Swallow The Air Belonging Analysis
How have the texts you have studied for belonging explored the concepts of identity and place?
Belonging may be a way of acceptance, having security, fulfillment and/or a connection in association to people, places, groups, communities, and the world itself. There are different notions of belonging; however, they are recognized in cultural, historical, personal and social contexts. The poem Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost is a perfect representation of belonging in terms of identity and place as the narrator describes his loneliness and isolationism throughout the text. Secondly, the film Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton is another example that explores the concept of belonging in terms of identity and place, as Edward becomes …show more content…
It is about the brutal story of 15-year-old May Gibson, an indigenous girl from the Top End who, after her mother commits suicide, is taken in by her aunty and finds herself swamped by feckless violence. When May's brother disappears into his own hell, she begins wandering into the world to find herself and her father, searching from Waterloo and Redfern's Block, to Lake Cowal and the Lachlan River in central NSW, and a mission in Eubalong. In the chapter ‘Wantok’ May and Johnny travel around having fun and escaping ‘with each other’. He tells her about life on the islands and they imagine they are there. She in turn takes him to her mum’s country, ‘the lake’, and they imagine the tribal life. She realises the important thing is family. She is ‘wantok’, his ‘black girl ally’. She says she is like her brother and replies he is her brother. In this chapter, there are techniques that show May’s acceptance for who she is and suggests that she belongs to Johnny, demonstrating his acceptance of her identity. “…We scramble up the palms…We run down to the rocky beaches…We fish all day…We read the ocean…We beachcomb for turtle…We visit other islands… We dance with palm branches… We rest…” The repetition of “We” demonstrates May’s sense of belonging to Johnny – through their imaginations and attachment to the natural world they are connected. This makes the responder feel a sense of happiness as May is going through a violent childhood and finally has someone to have fun with, bringing back her innocence. The mixture of dialects in “Johnny says I am his wantok, his black girl ally” portrays May’s sense of being between two worlds. She still holds on to the culture of her ancestors, but is displaced and lives in a different world. Emphasises her Aboriginality and reminds the responder that she is searching for a connection to land and her own people. This mix of
Belonging may be a way of acceptance, having security, fulfillment and/or a connection in association to people, places, groups, communities, and the world itself. There are different notions of belonging; however, they are recognized in cultural, historical, personal and social contexts. The poem Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost is a perfect representation of belonging in terms of identity and place as the narrator describes his loneliness and isolationism throughout the text. Secondly, the film Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton is another example that explores the concept of belonging in terms of identity and place, as Edward becomes …show more content…
It is about the brutal story of 15-year-old May Gibson, an indigenous girl from the Top End who, after her mother commits suicide, is taken in by her aunty and finds herself swamped by feckless violence. When May's brother disappears into his own hell, she begins wandering into the world to find herself and her father, searching from Waterloo and Redfern's Block, to Lake Cowal and the Lachlan River in central NSW, and a mission in Eubalong. In the chapter ‘Wantok’ May and Johnny travel around having fun and escaping ‘with each other’. He tells her about life on the islands and they imagine they are there. She in turn takes him to her mum’s country, ‘the lake’, and they imagine the tribal life. She realises the important thing is family. She is ‘wantok’, his ‘black girl ally’. She says she is like her brother and replies he is her brother. In this chapter, there are techniques that show May’s acceptance for who she is and suggests that she belongs to Johnny, demonstrating his acceptance of her identity. “…We scramble up the palms…We run down to the rocky beaches…We fish all day…We read the ocean…We beachcomb for turtle…We visit other islands… We dance with palm branches… We rest…” The repetition of “We” demonstrates May’s sense of belonging to Johnny – through their imaginations and attachment to the natural world they are connected. This makes the responder feel a sense of happiness as May is going through a violent childhood and finally has someone to have fun with, bringing back her innocence. The mixture of dialects in “Johnny says I am his wantok, his black girl ally” portrays May’s sense of being between two worlds. She still holds on to the culture of her ancestors, but is displaced and lives in a different world. Emphasises her Aboriginality and reminds the responder that she is searching for a connection to land and her own people. This mix of