Sample Essay Questions
1. A sense of belonging or not belonging can emerge from connections made with people,
places, groups, communities and the larger world. How have the connections or lack of
connections in your prescribed text and one related text of your own choosing shaped your
understanding of belonging or not belonging?
An individual may establish a connection to the larger world by transcending the physical in
order to create a sense of belonging. Emily Dickinson's I died for beauty, I had been hungry all
the years and Charlotte Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper demonstrate physical
concepts transcended into metaphysical concepts which allow the persona to establish a sense
of belonging. However this notion is ambivalent and may also result in a disconnection.
Dickinson's poem I died for beauty transcends the physical context into two spiritual concepts
that are inextricably connected to a spiritual community. The grave in which the poem set is a
prominent characteristic of Romantic Grotesque, and explores a dead speaker, 'when one who
died for truth... he questioned softly why I failed'. The grave is extended as a conceit to a
meeting place for the dead, 'we talked between the rooms' which alludes to something beyond
the physical. The physical concept of two dead speakers is transcended into two spiritual
concepts, beauty and truth which are metonyms for intellectual honesty and liberty, 'For
beauty... and I for truth'. In addition both concepts are spiritually connected, an allusion to
Keat's Ode to a Grecian Urn, 'Themselves are one. We brethren are'. The second quatrain
further explores symbolism in these concepts, truth is symbolic for martyrdom and parallels the
first quatrain, 'when one who died for truth was lain'. This connection between the two
spiritual concepts is reinforced, 'until the moss had reached our lips and covered up our names',
with the symbolic representation of moss being nature and eternal. Therefore the spiritual
concepts of beauty and truth develop a sense of belonging through their connection which is
derived from transcending the physical world.
On the other hand I had been hungry all these years portrays a desire for social acceptance
which is transcended from the physical hunger for food which is ultimately rejected through a
lack of connection. Dickinson suggests, 'my noon had come to dine', which personifies her life,
suggesting a turning point and a religious connotation to the communal meal, where one is
satisfied from eating. The persona the chooses not to succumb to desire, 'when turning hungry
home', which is symbolic of rejection and a lack of connection to society. The image of food is
used to represent the narrator's alienation, 'I did not know the ample bread, t'was so unlike the
crumb' which is symbolic of the wealth belonging to society brings. This sense of alienation is
further highlighted by a religious allusion, 'The birds and I had often shared in nature's dining
room', which symbolises nature as birds and alludes to transcendentalism- where nature is
equal to man. The desire to belong is reinforced through a transcendental image, 'as berry of a
mountain bush transplanted to a road', which explores the eternal connection between man
and nature. The speaker comes to the realisation that, 'nor was I hungry, so I found', since she
already has a connection to nature, which provides everything. Hence a sense of alienation
emerges from the decision not to succumb to the transcendental concept of hunger and desire.
In complete contrast, Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper transcends madness into the
individual's desire to escape into reality, establishing a sense of alienation through an
inadequate connection yet explores how she ultimately frees herself. The character's
connection towards patriarchal society is somewhat unimpressed, 'John is a physician...
perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster!' The use of irony and a scathing tone
suggests a sense of alienation to society and the earthly mundane. The wallpaper is first
described as, 'committing every artistic sin'. Her rebellious attitude and irritation to the
wallpaper implies the symbolic nature- it becomes an allegory for patriarchal society and her
lack of connection to it. This is further reinforced when she projects an image of herself
attempting to escape the wallpaper (society), 'they get through, and then the pattern strangles
them off'. The personification of her madness transcends physically into a spiritual rebellion
against madness, and as such the wallpaper reflects her situation. The character's symbolic act
of tearing the wallpaper, with high modality, 'I declared would finish it today!' represents the
tearing of society's constraints. The persona creates a sense of disconnection from society by
transcending the physical society into a spiritual madness in order to belong to herself.
The individual may establish a sense of belonging or alienation through the connections or lack
of connections made with the spiritual world by transcending the physical. This is
demonstrated through the spiritual concepts in Dickinson's I died for beauty, the desire for
acceptance in I had been hungry all these years and the notion of freedom from madness in
Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper.
2. Discuss how an individual's choice not to belong, or barriers which prevent belonging have
been presented in your prescribed text and one related text of your own choosing.
