The Simple Gift
Perceptions of Belonging in The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick
And The Island by Armin Greder
Belonging is a multi-faceted concept that involves intrinsic aspects of human nature that are reliant on the individual’s life-long bond with various social, political and interpersonal relationships. Belonging is also fundamental in shaping an individual’s core values and identity, thus it is central to the human condition. A sense of belonging is developed through strong relationships over time is explored in Steven Herrick’s novel ‘The Simple Gift’ and Armin Greder’s picture book ‘The Island’.
In The Simple Gift we see how an individual’s interaction with others can lead to a sense of belonging. Sharing common values and discontent with their family life enable the three protagonists to bond because of their shared experience of loss and deprivation. Billy Luckett, Catlin Holmes and Old Bill are all escaping the emotional and psychological pain associated with their respective families and as a result all three characters become alienated and is connected through this shared negative experiences.
In the poem Champagne, the use of criticism when referring to his father as ‘The old Bastard’ accentuates both Billy’s sense of alienation and sense of disconnectedness from both family and place. The reason behind Billy’s alienation is not only because of the absence of any mother figure, but because of his dysfunctional relationship with his callous father, who has destroyed Billy’s sense of belonging or connectedness to the family.
The nature of this relationship is conveyed when Billy’s father displays a violent episode in the poem ‘Spent’, where Herrick adopts flashback techniques: ‘he gave me a backhander when I was only ten’. As ‘actions speak louder than words’, his father’s negative impact on Billy’s ability to belong is made apparent when Billy chooses to be become homeless rather than remain at home with his father.
The difficulty associated with not being
And The Island by Armin Greder
Belonging is a multi-faceted concept that involves intrinsic aspects of human nature that are reliant on the individual’s life-long bond with various social, political and interpersonal relationships. Belonging is also fundamental in shaping an individual’s core values and identity, thus it is central to the human condition. A sense of belonging is developed through strong relationships over time is explored in Steven Herrick’s novel ‘The Simple Gift’ and Armin Greder’s picture book ‘The Island’.
In The Simple Gift we see how an individual’s interaction with others can lead to a sense of belonging. Sharing common values and discontent with their family life enable the three protagonists to bond because of their shared experience of loss and deprivation. Billy Luckett, Catlin Holmes and Old Bill are all escaping the emotional and psychological pain associated with their respective families and as a result all three characters become alienated and is connected through this shared negative experiences.
In the poem Champagne, the use of criticism when referring to his father as ‘The old Bastard’ accentuates both Billy’s sense of alienation and sense of disconnectedness from both family and place. The reason behind Billy’s alienation is not only because of the absence of any mother figure, but because of his dysfunctional relationship with his callous father, who has destroyed Billy’s sense of belonging or connectedness to the family.
The nature of this relationship is conveyed when Billy’s father displays a violent episode in the poem ‘Spent’, where Herrick adopts flashback techniques: ‘he gave me a backhander when I was only ten’. As ‘actions speak louder than words’, his father’s negative impact on Billy’s ability to belong is made apparent when Billy chooses to be become homeless rather than remain at home with his father.
The difficulty associated with not being