Belonging is usually defined as being accepted into and by members of a family, group, class, race, community or school. The term belonging means something different to everyone but most people will come up with the words acceptance, security and identity. In this speech I have chosen to talk about the aspects of belonging and not belonging in two of Peter Skrzynecki’s Poems, Migrant Hostel and 10 Mary Street and also in the 1997 film ‘Titanic’.…
Have you ever felt like you would never be accepted? Like you wouldn’t belong? A sense of belonging can come from connections made with people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. These connections are evident in the memoir Romulus My Father by Raimond Gaita and the novel Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. The perceptions of belonging in these texts are shaped by the detachment or connections made with people, culture and landscape in a historical context. Aspects of belonging may be considered in terms of experiences of identity, notions of identity, relationships, acceptance and understanding.…
A perfect related text needs to encapsulate the masses, to inspire the uninspirable, and to expose a true sense of belonging that is neither superficial nor false. Ladies and Gentlemen would you say belonging is fundamental to all human beings, including yourself? Macquarie dictionary defines belonging as ‘happiness felt in a secure relationship’ but in reality, belonging is a precursor to knowing and accepting one’s self. Through comparing different texts I have come to the realisation that a sense of belonging comes from a sense of identity, both cultural and personal. This concept is epitomised within Kate Woods, ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ film and further developed within Peter Skrzynecki’s poems Feliks Skryznecki and St Patricks College.…
Good morning, fellow students. I am here today to give you a short presentation on how personal, historical, social and cultural contexts have all worked together to shape my understanding of belonging and not belonging. How would you feel if you were thrown into an entirely different landscape to what you were used to? And were treated as an outsider just because of the colour of your skin, or where you were from? You would feel neglected, alienated, alone. This is the sense of not belonging that is strongly illustrated in both the novel Romulus my father, by Raimond Gaita, and the song Oxford Town written by Bob Dylan. The historical and personal contexts that surround these texts shape and strengthen the concept of belonging inside them. A sense of belonging emerges from connections with people, places, groups, communities and the world as a whole. But the perception of this sense of belonging is shaped entirely by the context that the text was written in.…
An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit the experience of belonging. The film Gran Torino, displays a great understanding of who belongs in a community and the experiences they have with each other, although alienation does take place through events in which occur. You acquire a sense of warmth with the characters feeling and attitudes they have with each other through the types of emotions and feelings they have with one another. Throughout the film you will gain a greater understanding of the hatred between immediate families and non-related families.…
Belonging is a far-reaching yet complex idea that is powerfully explored in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. It illustrates a variety of aspects of belonging, where it can be compared and contrasted with ideas in other texts such as Oliver Parker’s film Dorian Gray and Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem We Are Going. These texts present ideas of power and isolation, which consequently lead to individuals either belonging or not belonging to the community. Through the use of a variety of literary, film and dramatic techniques, the composers can emphasise and convey the similar (or differing) aspects of belonging found in each text.…
Belonging is a part of life that every individual consciously and subconsciously searches for. What does the term ‘belonging’ mean to you. Is it the feelings of acceptance and understanding through the connections that we make to people, places and groups or is just plain old human instinct an inner drive A need that is imprinted into the genetics of people. As an individual we must strive to establish connections that allow us to actualize a sense of belonging. Today I aim to present to you the sources from where belonging can emerge. I will be making references to Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicles’ and ‘My Country’ by Dorothea Mackellar.…
Belonging is a concept of fitting in to a group, place or team. Belonging to place, identity, relationships and barriers are significant influences impacting on belonging in both the memoir Romulus, My father and a similar text in the poem Katrina by Bruce Dawe. The prescribed and related texts effectively demonstrate the importance of how integral a sense of belonging is to human existence and the impact it can have on one’s life.…
