This expositive piece draws upon the context ‘Identity and Belonging’ in concurrence with personal memoirs from Alice Pung’s ‘Growing up Asiatic in Australia’ . The intent of this piece is to research and ask for my audience to see what it is like to be the topic of isolation due to differences in visual aspect. linguistic communication and civilization and to indicate out the internal battles people have while seeking to detect their true individuality whilst in the presence of others.
I have referred to a figure of narratives from Alice Pung’s novel such as Towards manhood. a call to weaponries and sticks and rocks and such like ; all of which outline the issue of non being able to show oneself in the presence of others. The linguistic communication used in this characteristic article is that of a formal and serious tone that reflects adversity of migrators and people who struggle to detect their true individuality and a sense of belonging Essay In a diverse universe where there is no conventional group to which we all belong it can be difficult to happen a concrete group where we can experience a sense of belonging and assurance to show 1s true individuality.
The presence of others whether it is household or friends effects the manner we act in certain state of affairss and groups and causes us to reluctantly hold several individualities. However they may non ever be our true individuality but parody in order to fulfill others and act in conformity to what they expect of us. We can make a new individuality by altering our visual aspect. apparels and place in a group nevertheless in the procedure we may lose sight and go baffled about who we truly are and what individuality is appropriate for different groups.
It is non ever easy to be our ego in the presence of equals and household and populating up to their outlooks when you are confused about you own individuality and gender. In the narrative ‘Towards Manhood’ the chief character Benjamin found it disputing to be himself in the company of other because of his gender and non being able to conform to other’s outlooks. He used his Asiatic visual aspect and individuality to conceal the fact that he was homosexual and he pretended to wish a miss so his equals wouldn’t believe he was “a comprised failure of a man” .
However when he confesses his gender to his female parent. who surprisingly acknowledges that her boy was cheery and that “something went incorrect in the womb” he begins to accept and come to footings with who he is. It is through the credence of other that are closest to you that you get a sense of belonging and security and for Benjamin this was his household and his fellow Scott. It is besides hard to be ourselves in the company of others when your physical visual aspect and civilization are dissimilar.
Having a robust cultural background can move upon the ability to suit into a foreign civilization and manner of life. but besides it can impact the manner others perceive us. In the narrative ‘A call to Arms’ Michelle found it difficult to suit in because of the changeless strain between Chinese heritage and Australian upbringing. Michelle felt a great trade of isolation because the Australian people weren’t accustomed to her visual aspect and her civilization. “M y life seemed so improbably unnatural compared to everyone else I knew” which frequently left her exploited by her equals.
Michelle began to be ashamed of her civilization around the presence of her equals and she began to lose her sense of individuality and belonging. However on her trip to Hong Kong she “felt something she had ne’er experienced before. and something I surely ne’er consciously been seeking: acceptance” . Everything that wasn’t accepted back in Australia “no longer incited automatic embarrassment” and she was able to show her civilization without being looked down upon.
It wasn’t until she tried to pass on to other in Chinese that she realised that merely her visual aspect fitted in and eventually acknowledges that both civilizations shaped her individuality. Our heritage and upbringing can put a great trade of emphasis when seeking to conform to others and detect our ain individuality. It can go forth us experiencing isolated when around people that are different and non immune to your civilization nevertheless sometimes people create a new individuality in order to toss off play their civilization and cultural beginnings.
Having a strong cultural heritage can sometimes urge people to make a new individuality in order to experience a sense of connexion and belonging with the societies around them. In the memoir ‘Sticks and rocks and such like’ Sunil efforts to make an individuality that is accepted by the Australian civilization and does this by altering his name to one that is easy pronounced by his fellow equals and is considered to be an Anglo- white bulk name. Sunil creates multiple individualities in order to suit into a Majority Australian- white school and along the manner forfeits and betrays his civilization.
After altering his name Sunil feels a sense of credence and namelessness among his white equals. However when Sunil’s female parent finds out. she is aghast that her boy would give up his civilization in order to experience a sense of belonging amongst his friends. After happening out about the beginnings of his name and why his female parent treasured it so much. Sunil begins to rediscover his cultural individuality and eventually accepts his ain name and finds a sense of belonging.
By holding a different name that is unfamiliar to the people around you can sometimes give a sense of isolation and highlight the civilization barriers between people. Frequently many cultural people change their name in order to conform and do it easier to articulate for the people that are unaccustomed to their linguistic communication and civilization and by taking on another name. they besides create a new individuality and clear any stereotypes of that race. We can non ever be our ego in the company of others and that urges us to take on another individuality.
Peoples frequently create a false individuality on societal networking sites in order to make a individual that is desired by equals and besides random people. Peoples who are discriminated against or lay eyes on a sense of isolation because of differences in visual aspect and civilization frequently create a profile online of how they want to look to others and by making a false individuality that they can conceal behind can give them a sense of belonging to a group and credence.
We can non ever be ourselves in the company of others which frequently leads to false individualities being created and a sense of non suiting in. The presence of other determines the individualities in which we take on or desire to be perceived as nevertheless this can besides take to a misunderstanding of their existent individuality and besides forfeits of heritage and civilization.
