Trial Preparation 1- Belonging
Advanced English
{Insert overarching thesis that answers question} Romulus, My Father, a memoir composed by Raimond
Gaita is one such text. Gaita explores the aspects of relationships, acceptance and identity, representing the
comment that a sense of identity to place is an essential aspect of belonging, and that immigration
experiences make it difficult for one to be accepted by, and to build relationships in, a country that is alien
and unfamiliar. The film, Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton, primarily explores aspects of
acceptance and understanding and deals with the idea that otherness and difference can cause a barrier to
belonging, especially in the face of society-wide conformity. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, composer of the
painting, “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” represents another idea on belonging, focusing on the aspects of
relationships and acceptance. Renoir explores the comment that a sense of belonging within a group can
bring about happiness, harmony and well-being.
Romulus, My Father, follows the experiences and contemplations of the Gaita family as they immigrate to
Australia and attempt to merge themselves with the Australian landscape and identity. This differs from the
composer of Edward Scissorhands, who represents the narrative of a unique young man, Edward, who has
scissors for hands and attempts to conform to an unaccepting neighbourhood, after having spent his entire
existence isolated from humanity in a gothic mansion. Renoir employs an alternative form from Gaita and
Burton, using a painting to portray a group of content people from a range of different social classes and
backgrounds enjoying a leisurely luncheon and conversation.
ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING- could also be IDENTITY:
Gaita exemplifies his father’s experiences of immigration and their effect on his sense of belonging through
the aspects of identity, a lack of acceptance and a lack of understanding. Romulus experiences a lack of
connection with his new home which prevents the establishment of his Australian identity. Romulus’
alienation from the Australian landscape is represented through the juxtaposition of the descriptive words,
“beauty,” and, “desolate,” which are contrasted in the reflection, “though the landscape is one of rare beauty,
to a European or English eye it seems desolate, and even after more than forty years my father could not
become reconciled to it.” “Desolate,” carries connotations of hostility and isolation which is reflective of
Romulus’ lack of connection and therefore lack of belonging to Australia, while, “beauty,” is representative
of Raimond’s future relation to the landscape as a result of his developing identity. Also, the superlatives,
“even,” and, “more,” emphasise Romulus’ inability to understand and want to relate to the land. Romulus’
attitude then creates another barrier to belonging. This sense of isolation however, is lessened by Romulus’
establishments of friendships and relations in Australia. Upon arrival, Romulus seeks out “other
Romanians.” The noun, “Romanians,” is representative of the fact that early in his immigration experience,
Romulus can only seem to find a sense of belonging through relationships and ties with his Romanian home,
his previous sense of identity to place, and not through any cultural connection to Australia. Through this
lack of Australian identity, Romulus experiences a lack of belonging to place.
The lack of belonging, through isolation, that Romulus and Christine experience in Australia is reciprocated
by the native community due to the lack of acceptance and understanding towards the immigrants.
Australians labelled the immigrants, calling them, “New Australians,” and, “the Balts.” These derogatory
terms excluded Romulus and his family from Australian communities, isolating them, and highlighting the
fact that they were different. This alienation, caused by native Australians, demonstrated their reluctance to
accept the immigrants, while the emphasis on their differences represents their lack of understanding
towards this new culture. Christine’s isolation is further demonstrated through the reflective statement, “a
dead red gum stood only a hundred metres from the house and became for my mother a symbol of her
desolation.” The emotive words, “dead,” and, “desolation,” exemplify her detachment from the land and
society as a result of their lack of acceptance of her, causing her lack of a sense of belonging. Also, the
imagery filled explanation, “she could not settle in a dilapidated farmhouse in a landscape that highlighted
her isolation,” contains the high modality phrase, “she could not settle,” along with the descriptive word,
“dilapidated,” and the emotive word, “isolation,” in order to demonstrate the lack of connection that
Christine experiences as a result of her own rejection, and therefore lack of acceptance of the landscape and
house. The country setting embodies Christine’s misery due to her inability to accept, and be accepted by
her new home, thus causing her inability to belong.
IDENTITY
In contrast, Raimond establishes a transcendent connection with the Australian landscape that enables him to
develop his own cultural identity, separate from his father. Gaita relates an anecdote that reflects on a time
when he intended to shoot rabbits at Cairn Curren. This action of shooting rabbits is symbolic of Raimond’s
attempt to conform to the Australian setting and follow the example set by other boys his age. He says,
“conscious of the fact that I was the only boy in the area who did not kill rabbits even though they were a
destructive pest,” with the superlatives, “only,” and, “even,” representing his previous isolation and
alienation from the culture and traditions of Australian youth. During this expedition, however, Gaita
recounts a Romantic experience that allows him to define an identity separate from his father. The emotive
words, “beauty,” and, “shock,” in the statement, “for the first time in my life I was really alive to beauty,
receiving a kind of shock from it,” juxtapose, by way of connection, the relationship between the Australian
landscape, and its impact upon Raimond’s identity as he realises his place as an Australian who loves the
land. Gaita expresses the emergence of Raimond’s own ideals through the establishment of his connection
with place, which further brings about his expanding sense of identity and therefore, belonging.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Gaita explores the aspect of relationships as a significant element of the concept of belonging.
Gaita demonstrates the idea that mental illness can cause a barrier to the growth and development of
relationships, and therefore cause a barrier to belonging. Mental illness first occurs within Christine.
Christine’s relationship with Romulus is described as “intense and fraught” with these two descriptive words
holding connotations of negative emotion and being reflective of the instability of their connection, which is
a result of Christine’s own insecurity. As her illness grows over time, it becomes a symbolic representation
of the growing distance between herself and her family. When Raimond is born, Gaita explains that
Christine “seemed incapable of taking care of me, ignoring my elementary needs of feeding and bathing.”
The descriptive word, “incapable,” and the verb, “ignoring,” display the extremity of her mental illness and
its significance to her lack of belonging by representing the insurmountable barrier to belonging that comes
about when the filial bond between mother and child is not consummated. The adverb, “elementary,” and
the verbs, “feeding,” and “bathing” emphasise the helplessness of an infant and further exemplify the depth
of Christine’s internal turmoil due to her lack of motherly intuition. These consequences prevent the growth
of relationships, which hinders ideas of connection and togetherness, and therefore causes a lack of
belonging.
In addition, strong connections are built through relationships between Raimond and his father, Romulus, as
well as between Raimond and a family friend called Hora. These relationships allow these three characters
to experience a sense of belonging with each other, and Romulus and Hora significantly influence Raimond
through these relationships. The reflection, “my father and I lived contentedly at Frogmore. We seldom
quarrelled and when he punished me I usually accepted it as just,” demonstrates the positive relationship
between Raimond and his father. The emotive word, “contentedly,” represents the happiness surrounding
their filial bond, while the adverb, “seldom,” highlights the ease of their relationship and their equal need for
belonging. Also, Gaita reflects in chapter five, “I know what a good workman is; I know what an honest
man is; I know what friendship is; I know because I remember these things in the person of my father, in the
person of his friend Hora, and in the example of their friendship.” This cumulative list of traits and values is
representative of the significance of relationships in the development of a positive personality and sense of
belonging. The presence of relationships in Romulus, My Father, is accompanied by a sense of devotion,
connection and well-being, and acts as an aspect that aids the development of belonging.
ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING:
Similarly to the immigrants in Romulus, My Father, Edward, the protagonist in Edward Scissorhands,
experiences a sense of alienation from the neighbouring community through the aspects of a lack of
acceptance and a lack of understanding. Burton employsa wide shot to illustrate the geographical separation
of Edward’s house from the rest of the township. In this shot, the mise-en-scene, specifically setting, of
Edward’s house is juxtaposed, by way of contrast, with the rest of the town. While Edward’s house is
invested with dark lighting effects, a grey and black colour palette, and a gloomy, gothic atmosphere, the
township is depicted using a light, pastel colour scheme and bright lighting effects to create a sense of
happiness, familiarity and peacefulness. These physical differences in setting, reflect the physical
differences in the appearance of the people at these respective places. Like his home, Edward is clothed in
black, dark colours, with his starkness contrasting against the bright palette of the townspeople’s costuming,
and reflecting the internal differences between the characters, that are a cause of Edward’s inability to find a
sense of belonging with the community. The perfection of the townspeople’s external appearance masks
their characterisation as cruel and unaccepting; while Edward’s seemingly threatening surface hides his true
character which is sensitive, kind and gentle. These differences in character are a point of not belonging,
evident in the film’s climax when the townspeople, a mass of soft colours, chase Edward, clad in black, from
the streets. Through this exploration of the aspects of acceptance and understanding, Burton explores the
idea that a pleasant surface can sometimes mask a harsh reality, and characters should not be judged by
appearance.
Burton reveals the notion that in order to belong, one must conform to the styles, ideals and appearances of
the majority, and in doing so, he explores, like Gaita, the aspect of a lack of acceptance of Edward into
society. Within the township, each home is illustrated with a similar structure, and a harmonious, pastel
colour palette. This sense of similarity introduces the idea of a uniform community in which everyone
belongs because of their conformity to this particular way of society. The use of mise-en-scene, specifically,
cars as props, also demonstrates this uniformity as they are all the same type for each house, and also
exemplify the same light, warm colour scheme that their homes exhibit. This use of props establishes the
clockwork manner in which the town functions as one scene demonstrates the cars all pulling out of their
driveways and heading off to work in a simultaneous fashion. By showing this scene, and then contrasting it
with Edward’s lifestyle, Burton reveals the way that not conforming can lead to rejection and unacceptance,
and can also disrupt the balance of a perfect community in which the pre-existing citizens each hold a sense
of belonging.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Edward, like the Gaita family, experiences a yearning to belong, and Burton represents this as a universal
need. In Edward’s case, his ability to form relationships, and therefore a sense of belonging, is hindered by
society’s inability to understand him. Peg, an Avon lady, discovers Edward at the beginning of the film, and
he immeadiately says, “I’m not finished,” exemplify this idea that he is misunderstood. The significance of
this dialogue is lost on Peg, however, the adjective, “finished,” in conjunction with the high modality term,
“not,” demonstrates his feelings of being incomplete and unable to form a sense of identity, another aspect
of belonging that Burton explores. Also, Burton employs the symbol of snow which becomes a motif
throughout the film and is representative of the innocence and purity within Edward. Edward’s character is
transferred to this motif as it also represents his uniqueness, individuality, and delicate personality, similar to
an actual snow-flake. The snow is also a symbol of the aspect of relationships as it appears during times
when Edward feels connected with other characters, specifically his romance with Kim. Burton employs a
close-up camera shot of Kim’s face while snow, created from Edward carving an ice sculpture, flows around
her. During this scene, Kim’s facial expressions reveal joy, amazement, and admiration at what Edward can
do, demonstrating the sense of devotion that grows between these two characters, as well as the sense of
well-being that accompanies belonging, and makes it such a necessary emotion. Snow becomes a positive
symbol of belonging, appearing when Edward feels most accepted. The idea of Christmas is another motif
throughout the film and again incorporates the idea of relationships being an important aspect of belonging.
