Many texts are concerned with aspects of belonging. Belonging is to fit in or to be accepted into a particular place or environment. Belonging contributes to a sense of identity, our relationships and processes of acceptance and understanding. Individuals may feel a sense of belonging to many people, places and communities. This sense of belonging can enrich an individual and provide confidence and acceptance that becomes a positive influence throughout life. To illustrate this idea, the 3 texts that I have chosen are a wordless picture book called ‘Belonging’ by Jeannie Baker, the memoir ‘Romulus, My Father’ by Raimond Gaita and a poem by Bruce Dawe called Katrina. Throughout my speech I will be explaining how these texts use their own techniques to express their ideas about belonging.
Belonging, the picture book by Jeannie baker is a wordless picture book that uses illustrations and symbols to convey the message about belonging it explores. The book follows the life of a baby called Tracy until she is 22 and highlights all the times in her life that contribute to her sense of belonging to the place in which she lives.
At the beginning of the book, we see that the parents feel a sense of belonging to each other and also a stronger sense of belonging when their child is born. This is represented by them holding the child and also the card ‘Congratulations, new baby’ on the windowsill of the room. There is a sense of disconnection to the property that is represented by the concrete backyard and the old back fence. There is also a disconnection to the community that is represented by the rundown buildings and graffiti and also that the people of the community aren’t interacting with each other
As the book progresses, we see gradual changes in the environment that Tracy lives in and the formation of connection with people, from the time she was a baby up until she is married and has a baby of her own. This is evident with the use of the picture