Sense Of Belonging In 'Romulus My Father' By Oodgeroo

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How we determine a sense of belonging is through the choice of whether or not to change our perceptions and attitudes, not to the change the environment. Within our course to self discovery, we experience belonging through relationships, but there are barriers that prevent us from choosing whether or not to belong. These barriers strengthen our human need for connections. Different aspects of belonging are conveyed in Raimond Gaita’s Romulus My Father and the poem We Are Going by Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonuccal, and the picture book by Shaun Tan The Arrival , where different levels and ideas of belonging are explored. Through relationships, individuals choose to create a sense of belonging. Romulus My Father is a memoir written in the 1950s from the adult perspective of Raimond Gaita. Growing up in Australia where migrants were barely “tolerated”, Raimond and his father were connected by a powerful bond linked through the lack of a mother figure and what Raimond reflects as “his desire – his need- for me to grow up decently” the emphasise of need shows how strong the bond is. As a tribute to his father’s life, Gaita acknowledges his father’s passion for his work. Romulus chooses to belong through…show more content…
The poem We Are Going explores the effects of white settlement on Aboriginal people. The strong connections between the indigenous people and the land are conveyed through the use of symbolism “we are the nature and the past”. The repetition of ‘we are’ is through establish the community connection between the people. “We are the shadow ghosts creeping” the intensity of their close relationship is expressed when they become ‘ghosts’ without it. These relationships create a sense of belonging chosen by the individuals through their change in perceptions and acceptance of their common link, both emotional and spiritual

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