Belonging;_Related_Text_Young_Samurai.

The choice to belong or not belong may vary from one person to another. Our sense of belonging can only be achieved when we know who we are and where we are situated in our society. A sense of belong is forged when a person finds a connection between, places, people and the larger world. By refusing or not acknowledging the ideology and lifestyle of the society you live in, it would be difficult for you to achieve a sense of belonging. This difficulty is largely seen in Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible and Young samurai 2008 by Chris Branford. Miller's play The Crucible desired to show the effect of mass hysteria on any given group this was used to give comment of the current situation of hatred towards communist, a metaphorical witch-hunt in comparison to a literal witch-hunt. The Salem witch trials are used to symbolise the hysteria of the 1950's in USA, The Crucible. Chris Bradford's book Young Samurai shows differences in society in 1675 Japan. The differences includes religion, language, racial identity, status and tradition. “In order to know your enemy, you must become your enemy.” was said by a Japanese samurai warrior towards to the 'Gaijin Samurai' (Foreigner Samurai) who is the main protagonist in Chris Brandford's Young Samurai. This demonstrate the need to adapt to a whole new different society in order to survive the current situation that he is in. Brandford uses repetition to imprint on the reader's mind that the main protagonist will always be a 'Gaijin' emphasising this by employing in italic form. This shows the racial difference and how society chooses to not allow the main protagonist to feel welcome into Japan. In Miller's play The Crucible, John Procter is an example of person who does not choose to conform in Salem's theocracy. Procter no longer goes to church nor associates with the residents who reside in Salam. He stays at his farm where he can isolate himself from Salem's madness, in this way he chooses not to belong to society's chaos. This indicates a person's ability to choose not to belong but also have the ability to belong. Though he feels some sense of belonging this is being affected by the guilt due to his crime of adultery. This is shown in John Proctor's line "I have gone tip toe in this house all seven months since she is gone… as though I come into a court when I come into the house". The metaphorical use of "tip toe" to suggest how careful he must be stresses the tension in the marriage. John and Abigail's isolation from the Salem community is evidence in his behaviour. John has committed adultery with Abigail. She is the leader of the children who created the mass hysteria of the trials. She chooses not to belong to the community where she was brought as the priest's niece. She seeks out her own values rather than allowing the community values influence her. Abigail does not associate herself with the children by committing adultery and being rebellious against the community to show that she chooses to be viewed as on adult rather than a child. "How do you call me child!" She wishes to be with John Procter, this is where she looks to belong. However, he does not feel that she belongs to his life as seen in this quote 'Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time, but I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. We never touched.' This shows that though Abigail chooses to belong, she cannot find a placing in this once faction of society. Similarly in his denial, John shows his unwillingness to confront his own demons and so we understand the tension in his marriage. Until John admits his guilt fully, he can belong anywhere. Miller allows us to see the tensions in the relationship between characters and so the dramatic irony of the charges by the "innocent children" is heighten. Tituba is one of the characters in Miller's play The Crucible who is a black slave in a white community from Barbados. She does not have much say in her life and was a centre of attention in Act I. Tituba rallied the children into the forest to dance and run naked at night after curfew. She feels that she does not belong to Salem and prefer to return back to Barbados. She is characterised by Miller as very different from the rest of the characters through her Barbados idiom. " I don't compact with no devil!' This can also be related to Bradford's Young Samurai main protagonist who is a "Gaijin" to Japan's community and he too wishes to return home back to England where he feels belong with his culture and his sister. Samuel Parris is a priest and the uncle of Abigail that resides in Salem who finds his belonging in priesthood. Miller explained in the beginning of The Crucible that Parris was a selfish man who only cared about his position and status in Salem. This was shown when Parris said 'God help me!' instead of thinking of his daughter's wellbeing while she was in a comatose state. If the community finds out that his daughter and niece were practicing witchcraft it could destroy his reputation. This proves that his social standing were more important than his daughter. This can also be related to Bradford's Young Samurai text, as the main protagonist challenged a samurai that belongs to a high status to a duel, the samurai could not refuse fearing that it may soil his honour and his status as a samurai. 'I will not lose to a Gaijin even till death.' This shows that if the samurai no longer belongs to a hierarchy of status, he would rather die. In conclusion, what I have written demonstrates the different types of belonging: belonging to a community, a sense of choice to not belong, racial identity and status. A person may choose to belong to a group but it does not always mean that the group may welcome him. A sense of belonging can only be found when he or she is comfortable with the situation they are in. However, a person may choose to isolate himself from the world because his ideology are different from the views of society.