The innate desire to belong can be influenced or undermined by social catalysts such as the
constricting influence of patriarchy on identity and interaction. The character's choices to
belong in Emily Dickinson's This is my letter to the world and I had been hungry all these years
and Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper are restricted and defined by social factors.
Despite this, the concept of belonging is ambivalent and while one may be restricted, they may
simultaneously belong to another community.
Dickinson's poem This is my letter to the world explores the constricting the nature of
patriarchal society and how it prevents her from establishing a sense of belonging. The use of a
letter as a metonym for communication and her connection to the outside world is established
as one-sided and inadequate, ‘This is my letter to the world, that never wrote to me’. This
implies regret, and highlights the barrier symbolic of patriarchal society to the personal
belonging. Her connection to society is described as, ‘committed, to hands I cannot see’. The
use of a hand as a synecdoche highlights a sense of alienation from society, which is ultimately
caused by patriarchal society’s constricting influence. The poem appeals one last time to create
a connection with society, ‘For love of her sweet countrymen, judge tenderly of me’. The
rhetoric appeal highlights the barrier patriarchal society presents to the character. The fact
that her communication is one sided and sent to an unknown receiver reinforces the
constricting influence of patriarchal society in Dickinson’s This is my letter to the world.
This is similarly reflected in Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper where the character attempts to
seek freedom despite the physical efforts of patriarchal society to restrict her. Initially, the
character chooses not to belong to patriarchal society, ‘John is a physician… perhaps that is one
reason why I do not get well faster.’ The irony and scathing tone suggests the character is
unimpressed, and chooses to severe her connection with patriarchal society. The persona’s
first impression of the wallpaper as, 'committing every artistic sin'. Her rebellious attitude and
irritation to the wallpaper implies the symbolic nature- it becomes an allegory for patriarchal
society and her lack of connection to it. This is further reinforced when she projects an image
of herself attempting to escape the wallpaper (society), 'they get through, and then the pattern
strangles them off'. The personification of the wallpaper represents a constricting patriarchal
society preventing her from belonging to something else, and as such the wallpaper reflects her
situation. The character's symbolic act of tearing the wallpaper, with high modality, 'I declared
would finish it today!' represents the tearing of society's constraints. Ultimately she is free
from the constricting clutches of patriarchal society, and establishes a sense of belonging with
herself through the use of personification, ‘I’ve got out at last… so you can’t put me back’. Thus
Gilman’s portrayal of a woman escaping a wallpaper symbolizes how she is oppressed by
patriarchal society which acts as a barrier to her creating a connection with herself.
On the other hand the persona in Dickinson’s I had been hungry all these years ultimately
chooses not to belong, but the desire is tempered by patriarchal society. Originally Dickinson
suggests, 'my noon had come to dine', personifying her life. Noon suggests a turning point and
a religious connotation to the communal meal, where one is satisfied from eating. The persona
succumbs to the desire to belong, but is barred from doing so, 'when turning hungry home, I
looked in windows for the wealth, I could not hope for mine', which is symbolic of rejection and
implies a barrier preventing her from belonging. The image of food is used to represent the
narrator's alienation and longing for it, 'I did not know the ample bread, t'was so unlike the
crumb' which is symbolic of the wealth and benefits belonging to society brings. This sense of
not belonging to society is further highlighted by a religious allusion, 'The birds and I had often
shared in nature's dining room', which symbolises nature as birds, emphasizing her connection
with nature. In sharp contrast the desire to belong is reversed through a transcendental image,
'as berry of a mountain bush transplanted to a road', which explores incongruence between
nature and man. The speaker comes to the realisation that, 'nor was I hungry, so I found', since
she already has a connection to nature, which provides everything. Hence the fact that
patriarchal society prevented her from being belonging is irrelevant, since her innate desire to
belong is not to society but nature represented by the extended metaphor for food and hunger.
Dickinson’s poems This is my letter to the world, I had been hungry all these years and Gilman’s
short story The Yellow Wallpaper explore how the influence of patriarchal society can prevent
or sometimes encourage a sense of belonging. The ambivalent notion of belonging is
unaffected despite the restricting social catalysts, so while the personas are rejected from
society, they may still belong to another community.
3. Discuss how language forms, features and structures have shaped your perception of
belonging or not belonging in your prescribed text and one related text of your own choosing.