Identity, Harry Potter, Romulus My Father
“Who am I?” is a universal question that has at least one stage or another, pried the minds of people. The quest for knowledge and shaping of our identity is aided by various influences in our lives with one of the biggest influences being our sense of belonging. The idea of belonging is significant and fundamental as it emerges from the connections made with entities such as people, places and communities. The feeling of connection or relation with these entities is formed from the perception of oneself being a concept that many desire and seek for. This idea of unity and association is explored within “Romulus My Father” by Raimond Gaita, and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling. Both texts give an in depth exploration of the journey of self discovery, alienation and belonging revealed through the authors clever use of language techniques.
“Romulus, My Father” written by Raimond Gaita is a biographical memoir delineating the life of Raimond’s father Romulus. The text exemplifies the hardships, betrayals and the events that drove Romulus to his insanity. Even in the beginning of the novel, the feeling of disconnection is already present as the association to the landscape and society that a person is residing in is a trigger that encourages a person’s sense of safety to the community. Though Romulus lived the majority of his life in Australia, he never recognised it as home as “To a European or English eye it seems desolate, and even after forty years my father could not become reconciled to it.”(p.14) Romulus does not feel a bond with the land and rather has a negative view on the landscape which is symbolic of his isolation from the Australian culture. “He longed for the generous and soft European foliage... But the eucalyptus in Barringhup, scraggy... symbols of deprivation and barrenness.”(p.14) The author, Gaita juxtaposes the European flora with positive connotations to the Australian’s with negative references to aid in clarifying
“Romulus, My Father” written by Raimond Gaita is a biographical memoir delineating the life of Raimond’s father Romulus. The text exemplifies the hardships, betrayals and the events that drove Romulus to his insanity. Even in the beginning of the novel, the feeling of disconnection is already present as the association to the landscape and society that a person is residing in is a trigger that encourages a person’s sense of safety to the community. Though Romulus lived the majority of his life in Australia, he never recognised it as home as “To a European or English eye it seems desolate, and even after forty years my father could not become reconciled to it.”(p.14) Romulus does not feel a bond with the land and rather has a negative view on the landscape which is symbolic of his isolation from the Australian culture. “He longed for the generous and soft European foliage... But the eucalyptus in Barringhup, scraggy... symbols of deprivation and barrenness.”(p.14) The author, Gaita juxtaposes the European flora with positive connotations to the Australian’s with negative references to aid in clarifying
Bibliography: “Romulus, My Father” Raimond Gaita Text Publishing Melbourne Australia 1998 Novel “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” J.K. Rowling Bloomsbury 1997 Novel