Christmas itself is a familiar holiday which emphasises the notion that belonging is a familiar concept. It is
symbolic of a time to be surrounded with family, relationships, home and connection. This accentuates
Edwards lack of belonging because he cannot gain these aspects due to his differences, however, he attempts
on more than one occasion to merge himself peacefully with society. Belonging is needed by everyone as a
source of connection and well-being, and Burton comments on this idea about belonging through the
exploration of the aspects of understanding, acceptance and relationships.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Dissimilarly to Gaita, the composer, Renoir, presents an entirely positive scenario, depicting only the
concept of belonging, and excluding the idea of not belonging. Renoir demonstrates a sense of well-being
through the aspect of relationships. Renoir employs a soft colour palette which denotes ideas of calm and
serenity associated with a positive sense of communication, and throughout this colour scheme are
repetitious motifs of red, yellow, white and blue. These colours appear on each of the figures in the painting,
emphasising the sense of connection between them, with the colours linking each figure and demonstrating
the relationships that are forming in this scene. These harmonious, flowing colours further reflect the flow of
conversation and time occurring within the painting, symbolising the contentedness and comfort of each of
the figures, who are lingering after a meal, enjoying the prospects of company and relationships. This idea of
a flow and of time passing is emphasised by the impressionistic style. The impressionism art movement was
concerned with conveying movement, light and freshness. This style further reflects the harmony and the
positive nature of the conversations and relationships. Also, Renoir employs colours that complement each
other, again establishing a clean visual flow over the painting, without any clashes that disrupt not only the
balance in the colour scheme, but also the balance and harmony between the figures. Renoir illustrates the
familiarity and connections within the setting and how these ideas bring about a sense of belonging and
therefore harmony and well-being.
Renoir demonstrates the development of relationships that occurs in the presence of a sense of closeness and
familiarity. Renoir uses the facial expressions on each of the figures to represent these ideas of closeness and
connection. Each of the figures exhibit serene, content expressions on their faces, revealing the sense of
happiness and well-being that accompanies belonging. These expressions denote the pleasant connotations
that surround positive communication. The figures also share eye-contact which further connects each of the
characters in the painting. One figure in the centre however, does not share eye contact with another figure
in the painting; instead, her gaze is cast out of the painting, towards the audience. Renoir uses this eyecontact to create a tone of invitation, including the audience into the scene, establishing a sense of closeness
and familiarity between the audience and the group. This is further symbolically represented through the
prop of the table which extends towards the audience, positioning the responder as seated at the table with
the rest of the group. By connecting the audience with the painting and allowing the audience to experience
this sense of belonging, Renoir establishes belonging as a concept needed by everyone. The closeness of
these relationships is exemplified in the structure of the painting, with two figures in white flanking the
image in a form of symbolic visual parenthesis. This parenthesis contains the people within the painting,
allowing them to appear more clustered and together as a group, further demonstrating the sense of
belonging in the scene. By revealing the sense of intimacy and friendship between each of the figures in the
painting, and between the audience and the painting, Renoir explores the aspect of relationships and how
positive communication brings about belonging which brings positive outcomes associated with well-being.
ACCEPTANCE and IDENTITY:
Renoir portrays a sense of unity, identity and togetherness through his exploration of the aspect of
belonging; acceptance. Throughout the painting there is a variety of figures in different styles of costuming.
These different styles of clothing are symbolic of the array of different social classes amongst the figures.
The most prominent example of this is located at the back of the group of people where two men are
standing and conversing. The costuming of these men reflects that of the painting’s late nineteenth century
context. One of the figures is dressed in a working class outfit, while the other man is dressed differently,
belonging to bourgeois society. The fact that there is conversation and connection as equals between these
two members of separate social status reflects the level of acceptance as an aspect of belonging within this
painting. This acceptance is further symbolic of the breaking down of barriers to belonging with the two
men in relaxed poses, leaning towards each other. This ease of acceptance represents each of the figures
sense of identity, and therefore belonging within the group. This implies that there is a lack of tension
between them, highlighting the ease with which the conversation is flowing, despite their differences.
Through this display of togetherness and unity, Renoir explores the idea that overcoming barriers to
belonging, such as accepting people who are different can facilitate the growth of relationships. This differs
greatly from Gaita’s exploration of belonging where the immigrants’ differences from the rest of society
cause insurmountable barriers that are not overcome.
Each of these three composers represent similar aspects of belonging, with each one exploring ideas of
acceptance, relationships, understanding and identity. Each composer comments on the universal need to
belong, as it is integral to well-being and the human condition.