English Essay – The need to belong marks us as human and it is such connections that lead to fulfilment. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
“By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier.” – Susan Lieberman.
All humans have a fundamental need to belong through the connections we make with others, however the connections that are made are not always with humans but also attachments to inanimate objects and ways of life. Using such connections, humans find fulfilment and great joy in their lives. Through Raimond Gaita’s Romulus, My Father, Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and the poem Cicadas by Judith Wright the concept of connections being essential to belonging and fulfilment are explored.
Throughout the memoir of Romulus, My Father there is multiple bonds between Raimond, Romulus and Hora play pivotal roles in the lives of these people. There are many times that Raimond’s undesirable personal situations are juxtaposed with his desirable connections with those around him. Raimond has conflict after conflict in his life; the break-up of his parents, the death of his mother and Mitru and his fathers’ debilitating mental illness. He struggles to cope with these events, but one thing gets him through these dour times and that is the relationships forged with those around him, it provides the enjoyment that sometimes lacks in his life.
He and his father have an inextricable affiliation filled with love and compassion; this helps them through the grim times of Christine’s and Mitru’s death as they are always there for each other. “I was nervous riding with Mitru and entreated him to slow down on the gravel roads. When I rode with my father, no matter how fast he drove, I always urged him to drive faster.” This accentuates the trust that he has in his father and the strength of their relationship. Raimond and Romulus both feel a sense of affinity in an...