“Belonging is an instinctive human need in all of us”
From when we were young, our first day at school, to walk into the daunting classroom, we were afraid to be alone, and not accepted in to groups that had suddenly formed, the desire to belong so mechanical. A desire to belong is fundamental and written deep into our subconscious minds. Mechanical like, we as humans need a sense of belonging to survive, belonging is a necessity and an instinctive human need in all of us.
Good morning teachers and peers
Belonging as in instinctive and subconscious desire and need to all human beings, and evidence of this is clearly exemplified in Jane Harrison’s play ‘Rainbow’s End’, Steven Speilberg’s film ‘The Colour Purple’ and Tim Winton’s novel ‘Cloudstreet’.
‘Rainbow’s End’ by Jane Harrison, tells a story of three protagonists, Dolly,Gladys and Nan Dear, living in their humpy perched on the flats of the river in the 1950’s regional Victoria. Though there is extremely evident belonging ties with the family, we as an audience witness Gladys’ persistence of her natural desire to belong, particularly to white society.
This is evident in many parts of the play, where Jane Harrison’s technique of dream sequences, are employed suggesting desire, and longing. This dream sequence in particular in Act1 Scene 1, Gladys is giving a bunch of flowers to the Queen, rejoices in a hug, but when the dream sequence ends, the narration and stage direction sates; “ the lights come down on Gladys holding a bunch of weeds”.
Jane Harrison’s adaption of the dream technique as well as contrast, exemplifies desire to belong, in. This desire of belonging is developed further by Gladys constantly throughout the play. Including in Act1 Scene 7 when from the instinctive desire to belong Gladys alters her nature of shyness to speak her opinion at the petition, and also the encyclopedias, which Gladys willingly buys in Act 1 Scene 2. The encyclopedia's are used as a technique by Harrison as a...