Belonging

‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging.’ Discuss this statement using your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing. An individual’s sense of belonging being something which exists internally, though to experienced it, one must discover an external source. This notion is expressed in Raimond Gaita’s philosophical memoir, Romulus My Father, as the text emphasises the ability to interact with others and the world around them in order to create a sense of belonging to a place, socially and relational. Gaita depicts the difficulty for post-WWII migrants’ ability to connect with the rural Australian setting, which ultimately acts as a barrier for one to belong socially. Though Gaita emphasises, the idea of familiar relationships, which ultimately enrich an individual’s sense of acceptance. Moreover, these notions are similarly express in J.C Burke’s novel Pig Boy, as the author depicts an overweight teenage struggle to interact with others and the world around him, due to the lack of an external source ultimately limiting his experience to belong. Gaita’s memoir demonstrates the notion of lacking an external source limits an individual’s interaction to belong, through the character, Romulus experiencing alienation. Romulus feels like a “prisoner in Australia”, due to his inability to interact to the unfamiliar landscape and struggles to experience an external source in order to form a connection. His desire for the “generous and soft European foliage”, leads to him to limit his sense of belonging as the “eucalypts of Baringhup…seemed to symbolise his deprivation and barrenness”. Moreover, the use of symbolism in “the eucalypts of Baringbhub” in comparing it to his “deprivation and barreness”, emphasise Romulus inability to interact to the land, as due to him being unable to experience an external source, makes it feel fearful. On the other hand, the protagonist Raimond being a first generation Australian is able to interact with the Australian landscape, he is able to experience its beauty. This emphasises Raimonds ability to create an external source with the land, which enriches his sense of acceptance through the use of emotive language. “for the first time in my life I was alive to beauty” and “the experience transformed my sense of life… adding to both a sense of transcendence”. Also, Raimond’s ability to interact and connected to the beauty of the foreign landscape, allows him to feel a sense of acceptance. As the rural landscape acts as an external source enriches Raimond’s experience to belong, which is something his father is unable to discover. Similarly, Burke’s novel conveys the idea of an individual’s ability to experience belonging, is emphasised through their interaction with an external source. The narrator, Damon finds a sense of alienation in the town he lives, which limits his ability to experience a sense of place, as he is unable to discover an external source to make an interaction with the natural world. Yet, Damon is able to interact with the online world, due to his love of computer games. “I think I’ve been dabbling in the real world… then retreating back to the one I preferred … a world I was more comfortable in”. Burke uses hyperbolic language illustrates Damon’s incapability to experience a sense of acceptance on the human world, which cause him to retreat to a fictional world were he can internally become a different person. As ironically, the online world acts as an external source for Damon, as it allows him to feel a sense of place, even though his interaction is with something that does not exist. In addition, Romulus My Father, it explores how post World War II immigrants experience alienation, as they are automatically selected into a certain social class. Romulus is unable to interact with an external source, which would allow him to reveal his true self due to him being migrant, which limits his experience of feeling accepted. This ultimately limits Romulus interaction with others and the world, as since his is branded as a “New Australian”, the label acts as a barrier for him to experience belonging. “Perhaps merely as an expression of there prejudice against ‘New Australian’ the authorities responsible for assigning jobs (were discriminatory)”. This ultimately emphasises Romulus inability to interact with this unfamiliar environment, as he is without an external source. This is evident through Romulus physical appearance of being different as “everybody noticed his eyes, almond-shape, hazel and intense”. The use of colour imagery depicts his inability to interact with the lighter colours of the stereotypical Australian, limiting Romulus experience to belong. Furthermore, Pig Boy also portrays, Damon’s inability to interact with others and the world, as he is labelled a social outcast. Damon is unable to reveal his true nature due to the town prejudging him because of his physical appearance as his obesity consequently acts as a barrier, limiting his experience to belong. The towns’ people refer to Damon as “Damoink”, illustrating his inability to experience belonging through the use of zoomorphism that removes his human qualities. Yet, Damon interacts with his status as a social outcast, which limits his experience to feel accepted. Though his ability to experience belonging internally is ironically portrayed through him using the towns abuse as an external source to be acknowledged. As Damon made “sure his chuckle was loud enough for them to hear…living up to his reputation as Strathven High psycho boy”. The use of pejorative language illustrates that Damon interacts his reputation of being a social outcast, which limits his inability to experience belonging. Gaita further explores the notion of familiar belonging, in his memoir, in attempting to experience belonging, through Romulus role as a father. Both Romulus and Raimond share an element of abandonment from Christina, which acts as external source as it creates interaction between them. As Romulus attempts to create normality for his son, to experience belonging as “he denied himself, so (Raimond) would have more. He fainted from hunger on more than one occasion”. The repetition of “he”, illustrates Romulus unconditional love for his son, which creates Raimond’s sense of interaction with his father, which enriches his sense of belonging. The belief of belonging being experience by a one is emphasised through it being something that is enriched by individuals’ interactions with their surroundings, their family and society. Romulus My Father explores the difficulty for Post World War II migrants to create a sense of acceptance in an unfamiliar environment. Alternatively, J.C Burke’s Pig Boy further highlights an individuals limiting their sense of belonging, due to the harsh reality of society and the inability of creating an external source.