Miss

A sense of belonging arises from shared experiences, a common identity, loyalty, comfort and companionship. The fundamental human need is to belong but belonging is not automatically conferred. Our sense of belonging is often being challenged, we can only truely belong when we have the same beliefs, values and attitudes of a certain group, only then will we can feel a sense of comfort and acceptance. Conversely, arises emerges when the individual or the group fails to understand one another. Even if our sense of belonging is challenged, it is important to endeavour on a journey to find a group or place where we belong to. Belonging brings great happiness, since being understood and feeling accepted are intrinsic parts of human needs. In ‘The ride of Zhu Bao Sheng’ by Nick Long, Nick traces the difficultly of a migrant attempting to fit in to a new place, community. Throughout his journey though, he constantly faces obstacles. Similarly in ‘The Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Andersen, we witness a little duckling that is faced with exclusion by those around him due to his appearance.
Places, people and language can provide and reflect ways of belonging, but belonging is compromised for migrants who, when moving to a new place, find their established ways disrupted. Disconnection with place people and language is a very much a major theme ‘ The Ride of Zhu Bao Sheng’ reflecting his life as an immigrant in Australia and the challenges his faces such as his restriction to language which prevents him from establishing positive connections with those around him. Similarly in “The Ugly Duckling” Anderson effectively uses anthropomorphism in order to represent human traits and emotions. The ugly duckling sense of belonging is constantly being challenged since he is deemed in being ‘different’ or the ‘other.’ The ugly duckling is shamed for being different, because he does not conform to social norms of appearances like the rest.
Being different can lead to low self