Essay on Belonging Notes

Belonging means different things to different people. The most common definition is feeling a sense of connectedness to a person, place or thing. Understanding nourishes belonging while a lack of understanding can prevent people from belonging. This is shown through Peter Skrzynecki’s poem ‘Migrant hostel’ which is about the challenges faced by travelers on their journey, and the hardships they have to overcome by exchanging their old world for the unfamiliar and unwelcoming new world in which they don’t understand anything. Skrzynecki’s poem ‘Feliks Skryznecki’ explores a relationship between father and son, and their contrasting experiences of belonging to a new place. The related text, ‘The Red Tree,’ by Shaun Tan also shows that a lack

The novel My Antonia uses imagery and figurative language to help communicate the theme of the novel to the readers. The character Jim Burden is headed west to Nebraska to his grandparents from Virginia after his parents have died. Jim is playing the role of Manifest Destiny by moving West to Nebraska. On his way Jim sees how raw the earth is, relating that it is not yet a country, but rather the material that countries are made of. Looking at the land this way is very much like Manifest Destiny. The author uses imagery many times throughout her novel to give the readers a better understanding and view to pinpoint the theme.

To expand on the intricacy of the speaker’s life, symbolism is applied to showcase the oppression her ancestors etched on her quilt were facing for their “burnt umber pride” and “ochre gentleness” (39-40). Once again, the theme of absence is introduced as there is a sense of separation among the Native American culture as their innocent souls are forced onto reservations and taken away from their families. This prolonged cruelty and unjust treatment can be advocated when the speaker explains how her Meema “must have dreamed about Mama when the dancing was over: a lanky girl trailing after her father through his Oklahoma

In the world of Appalachia, stereotypes are abundant. There are stories told of mountaineers as lazy, bewildered, backward, and yet happy and complacent people. Mountain women are seen as diligent, strong, hard willed, and overall sturdy and weathered, bearing the burden of their male counterparts. These ideas of mountain life did not come out of thin air; they are the direct product of sensational nineteenth century media including print journalism and illustrative art that has continuously mislead and wrongfully represented the people of Appalachia. These stories, written and told by outsiders, served very little purpose to Appalachian natives other than means of humiliation and degradation. They served mostly to convince readers of the

People’s perceptions of belonging can change over time, but this isn’t the case for all. When people experience moments of crisis in their lives they sometimes force a change within themselves and that is what helps them find an individual sense of belonging. This is highlighted in many texts and even composers life works. Texts that support this statement include Peter Skrzynecki’s Immigrant Chronicle poems, of which I have chosen St Patricks College and Feliks Skrzynecki. Skrzynecki’s poetry expresses the difficulties he faces when change doesn’t occur throughout time, as time alone isn’t a factor and that your sense of belonging is something that comes from within, with or without anyone.

‘An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging.’

-Essay: 1300- 1500 words. ‘A sense of belonging is never permanent.’ Discuss in relation to TWO poems and TWO pieces of related texts.

The last big recurring theme in this book is the changing idea of what family is. While back in Oklahoma, Ma spoke about her family, and she included her aunts, uncles, cousins,

“We belong … like fish in water. We’re in our environment.” This quote from the New York Times shows the perception of belonging as the idea about connecting to a place, person, group or a community. 'Feliks Skrzynecki' by Peter Skrzynecki, 'I'm nobody! Who are you?' by Emily Dickinson and 'The Rabbits' by John Marsden & Shaun Tan show the concept of belonging as being contrasted towards the New York Times quote, showing the alienation and non-existent connection towards it. These texts have furthered my understanding on the perceptions of belonging by recognising the different concepts of connection to people, places and things.

Kingsolver structures Taylor’s dynamic behaviors in ways that explain the definition of family. She appeals to the reader that Taylor’s conservative yet caring personality allowed her to determine what an abandoned Indian child means in her life. Kingsolver incorporates this shift of personality in order to appeal to the reader that a loving family isn’t made up of genes rather love and care. When Taylor left Kentucky, she carried the goal of avoiding pregnancy or, in another word, family along with her. Taylor described herself as “useless,” (81) and considered herself “crazy to think that whisking Turtle away from the Cherokee Nation was doing her a favor” (81). Taylor thought one’s well-being was impacted by no other but blood relatives, similar to how Taylor’s confidence and self-esteem were high due to her mother’s praises, even if they weren’t truthful. Taylor always accepted her mother’s praises because she thought her mother was always right (236). Likewise, she’d thought Turtle’s development would nourish better from the nurture of her birth relatives. However, Taylor later realizes the impact

Belonging comes from an understanding, or the knowledge that an external sense of being comes from an internal sense of connection and safety. This critical analysis will portray how the text “Stolen” by Jane Harrison relates to the concept of belonging. Stolen is a play that tells the stories of 5 Aboriginal children that were stolen away from their families and were forced to grow up in institutions, following the European way of life. The children were segregated from their communities and treated as inferiorly. Their worth was seen as minimal and only useful to Europeans as slaves. “Stolen” is an example of not belonging to the environment that one is living in. The children are stolen from their parents, their culture and traditions,

Activism, culture and value have always had a tremendous influence in society. When it comes to the Appalachian region of the United States, people tend to see our culture and values differently. The individuals of the Appalachian region have been stereotyped for far too long, people forget that West Virginia has played a huge role in building this country. Our coal miners have put their lives in danger time and time again, some losing them, for worker’s rights. The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest labor rebellion in the history of the United States. This was the foundation of the movement for eight hour work days and minimum wages. The novel Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina is a fictionalized tale of the conflict that took place in these coal fields of West Virginia. The novel brings to light the stereotypes, race and religion of the Appalachian people.

Similar to Deborah, in “Itch Like Crazy: Resistance”, Wendy also uses mother-child metaphors to deliver the ultimate relationship between the people and their land that the land gives birth to the Native Americans. When the speaker in the poem refers to the place, namely the “Turtle”, where the history of colonization has happened to the Native Americans, she identifies this area as “my mother, the stones, channels of water, / blood of her veins, every place a place where history walked” (CR 125). Comparing the land to the “mother”, Wendy suggests that the perspective of the Native Americans toward their land is very different than how

At first the speaker feels guilty for being tempted by the “backyard,” but continues to be drawn in by the rougher lifestyle, romanticizing it as a type of secret garden. The speaker aches to experience a rougher life in contrast to her neat and predictable world. She confesses, “I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life. / I want a peek at the back/ Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows/ A girl gets sick of a rose.” (1-4). The front yard represents the status quo of an inviting and orderly life. Brooks has found a perfect contrasting metaphor to illustrate two opposite lifestyles: the front yard and the back yard. In the second line, the

Many people have never heard of Appalachia, or the place I call home. Some people of never even heard of West by god Virginia. Some people call it Western Virginia because they think it don’t exist. This is the life story of Tree Man Thompson.