Through the Experiences of Belonging free essay sample

A sense of belonging is an essential part of human experience; it is a desire shared by all. Belonging refers to the ability of an individual to fit in a specified place, environment or it may refer to an inner sense of belonging that comes from being true to oneself. This may involve our position in the world, fitting in with our community, family and self as these connections may influence whether an individual has a positive or negative perspective of belonging. The texts ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller, ‘Siem Reap, Cambodia† by Greg Santos and the short film ‘The Story of Bubble boy† directed by Sean Ascroft, shows how belonging to a place is integral to human existence. Belonging to a community fills an important need. However, the individual feels a deeper sense of belonging in being true to the self and to his or her own vision. The interplay of the two aspects of belonging to a community and self can be seen with reference to John Proctor. We will write a custom essay sample on Through the Experiences of Belonging or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page John Proctor belongs to Salem in the sense that he shares the community’s christian values and is â€Å"respected, even feared† in the town. But John Proctor is not as confident as he appears. A secret sinner, he â€Å"has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud†, â€Å"I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint†. The simile emphasises Proctor’s loss of an inner sense of belonging as goodness is his most important value. After his tears up his confession he says â€Å" I do think that I see a shred of goodness in John Proctor.. †, the understatement shows how much he has despised himself for confessing. Insights into belonging are also found in the Tropfest prizewinning short film, â€Å"The story of bubble boy†. In the short film, we see a young man who is so afraid of injury he lives indoors completely covered in bubble wrap. A sense is belonging is finally shown as he finally decides to venture into the real world. Bubble boy has an internal world, mainly made up of irrational fears of injury or death. His home is his place of refuge but it gives him no satisfaction or sense of belonging, shown symbolically by the way he encases everything in bubble wrap and later when he conceals himself into the closet. The effect of lighting is seen in the scene where he gazes from outside a neighbour’s house at the happy group inside, the contrast of the dim and bright lights, saturated and non-saturated colours show the differences between Bubble Boy’s lonely world and the wider society to which he wishes to belong. John Proctor retains his position of respect in the community when he tears up his confession and more importantly, retains his own integrity. â€Å"He have his goodness now†. Bubble Boy finally reconciles his conflict and finds a sense of belonging in both his inner life and the community when he leaves the house at last and finds his Bubble Girl. A place in which you have lived through childhood will remain central to your sense of belonging throughout your life. Abigail strives for a secure personal position in Salem. She wants marriage to John Proctor and tries to attain her aim by witchcraft but  realises she cannot succeed in this. However she later gains supreme power in the town as the leader of the young girls who are accusing the townspeople and can determine their neighbours’ fates, and even their lives. As Abigail’s enemy, Goody Proctor, is taken off to prison, John describes the results of Abigail’s power in a hyperbolic metaphor, â€Å".. ow the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! †Ã‚  . At the end of the play, Abigail has fled from Salem, causing all her evidence to seem suspect. She will probably never come back, but she would surely have taken with her everything that Salem had taught her about power and deception. In the poem, Siem Reap, Cambodia, a young girl finds an important part of her sense of belonging in the world in the place that has been home to her all her life. This is expressed in the phrase, ‘†¦struggles to take the city with her’. The strong   action verb ‘struggles’ and the metaphor ‘take the city with her’ indicate how important it is to her to keep in her heart the image of her home wherever she may be. To show how deeply she is immersed in this last look at the city market which is the last scene she will see in Siem Reap, the composer uses all the senses to form a compound impression. He uses images based on touch (‘warm sticky air’); smell (‘fragrant rice’); sight (‘raw flesh hung on butchers’ hooks’); hearing (‘squawking of chickens’) taste (implied in the many food images – rice, dried fish, chicken and meat). All these combine to form an impression that the city is an essential part of herself. Like Abigail, the young girl is leaving her home town forever, she will also take away impressions and feelings that will be part of her forever. She will also take the persona of the poem; her unborn child. Salem, Siem Reap and the unnamed suburb where Bubble Boy lives, are all communities which affect the characters’ sense of belonging either positively or negatively. In all three texts, we see that the individual’s interaction with the community is essential in forming a sense of self.