Belonging describes a sense of acceptance and security created through perceptions of relationships. Whilst we can easily develop connections with familiar things, our tendency to do so can also potentially oppress our ability to belong. Due to its intangible nature, a sense of belonging is determined by a state of mind, as it requires mutual acceptance by both parties. Lastly, when facing hardships to belong, people may have the incentive to abandon their original relationships and search for new ones.

A sense of belonging can be established through regular routines and interactions with familiar elements overtime. In the poem Feliks Skrznecki, the poet narrates how his father manages to establish strong rapport with his own place of belonging. The hyperbole “He swept its paths/Ten times around the world” emphasises on the large amount of time Feliks has spent in his garden; hence developing a strong sense of affiliation with the place. This also compliments with the phrase “from the soil he turned/ and tobacco he rolled”. Through the regular effort that Feliks has invested in his garden it can be argued that the familiarity being developed overtime is essential for one to derive a sense of belonging.

However, our tendency to seek connection with the things we are well acquainted with can also result difficulties to connect with those that we do not. As a result, encountering with new or unfamiliar elements can potentially challenge one’s sense of belonging. In Allan Bailey’s novel The China Coin, Leah’s initial stay in China has caused her discomfort due to the conflicting socio-cultural context between China and her. The use of idiomatic expression “Leah dropped her eyes” after learning Joan’s frightening choice of dish demonstrates the potential for a place’s culture to challenge the perspectives of the foreign minds. Furthermore, the imagery employed when Leah’s unpleasant experience in China is expressed by “squeezing her firsts into tight white balls” effectively communicates her rejection of the Chinese culture that she considers to be barbaric. Consequently, alienating views will often challenge people, causing undesired consequences and hence encouraging them to reject or withdraw from elements of unfamiliarity.

As people’s perceptions are ultimately the overriding factor that determines our ability to relate with others, belonging is only sustainable through mutual acceptance. The film One Night The Moon depicts the physical and social barriers to belonging resulted by the issue of racism in the white Australian community context of the time (1930s). Despite Albert (an Aboriginal tracker)‘s willingness to participate in the search for Jim’s missing daughter, Jim continues to refuse his assistance. His emotive comment “Listen sergeant… I’m not having some blackfella leading the search party” conveys people’s racial prejudice at the time. Consequently, by rejecting one’s knowledge and identity, his/her ability to enrich a community is greatly reduced- albeit their strong desires to contribute to the group.

On the other hand, in The China Coin Leah is eventually able to derive a sense of belonging in China by accepting her Chinese heritage, as well as being acknowledged as a member of Ke’s village. The metaphorical meaning in the dialogue between Leah and Joan: “I want China to be our paddy/It is!” suggests that Leah and her mother can now proclaim China as their place of belonging, too. Moreover, Leah’s action in contributing to the village has earned her recognitions from the villagers, especially Ke. Ke’s contrasting comments between “Not your battle” and “after marching for us in Turtle Land, you Zhu Leah, are part of this” has highlighted the evolving perspectives overtime resulted by one’s actions in broadening other’s scope of acceptance.

Our desire to belong motivates us to take actions in response to situations that hinder us from establishing connections. Joan’s repetitive decision to ‘move on’ in Bailey’s novel demonstrates her intention to find a new place to affiliate with during rough times. “When everything’s gone, when there’s nothing more you can do, it is best to turn away.” Joan’s quote shows that a sense of belonging can be transitory. After going through life changing experiences individuals may decide to pull away from a community that they no longer wish to be identified with and search for new relationships. Additionally, Skrznecki’s poem In the Folk Museum the poet is discouraged to connect with the museum and hence decides to withdraw from the place. His indifferent attitude towards the culture that the museum holds is evident in the use of emphatic statement “To remind me of a past/Which isn’t mine.” Furthermore, the use of pathetic fallacy “wind taps hurriedly on the roofs and walls” calls on the persona’s attention and urges him to leave hastily due to his failure to develop rapport with the past culture and tradition. In conclusion, finding a sense of belonging can be an on-going quest for many individuals.

We derive a sense of belonging through shared experiences, attributes and interests. The discomfort we face when encountering alienating conditions presents a source of discouragement and barrier for us to develop connections with certain groups or places. W we do or do not belong solely depends on our perceptions, hence relationships can only be developed through mutual acceptance. As our relationships will continue to change in accordance with our perspectives overtime, the need to replace our original connections will at times be inevitable.