simple gift
Without the support of others and the security of place, a sense of belonging cannot be achieved” Belonging is a sense of enlightenment felt when an individual gains an understanding of themselves in relation to others and the wider world. The gift of protection and security is vital for the individual to develop a sense of belonging, and help prevent alienation. ‘
The Simple Gift’ is a free verse novel written by Steven Herrick which features a protagonist, Billy, who feels a great disconnection with his society and the people around him. Likewise,
‘The Blind Side’,directed by John Lee Hancock is a 2009 feature film that features a boy called
Michael Oher who, like Billy, feels a strong sense of insecurity from the place he grew up in and feels alienated from society. Both texts feature protagonists that don’t belong due t the fact that they have an inadequate level of security and support needed to feel safe in their environment. They both leave their hometown in pursuit to change their lives and find connections with people and place that will allow them to belong.
When we don’t belong, there is a desperate need for the individual to find safety. In The
Simple Gift, the poem Longland’s Road features Billy’s unhappiness with the society he belongs in. This alienation and lack of relationships with his father and hometown acts as a catalyst for his move. This poem contextualises the novel and highlights the lack of security
Billy is receiving. The way he “throws rocks down Longland’s Road” reflects the disconnection and hatred Billy feels towards the environment. Herrick uses a listing technique through the repeated words “and” and “the” to link together all the negatives the environment and people in it represent. He lacks a strong sense of security which could have prevented his alienation. The use of negative connotation in the dialogue “deadbeat, no hoper, shithole lonely” accumulates all the aspects of the environment that he dislikes
The Simple Gift’ is a free verse novel written by Steven Herrick which features a protagonist, Billy, who feels a great disconnection with his society and the people around him. Likewise,
‘The Blind Side’,directed by John Lee Hancock is a 2009 feature film that features a boy called
Michael Oher who, like Billy, feels a strong sense of insecurity from the place he grew up in and feels alienated from society. Both texts feature protagonists that don’t belong due t the fact that they have an inadequate level of security and support needed to feel safe in their environment. They both leave their hometown in pursuit to change their lives and find connections with people and place that will allow them to belong.
When we don’t belong, there is a desperate need for the individual to find safety. In The
Simple Gift, the poem Longland’s Road features Billy’s unhappiness with the society he belongs in. This alienation and lack of relationships with his father and hometown acts as a catalyst for his move. This poem contextualises the novel and highlights the lack of security
Billy is receiving. The way he “throws rocks down Longland’s Road” reflects the disconnection and hatred Billy feels towards the environment. Herrick uses a listing technique through the repeated words “and” and “the” to link together all the negatives the environment and people in it represent. He lacks a strong sense of security which could have prevented his alienation. The use of negative connotation in the dialogue “deadbeat, no hoper, shithole lonely” accumulates all the aspects of the environment that he dislikes