Belonging: sean tan

Belonging is the sense of inclusion experienced in relationships, and is a core ideal desired by human nature. An assurance of one’s identity may facilitate a deep connection to an entity, be-it a place, group or individual, which may cyclically positively influence one’s development of character. However, belonging is inevitably accompanied by barriers, deliberately or unknowingly placed, denying individuals opportunity to form relationships. Aforementioned notions are clearly exemplified in Raimond Gaita’s memoir, Romulus, My Father (RMF), and Shaun Tan’s picture book, The Lost Thing (TLT).

One’s sense of acceptance is determined by their strength of character. Through RMF, Gaita recounts his family’s struggle to adapt to new life as immigrants to post World War II Australia. Romulus’ “strength of character” is established by the high modality, “my father valued truthfulness above most things”, allowing him to form a “lifelong friendship” with Hora. His confident manner fostered a “deep respect”, conveying the necessity of a strong identity in gaining acceptance, and consequently, belonging. Further, he teaches his upright personal values to Raimond, “that I should be polite, especially to my elders”, effectively developing Raimond’s character in turn. This embodies in him the notion of “karacter”, defined accumulatively as “honesty, loyalty, courage…” which assists in his affiliation to others, evident in the frank tone, “never short of offers […] to take care of me”. Thus, one’s adherence to their personal values facilitates the formation of relationships, assisting in obtaining a sense of belonging.

A lack of self identification may foster a weakened sense of affinity, which may affect others’ experience of belonging detrimentally. Unlike Romulus’ strong display of character, Shaun Tan through TLT explores an opposing experience through the events of a boy and a machine called the “Lost Thing” within a conventional, bigoted society. It was “an object