Belonging: Security and Sense

A sense of belonging requires understanding and acceptance. This is displayed through Steven Herrick’s the simple gift which explores ideas such as alienation, security of a home place and connectedness. Also Sean Penn’s “Into to the Wild” which explores ideas that, a sense of belonging can only be found when one is in solitude and isolated from others and that everyone has a place where they are accepted.
An idea demonstrating that a sense of belonging requires understanding and acceptance is alienation. This articulated through Billy’s abusive father, “He gave me a backhander so hard I fell down” this is symbolic of Billy’s father, ‘pushing him away’, disconnecting himself from his son. This sense of alienation towards Billy results in him leaving home to a place where he feels accepted. A further example of alienation is bills contempt for Longlands Road, the imagery of, “unmown grass around doors....windows still broken from new years eve” portrays a lonely society, abandoned, demonstrating a great feeling of not belonging. The epithet of “nowheresville” expresses a negative attitude giving billy a strong sense of isolation and a need to leave and discover acceptance. All these factors demonstrate to us the idea of alienation, which shows us that a sense of belonging requires understanding and acceptance.
A further idea displayed to us through “the simple gift” is the security of a home place. This is articulated through billy’s carriage “it was like a cave, a warm, safe little cave....bills cave” the simile shows that the carriage is his home, secure and sheltered, displaying the idea of security of a home place. The metaphor of “Bendarat Hilton” emphasises Billy’s sense of solace, he is content in living in the carriage, demonstrating a powerful feeling of belonging. The quote shows he feels accepted in Bendarat and there is a great sense of comfort. Therefore through the idea of the security of a home place we’re shown a sense of belonging requires