Jesse Poon Yr 12 Advanced English

Belonging Practice Essay #2

An individuals perceptions of belonging evolve in response to the passage of time and interaction with their world. In what ways is this view of belonging represented in your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing? A sense of belonging can emerge from connections made with the larger world, and these connections are often subject to change due to the unyielding pressures of time. These changes can help strengthen our sense of belonging, or may weaken the bonds that we have made, perhaps resulting in isolation. Peter Skrzyneckis poems 10 Mary St and Postcard investigates these concepts by exploring how our sense of belonging evolves in response to the passage of time, how the connections we make with the world can reinforce our personal sense of belonging, and how sometimes it may do the opposite and result in loneliness. These ideas are similarly explored in Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemanns nonsensical short-film The Lost Thing, and Haruki Murakamis novel South of the Border, West of the Sun (SBWS), which follows a protagonist through his mid-life crisis and the difficulties of being an only child. Although these texts take the form of different mediums and contexts, all texts share similar issues of how belonging evolves due to connections made with the world and how these can change over time. Our sense of belonging often inevitably changes and evolves over time due to the pressures that time can put on these relationships. Often, these changes are out of our control and can prove difficult to cope with. In Skrzyneckis 10 Mary St, the persona feels a strong sense of belonging at his old house, connoted by the sense of permanence and security in that still too-narrow bridge and always burning down. We can infer that the persona feels content and comfortable in his home. However, as the poem progresses, the persona seems to suggest that nothing is really permanent. The sense of comfort connoted in With paint guaranteed/For another ten years is contrasted with (The whole block has been gazetted for industry) illustrates that the persona has been forced to leave their place of comfort and security despite their desire to stay. Even if the persona and his family have made future plans to continue live in the security of their homes, they have been forced to move out; a barrier that is out of their control. Therefore, the poem suggests that despite how secure we feel, or how strong our connections and relationships with a particular place, object, or person, these connections can never be permanent, and are always subject to change due to the pressures that time places on these relationships. Murakamis novel also suggests that our perceptions of belonging can change over a period of time. Throughout the novel, Hajime feels an inevitable connection to Shimamoto, his childhood sweetheart. He had an undeniable connection to her, which he believed could transcend time and remain so in the future: call it magnetism. Like it or not, its a power that ensnares people and reels them in. The image created demonstrates the power of such a strong relationship in possibly being able to transcend time. However, Hajime comes to realise that not only has his relationship with Shimamoto has changed since her disappearance, but so has his perception of the world. He describes: On the surface, my days were the same as ever connoting that this current experiences are not truly the same as they were. He further supports this with the juxtaposition of everything looked monotonous and lusterless, further emphasising the effects that these changes have had on his relationship with Shimamoto and his life. This is further supported with the metaphor: Any illusion to the contrary had disappeared in a puff of smoke. The image created demonstrates the impermanence that our sense of belonging can have, and how it can

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Jesse Poon Yr 12 Advanced English change and evolve over time. Thus, we can conclude that our perception of belonging is always influenced by time that the strain that it puts on our relationships forces these connections to change and evolve. Interacting with people and the larger world can often create strong relationships with the world. These interactions are necessary in order to build a good foundation for a strong rapport with people, a community, and a larger world. In Skrzyneckis Postcard, despite the alienation he feels with his Polish heritage, he can still feel a sense of belonging with universal aspects that connect him to the larger world. He can connect to universal aspects in the postcard, such as high-rise flats, concrete pylons, and the sky. It is through these connections that he can feel a sense of belonging to the postcard, which he would not have otherwise felt if he hadnt created these bonds. Likewise, the persona in 10 Mary Street also feels a connection through the constant interaction with his home. The rhythm and pulse created in the first stanza highlights the security felt through the daily routine that he undergoes. It is this routine that laid the foundation and strengthened the sense of security that he feels towards his home. Therefore, we can deduce that the interactions we make with people or a place can strengthen our sense of belonging and security. In Tan and Ruhemanns The Lost Thing, similar issues of belonging are explored through the relationship between the narrator and the thing. The film suggests that it is only by interacting with others that we can establish a rapport with this person. In the opening of the film, the persona discovers the lost thing, and in the awakening of the thing, plays with it. Here, uplifting music is used to symbolize the happiness that the lost thing feels, and thus the friendship that is being built through this interaction. This is further supported in a scene where the narrator is feeding the lost thing. As the narrator places the objects in the mouth of the lost thing, it glows, and once again, more uplifting music is played to represent the strong relationship that is being built through such interactions. Additionally, in the duos quest for a place to belong, they had to search thoroughly for this place. The literal sign that they followed in the outside world can be representative of our destinies that lead to our true place of belonging. However, they would not have found such a place if they had not physically searched in the larger world, and it is the final product that lead them to a final place of belonging. Hence, the short film suggests that a place of belonging can only be found when searching for it in the larger world. However, there are times when interacting with the larger world can further increase alienation from a particular society, culture or person. When we try to interact with aspects of the world that arent true to our beliefs, it reinforces loneliness and can further isolate us from the larger world. In Skrzyneckis poem Postcard, the persona tries to conform to his Polish heritage and tries to force himself to belong. This results in the persona becoming conflicted and trying to isolate himself, illustrated by Let me be. This imperative speech reinforces the idea that although he is trying to identify with his Polish culture, it isnt true to himself, and thus has led him to question his personal and cultural identity: What is my choice to be? From this, we can conclude that if we attempt to connect to aspects of the world in which are not true to our beliefs, it will result in further isolation and alienation. SBWS also explores the issue of how connecting with aspects of the world that arent true to ourselves lead to further isolation, and thus a questioning of identity. In Hajimes college life, he tries to conform to the current political beliefs of the time by involving himself in the community rallies. However, he discovers that this isnt what he believes in, and ends up questioning his own identity: I asked myself if this was really me. Is this what I wanted? I couldnt help but feel requisite solidarity with the people around me. The use of italicization further emphasises the protagonists insecurities about his identity. Thus we can

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Jesse Poon Yr 12 Advanced English conclude that if we interact with the wrong crowd, it can lead to further isolation and the questioning of our identities and our place in the world. As a result, we can conclude that our sense of belonging can change over time and is influenced by our interactions with the world. The unyielding pressures of time can place strains on the relationships that we have formed, and can have repercussions for those on involved in the relationship. Furthermore, who or what we choose to interact or connect with can also greatly influence our perception of belonging, whether it may be good or bad. These aspects are explored in Skrzyneckis poems Postcard and 10 Mary Street, as well as Murakamis SBWS and Tan and Ruhemanns short film The Lost Thing.

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