseph’s lack of understanding of this
behaviour, because to him it signifies danger. Despite this, his desire to
belong sees him slowly copy his peers.
The push for conformity is emphasised by the diegetic sound of the
children simultaneously putting their hands down.

7. Despite the scarcity of furniture in the set design of the African school,
colour is used to show the vibrancy of this place and the strength of
Joseph’s connection to it. The high-saturation yellow worn by this teacher
suggests happiness and vibrancy.

8. In Africa, students are seated side by side on bench seats. This highlights
their connection. On the other hand, students in Ireland sit at separate
tables, indicating their disconnectedness.

9. This midshot demonstrates that this student is also disengaged. This
suggests that everybody experiences a lack of belonging in some form,
either through disengagement from activities, lack of respect, different
culture, being different (e.g. wearing glasses) or learning difficulty.

11. Clip One
• The long shot of the children running and
cheering as they leave for a break indicates a lack
of true belonging in the classroom for all of the
students as they are so keen to be away from that
particular place.
• Joseph is shown alone, unable to understand why
the children left so excitedly when his classmates
in Africa had not behaved in this way. His inability
to behave like his peers alienates him from them.

13. Clip Two
• Notice the use of sound in this sequence. The
diegetic sound of children playing is typical of a
primary school playground, but the traditional
African musical score is not. This indicates that
the past and present are going to collide for
Joseph.
• In a point of view shot, the camera pans the
playground, following Joseph’s scan of what is
occurring. He remains framed alone, while the
other children are shown in groups. This
emphasises his sense of isolation and
disconnection.

15. Clip Three
• Initially, the midshot of the three boys indicates no
connection between them. Their eyes are downcast
and their dialogue (such as “I didn’t do anything”) is
defensive.
• The teacher is depicted using a low angle shot,
suggesting that the pressure to belong in the way that
she thinks is correct is strong.
• The connection between students relies on their
combined strength against their teacher. Even though
Hazel is dobbing him in, Christian still laughs at her
confrontation with the teacher, including Hazel’s wit “I
am standing”.

16. Clip Three cont.
• When Seth makes the observation “She thinks she’s
robbing a f**king bank”, his body language changes,
with a midshot showing his outside shoulder leaning
in towards the other two boys. This suggests that he is
more open to a connection with both boys now.
• Joseph’s first dialogue in the Irish school is an imitation
of his teacher, “Now”. This helps to establish a bond
with his peers. The diegetic sound at this point also
includes laughing and the boys begin to make eye
contact with each other. This suggests the
establishment of a new positive relationship and
perception of belonging for all three boys.

17. Seth Quinn
• Seth feels a lack of belonging due his learning
difficulties. He responds by acting out (“Miss, Seth
Quinn threw me book out the window”) and
denying any knowledge of problems (“Nothin’”)
• His type of character demonstrates that different
people experience different ideas about
belonging. They have different criteria for
belonging, different barriers and different
responses to these experiences. Consider how
Seth differs from Joseph.

18. A sense of belonging
changes over time.
The film demonstrates three key stages in Joseph’s experience of
belonging:
1. At school in Africa, Joseph clearly belonged. The diegetic sound of
the students answering together signifies their connection as they are
able to participate simultaneously and successfully.
2. Early in his time at the Irish school, Joseph felt isolated and
disconnected.
3. By the end of the film, Joseph had found a way to belong among his
Irish classmates, but this connection was not forged in the same way
as his connection to his African peers. While the Irish children bond
over imitating their teacher, the African children were unwaveringly
respectful.
This demonstrates that Joseph's experience of belonging changed over

19. Perceptions of belonging
vary between individuals.
Consider how each of the following people feels
about belonging. Do they belong? What are their
criteria for belonging? What are their consequences
for not belonging?
• Joseph
• Seth
• Teacher

20. For some, conformity and
belonging are synonymous.
The Irish class teacher feels a sense of belonging
when her world is disciplined and ordered. Her
repeated instructions “Hands in the air” is a motif
that indicates the children's’ surrender as raised
hands is usually associated with surrender. The
children are not valued as individuals (like the
migrants in many poems), but are required to
conform similar to the students of St Patrick’s
College. For Joseph, this behaviour is particularly
damaging as he would associate it with violence and
danger before conformity.

21. A lack of belonging can leave
a person weak or vulnerable.
Joseph’s obvious discomfort in the new classroom
makes him a target for the class bully, Christian
Kelly. Christian’s dialogue towards Joseph is
derogatory and provocative. Christian addresses
Joseph as “Live Aid” insinuating that he is a charity
case. He also highlights Joseph’s cultural difference
via the rhetorical question “Do they know its
Christmas?” This sets Joseph apart from his new
classmates because he has different traditions.
Christian also uses a threatening tone in his
repeated warnings, “You’re dead”.

22. A lack of understanding of the community one is
entering into can limit their opportunity to belong.
Joseph clearly does not understand the community
he is entering into when he begins at the Irish
school. This is demonstrated through the use a point
of view shot as he surveys the classroom for the
first time, coupled with the use of shallow focus.
The point of view shot allows the responder to
empathise with Joseph’s fear and alienation from the
class group, as they are seated together and he is
alone. The shallow focus further emphasises his lack
of understanding, as the new environment seems
blurry and unreadable.

23. A common understanding
strengthens an individual’s sense of
belonging.
Joseph and his father shared a strong connection
and common understanding. A midshot of his
father’s face as he was led out of the schoolhouse
implored Joseph to stay silent and hidden. Joseph,
although understandably distressed, obeyed. This
common understanding saved Joseph’s life.
Common understanding also exists at the end of the
film between Joseph, Christian and Seth (see
detailed analysis of Clip Three)

24. Strong relationships with others are
essential for a true sense of belonging.
The significance of relationships for Joseph is highlighted
by the stark lack of these relationships for the majority of
the film. It is not until the final scene, when the three boys
are depicted in a midshot, standing shoulder to shoulder,
that Joseph feels any sense of connection to his peers.
This stems from a common goal, the joking at the
expense of the teacher. It is conveyed through the close-
up of Joseph’s face as he laughs at his Seth’s “She
thinks she’s robbing a bank, and then at his own imitation
of his teacher. This is also significant because it is the first
time that Joseph has spoken in the Irish setting.

25. The past can present a
barrier for belonging in the
present.
For Joseph, his past is something that he is constantly
reminded of. He experiences flashbacks to his time as a
student in Africa. The high colour saturation and
traditional musical score used in these scenes indicate
that Joseph felt happy and at ease in that environment.
On the other hand, the washed out lighting and
Joseph’s silence at school in Ireland indicate that he
does not feel a sense of belonging in Ireland, and instead
escapes to the happier memories of his past.
The significance of his past is also evident when the past
and present collide in the simultaneous occurrence of the
milk container hitting Joseph and the gunshot.