related piece belonging Welcome Stranger

499 Words2 Pages
The use of the words “affirmed and welcomed”, “personal power”, “social vulnerability” and “exceptionally uplifting” have various connotations, however within the article “Welcome, stranger” by Stephanie Dowrick they contribute to the further exploration of the concept of belonging. Through the use of the techniques metaphors, rhetorical questions, the dichotomy of belonging, and colloquial language, “Welcome, stranger” poses the question of belonging and the efforts made by society to ensure the emotional health and wellbeing of the entity of the community is in tact. The text explores belonging through the use of first person and the pronoun ‘our’ indicating belonging as a common experience, thus prompting self reflection by the audience. The rhetorical question, “do you give much thought to whether you are an “includer” by nature – or not?” invites the reader into the conversation between Stephanie and the wider community set by colloquial language, “including others is a win-win situation”, and prompts a personal reflection on their own attitudes towards the concept of belonging. The vivid imagery “as any school girl could affirm, whenever exile hovers, there will always be an undertow of fear that makes such conditional belonging a dark and uncomfortable experience”, demonstrates how everyone shares the common experience in the fear of being excluded, thus the audience can relate to the particular piece resulting in their own personal reflection. “Hovers”, also illustrates that the concept of exile is constantly hanging around, never leaves the board and is set next to the concept of belonging. “Various forms of shunning that give a select group of people a sense of belonging at the expense of others”, depicts the dichotomy of belonging. Dowrick reveals that belonging and exclusion cannot be separated and explored without touching on
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