Belonging

A sense of belonging is important to everyone.

The concept of a person having the opportunity to belong to something or someone impacts greatly on the choices they make throughout their lives. Belonging creates a sense of security and invulnerability towards the dangers that become present to some people. Brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers all have a connection through belonging to a family. Sporting teams, church groups and schools all have a connection to belonging to society. Particular suburbs, streets, all have a connection with belonging to the landscape they are surrounded by.

The book ‘Romulus, My Father’ written by Raimond Gaita is a memoir that explores the concepts of tragedy and workmanship. Raimond expresses his feelings towards how he was brought up by the people around him and how his father especially helped his course of life. The short story ‘The Black Skirt’ written by Alma Aldrette expresses the technicalities associated with living in a foreign country with different cultural aspects and how South American people have learned to adapt and live in Northern America. The film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ directed by Gabriele Muccino demonstrates how a father and son struggle to live in a society with no money and no help. Various techniques are used throughout these texts to put forth an articulate representation of how belonging is affected by family, society and landscape.

A family is described as a social unit living together. Familial belonging is shown throughout the text ‘Romulus, My Father’. Everyone in the text acts as a foil for Romulus. He is shown as a masculine figure, with uptight morals, although he is a cuckold for his wife Christine who sleeps around with other men. Raimond is largely impacted by the actions of his father. After Romulus falls sick to a mental illness, Raimond is forced to make a decision either to put up with his fathers illness or to walk away from it and never return. “I loved him too deeply and knew...