Belonging Essay

How have your set text and two chosen texts represented different perceptions of belonging or not belonging?

A common human characteristic is the yearning to feel a sense of belonging through connections and different forms of relationships made in life. A sense of belonging or not belonging can emerge from feeling connected to people and places, whether they have been freely cast there or not. An individual will only feel a true sense of belonging through the understanding of those connections, which are created by experiences and can only come within.

who is different from his new town, but that allows him to spark determinization is his new friends, but authority figures take away their determinization and leave them with disappointment. Although T.J.’s ideas were accepted by his friends, authority decided they weren’t right. Like in today’s society, we try and embrace uniqueness, but if an idea is very different, authority seems to destroy it, like authority destroyed the roof-garden. Although we are changing, and trying to become better, and we are trying to embrace these idea, like the boys embraced the

Oftentimes, in the public, people have to be “normal” to be successful and accepted. Author William Saroyan believes that society steers people to be conformed and fit in, but he wants people to be able to be diverse. In the short story “Gaston,” Saroyan shows that carving a unique path can turn out to be erroneous. Through symbolism and contrast, Saroyan conveys the theme that society does not always accept people’s differences.

No matter where one goes on this dismal chunk of rock, one will probably encounter an outsider. In high school lunchrooms there is always at least one poor, sad teenager who has the unlucky seat next to the trash can. In parks and school playgrounds there is always that one melancholy kid that provides a stark contrast from the joyful shouts and screams coming from the other playing children. The experience of being an outsider is an inescapable universal condition that can be caused through social class, appearance, or other factors.

Identity is what defines us as a person. Everyone one on earth has their own unique identity. To showcase my identity, I created a collage of images and descriptive words, called an identi-kit. This identi-kit shows what I feel like is my identity to myself and the others. My identi-kit identifies me as a mixed martial artist. The identi-kit has images of a deadly shark with mixed martial arts gloves on that say mixed martial arts on the front and fight shorts with the words competitor and warrior on them. It also has descriptive words like “killer instinct” and “fight” which describe my spirit. There are three assumptions that come to question when asking about one’s identity. The first is if you were born with this

Many individuals is faced with the decision of conforming or choosing personal desire, and it is not an easy decision. It is hard because being shunned by others for being different is not a good feeling. Choosing to conform over personal desire, often leads to loss. On the other hand, personal desire is what sets others apart and gives them joy. In the poem, “The Jackhammer Syndrome”, Al Purdy discusses the good and bad memories he has experienced. He goes through his memories of when he had fun and made mistakes, but he reflects on what he could have done better. The author of “The Jackhammer Syndrome informs against choosing the welcoming joy of conformity over the long-term gains of personal desire. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire may seem easy at first, but if the choice is to conform, the joy it gives will not last. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire Conformity may seem to give joy at first, but it does not last. When Al is playing pool with his brother, he wants to win badly, but losses. However when he did not care to win, Al wins! Conforming can lead to loss but personal desire has much to gain. If the choice is to conform, personal identity may be lost. In my life, I recognize several instances in which I found several similarities between Al and myself. I have made decisions that were not always good ones such as swimming across long distances with friends.

Belonging can be defined as the process of the association with the human race as socially active characters. It is part of the human condition which represents the need for security, safety and acceptance. An aspect of belonging such as isolation can be associated with the concept of belonging, as not belonging is a reciprocal process of belonging. Belonging allows for the authentication of characters through the formation of identity and connections.

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

Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places.

Humans are naturally uneasy and awkward when faced with an uncertain social setting. An unfamiliar place along with unfamiliar people can create an environment filled with abnormal behavior. Saki uses these variables so that his readers can empathize with his main character. In the short story, “The Open Window” Framton Nuttel, a troubled man, is fooled as a result of his nervous nature combined with fear which is further agitated by a young girl.

In any given situation, individuals experience conflicts when pursuing a personal desire as particular desires do not conform to the rules that societies standardize for individuals. Individuals quickly adapt to the modernization of the advancement of humanity and technology. Nevertheless, there may be a controversy deciding between obeying society's regulations of consistently keeping up with the innovative contemporary behaviour or sticking with subjective or independent aspirations. In the short story The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury, Leonard Mead’s complication between pursuing his personal desire and choosing to conform creates an issue with the development as an individual. Symbols within the story that further highlighted the distinct difference between personal desires and deciding to conform include Mr. Mead’s shoes, television, and the houses. Moreover, each symbol that was stated demonstrates a diverse idiosyncratic characteristic about the protagonist as does the psychological components of Mr. Mead such as word choice, speech, behaviour and mental processes. However, throughout the story, the protagonist, Mr. Leonard Mead is exemplified through a third person limitedpoint of view as it gradually illuminates the understanding that society’s need for conformation and an individual's needs may produce a consequential disagreement of discrepancy. Ray Bradbury’s short story suggest that conflicts between pursuing a personal desire and

Sherman Alexie’s novel ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian’ is about Arnold, a Native American boy who gets regularly bullied for not looking like a “typical human”, makes the decision to move to a school in Reardan outside of Wellpinit in order to find a place to belong. Alexie reveals how it is important to have a place to belong. He shows Arnold the importance of belonging by exposing the many harsh consequences of not having a place to belong. Additionally displaying how not belonging in a place with high expectations can stop you from achieving your goals. Furthermore, Sherman Alexie highlights how the meaning of belonging is needed in order to feel safe in the environment you’re in.

Man is a product of the culture in which he is born and brought up. For the same reason, no one can negate the influence of the society in forming one’s personality. I am well aware of the fact that my views, thoughts, and attitude have been shaped by the society I live in; hence, any attempt to sketch my personal experiences would be incomplete without referring to the part played by my surroundings. Throughout my life, I have paid utmost importance to initiating and maintaining interpersonal relationships with others. I had to face varied situations out there, both joyous and depressing. However, each instance was a great lesson for me to learn several things about my practical life – I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that I have learned more outside the four walls of my classroom than within them. My autobiography is closely associated with my social connections including my experiences with my family, educational institution, and the larger society I reside within.

A person’s basic human need to belong to people, places and circumstances can fuel many of their actions throughout their life. For some people a sense of belonging can be difficult to obtain. The struggle to belong is represented in many ways in the 1998 memoir, ‘Romulus, My Father’ by Raimond Gaita. Through Gaita’s employment of various writing techniques and his recollection of past events and adversities, the reader becomes aware of the many struggles of the characters, particularly to belong to the Australian culture and landscape. In the 2001 short story ‘Mate’,