Our Lives and Identities Are Shaped by Our Sense of Belonging

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This creates an illusion of their identity being taken away from them as the house is the only thing they have to carry and spread their culture.

A strong sense of identity is dependant on family and social status in the society. The use of repetition, voiceover and onscreen text of “His world was turned upside down and back to front” in Harvie Krumpet portrays that he is uncertain of his future in a country that is so foreign to him. It determines what’s going through his head in a metaphorical way. A new chapter for Harvie is captured in the family photo representing his sense of family belonging. “So little limbless Ruby, big bold Val and magnetic Harvie became a family” Harvie is a “magnet” in that his family are drawn to him and love him for who he is. The family members experience acceptance within the family unit regardless of their insecurities.

Sense of belonging is captured in Migrant Hostel through the similarities in culture and the desire for companionship. Whereas in Harvey Krumpet, belonging is represented through the relationships formed despite the differences through relationships which shapes Harvey’s identity. However 10 Mary street, the house is a cultural symbolism of their identity. It emphasises on the idea of never truly belonging to the society. All these three texts bring out the concept of our lives and identities being shaped by our sense of belonging as they all go through many hardships just to find their identity and sense of belonging. Both the persona and Harvie experienced connection with loved ones and family members. Like Patrick Rothfuss said “It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. The story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”

Whilst individuals can attain a true sense of belonging in relationships, there are a number relationships in which individuals go through the reverse from truly belonging. Annotation of a variety of texts including Migrant Hostel, Harvey Krumpet and 10 Mary Street question into these concepts and bring up an awareness for the need to rethink diverse situations and individuals before making statements about the complicated nature of belonging and identity.