Sample belonging 3

STATE RANKING ENGLISH (STANDARD) ESSAYS

CREATIVE WRITING
Five years ago, I remember the times when laughter dominated the playground of primary school. Its the laughter I remember first. The favourite place for my friends and I to play hide and seek was the back of the school. It was in the shape of a big oval named Area A, surrounded by herbaceous borders. There were many pine cone trees down the left hand side and an apple tree which hung bright green apples. They were skinny but very tall. On the right hand side was a forest looking patch of land which surrounded our classrooms like in uisitive strangers. The wind would blow into our faces as the autumn leaves dropped from the canopy onto our sweaty hands in merriment. There was only one maple tree in the canopy. It was ma!estic, grand, stout and evergreen in the forest. It was rooted into the back, so it was a common hiding place that my best friend and I would hide during "ide and #eek. I remember the hole in the middle of all the branches which my friend and I would use to spy on the chaser. As it was one of our favourite places, we commonly said that the tree was a symbol of our friendship and we would occasionally festoon it with balloons. The leaves of the maple tree had deep indented leaves. $uring autumn, the maple tree dropped heaps of seeds onto the ground which spun like the blades of the helicopter. It was an even prettier sight during Autumn, when all the leaves would huddle together and fall swiftly off the tree. As the weather became more dramatic, the tree would sometimes become half green and half golden yellow as fast as our hair will soon become half white, half black. The maple trees long bamboo arms would always throw itself towards us, making a familiar silhouette on the ground. #tudents would swing on the long branches, and the maple tree would protect them as if they were tiny seeds sprouting from its perspiring bark. At the centre of the playground was grass and to get to the back of the playground, there was a big mound we had to climb. %e used to like rolling down the hill, but for now, the summer droplets would evoke our perspiring brains to sit and do nothing. Today, the playground is empty. The forest has been destroyed for the construction of a maths classroom. The grass has gone. The once beautiful heaven had become a dry barren wasteland. