Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced

by connections to places.
In your response, refer to your prescribed text and at least ONE other
related text of your own choosing.
Which country you are from? this is the question a person is asked in his
life and the answer to it not only defines a persons identity but also make
him take proud (This is not a speech Whilst this is good for a speech, do
you think this is appropriate for an essay? turn this into a statement).
Places are at the core of a persons sense of belonging . as itPlaces provides
identity to a person. Places also provide a person with relationships and
thus have further influence on the persons sense of belonging. Also places
may render a person lack of sense of belonging (You have repeated places
a lot try to find synonyms and address others themes). It promote the
sense of alienation (connect/synthesise with other sentences). These ideas
are manifested in Steven Herricks novel The Simple gift and Tim Wintons
short story Neighbours. Both of these texts explore the connection of their
protagonists to varying places and powerfully portray their sense of
belonging and not belonging to these places (Good).
Simple gift explore connection of its main protagonists Billy, Catlin and Old
Bill to the range of places to explore their sense of attachment and
alienation to these places. I throw one rock on the roof of each deadbeat no
hoper shithole downtrodden house in Longlands Road, Nowheresville. The
hateful tone of Billy emphasizes his detachment from this place. Also by
using negative connotations, Billys sense of detachment is further
emphasized. In contrast to this Billy says, - I love this place; I love the flow
of cold clear waterand the wattles on the back and the lizards sunbaking.
His descriptive imagery of the natural world of Westfield Crick elegantly
outlines his sense of attachment to this place. This juxtaposition between
his sense of alienation and attachment clearly identifies how the different
places can influence a persons sense of belonging and not belonging. This
idea is further prevailed in Catlin connection to different places. She
describes her big house as, a million dollar Brick box. This metaphoric
description along with her disdainful tone emphasizes the sense of
alienation from her house. In contrast she describes Billys carriage as, it was a
little cave, a warm safe little cave. By using positive connotations warm and safe
which are symbol to comfort. Catlin clearly outlines her sense of acceptance
and attachment towards the place. This clearly shows how places influence
a person sense of belonging and not belonging. In Wintons neighbours
places hold similar significance in affecting a persons sense of belonging
and not belonging. Newlyweds house was small, but its high ceiling and
paned window gave it the feeling of elegant cottage. Winton uses
descriptive language to elegantly describe the house of newlyweds. Further
by use of positive connotations Winton creates a hope for future in their
current alienated neighbourhood. Paned window symbolises the clear
future and high ceiling symbolises the vastness of the sense of
attachment. He also states - The newlyweds felt like Sojourners in the
foreign land- this negative feeling associated with the place outlines their
lack of attachment towards the place. On the other hand when they were
accepted into their neighbourhood, Winton symbolically says - they no
longer walked with their eyes lowered when their parents came to visit
this statement symbolically outlines the sense of pride and joy that young
couple feels within their neighbourhood.

Places promote the development of relationships as portrayed by The

Simple Gift and Neighbours. This provides a new shape to a persons
sense of belonging and not belonging. In simple gift Billys alienation from
Nowheresville is mainly due to his lack of attachment to his father, the old
bastard will have his fit! this derogatory comment of Billy for his father
clearly outlines the dominance of hateful relation between them. This lack
of belonging is further underscored through Herricks use of emotive
language along with imagery, - gave me one hard backhander.I felt the
blood... In contrast Billy sense of attachment to Bendarat is due to its rich
gift of Old Bill and Catlin to Billy. He says How could I live the town that I so
ever wanted to call home. This despairing tone of Billy at the prospect of
living Bendarat outlines his strong attachment to the place. Similarly for
Old Bill his life has got significance after he was offered with a child like
Billy to belong to. wed spend nights, sitting in dark, talking an those
nights were the nights I stopped drinking. His refusal to alcohol emphasizes
his shift from belonging to only alcohol to belonging to a person. Further the
juxtaposition between bitter mocking laughs in contrast to sometimes he
comes with me to Bendarat river.. and when he does he dives . And his
laughs become real. the place bendarat river is used as symbol of peace
and remedy. Further the relation with Billy helps Old Bill forget his past and
experience peace in the river. This incident powerfully conveys importance
of relations which are ultimately derived from the places influence a
persons sense of belonging. In Wintons, Neighbours, relationships hold
similar influence on young couples sense of belonging. These relations are
ultimately derived from young couples suburb. Relations were
uncomfortable for many months, The Macedonians family shouted, ranted,
screamed. Winton descriptive negative connotations creates atmosphere of
alienation and ultimately promotes sense of not belonging. However as
their relationships improve young couple symbolically - , no longer walked
with their eyes lowered meaning they developed pride for their place.
Winton uses symbolism throughout the text to convey the idea of belonging
and not belonging. they planted leeks, onionsand this caused neighbours
to come to the fence and advice. Here the plantation of vegetation is used
as symbol of planting roots of connections. Further he uses seasons to
convey different stages of development in their sense of belonging. Autumn
is used as initiator of relationship, Winter as cold and still partially
developed relations, Spring as growth of relations and summer as a warm
and cozy relationships. This clearly shows how in The Simple Gift and
Neighbours the perception of belonging and not belonging is influenced by
connections with the places.
Further aspect of the belonging promoted by the connections with places is
identity. In the simple gift Billy lacked any identity, Back in Wentworth
High, . I didn't have any friend, I didn't want any this lack of relations
within Wentworth high voids Billys identity. It is like he was no one in
Wentworth high. Whereas his sense of identity in Bendarat is promoted by
his ownership of the carriage, make a home in carriage 1864 Painted red
and yellow, My motel Bendarat. The carriage defines Billys identity as in
the Business card that Billy gives to Catlin. Similarly in neighbours the
sense of identity is promoted by connection to the suburb. However identity
is used here to outline differences, The street was full of European
MigrantNext door lived a Macedonian couple. On the right, a widower
form Poland. The cultural differences separate neighbours from each other.

However the sense of universality is promoted by the deprivation of young

couples identity.

Both, The simple gift by Steven Herrick and Neighbours by Tim Winton
explore a persons connections to places, to outline the influences of these
places on their sense of belonging. This idea is clearly portrayed by Billy,
Catlin and Old Bill in simple Gift and young couple is neighbours. These
characters connection with different places render audience with the
understanding of a place may promote a sense of attachment or alienation.