In order to understand belonging an individual needs to accept themselves and consequently be accepted by others. By understanding the innate forces that drive a sense of belonging on can develop a sense of self-identity. The notion of belonging is shaped by personal experiences, cultural, historical and social contexts. The text Romulus, My Father, by Raimond Gaita represents the aspects of belonging through ideals such as family, heritage and personal backgrounds. These aspects of belonging are highly contrasted with the portrayal of isolation and rejection faced by Romulus himself.…
Belonging is a concept universal to humans and is essential aspect of people’s lives. An individuals experience of belong could be both enriched and limited from their interaction with the world around them. The memoir Romulus, My Father, written by Raimond Gaita and the graphic novel by Shaun Tan, The Arrival both incorporate prominent aspects of the concept of belonging. Through their representation of various elements in the text, ideas about family unity and the sense of connectedness with the environment both show how the experience of belonging is enriched, yet limited to a certain extent.…
Belonging can be recognise as an examination of self and what it means to be human. We are somewhat applied to rules, conditions and limitations that cause discretion for one, that work to shape, or sometimes disguise our identity. Belonging is not a cognitive concept but an emotive one. We can only truly feel that we belong. Selective foundations such as similarity’s, culture, values, attitudes and ethics can be noted as element to belong. But in doing so, we have to emotionally feel that we do belong, if not we would be seen as outsiders, such as a 4 leaf clover in a field of daisies.…
Belonging is a concept wholly linked to the morality and social connections one exercises. These factors foster the sentiments of alienation and acceptance hence showing how belonging is just as much about exclusion than fitting in. It is these factors that derive one’s belonging in society and hence some are excluded naturally. This collated idea is portrayed in Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus my father which is supported by George orwell’s 1984. Both texts emphasise the conundrum of belonging and how exclusion can be present with belonging as well as having the ability to fit in.…
Ryan Sheales reports on the struggles and triumphs of Asylum Seekers trying to settle in Australia, fleeing persecution and seeking something so simple yet sometimes elusive; a fresh start. Sheales along with Social researches decipher the controversial question of Australia’s acceptance of migrants and inform readers of the lack of yet crucial importance of a welcoming atmosphere in Australia. Many Australians are misguided by stereotypes, lack of understanding, generalizations and misconceptions towards those seeking asylum and their motives. Sheales truly opens our eyes to life of others less fortunate than ourselves.…
Belonging is an instinctive human desire that is difficult to obtain due to the immensity of barriers placed to prevent it. Belonging can be achieved through the development of relationships between others as well as the establishment of a connection to place. Furthermore one can choose to renounce the conventions of society and thus achieve personal understanding and belonging. Various barriers, such as language barriers and the inability to conform within society can lead to feelings of displacement and non-belonging. The subjective concept of belonging and non-belonging is explored throughout Shakespeare’s iconic play, ‘As You Like It’, Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ and Shaun Tan’s graphic novel, ‘The Arrival’.…
Belonging is central to how we define ourselves: our belonging to people, places and groups enables one to develop a distinct identity terminated by affiliation, acceptance and association. Martin Luther King’s speech ‘I have a Dream’, Charles Dickens novel ‘Oliver Twist’ and Peter Skzynecki’s poems ‘________’ and ‘________’ all powerfully explore the concept of belonging and the centrality of culture and identity through a variety of poetic, literary and persuasive language techniques. In particular, all four texts investigate how a sense of belonging arises from a feeling of connection to places and people, with Oliver’s connection to the pickpocket gang and ___, Felik’s connection to his garden and Polish friends, the persona’s contrasting lack of connection to War-saw in “Postcard” and Martin Luther King’s connection to culture. Yet the texts differ in their portrayal of the idea that attitudes towards belonging may be modified over time. While the persona in “Feliks Skezynecki” and “Postcard” ambiguously changes his attitudes towards his Polish heritage, Molly and Mr Neville do not change their attitudes in Rabbit Proof Fence. Each text powerfully explores the significance of the culture to a sense of belonging through a variety of techniques.…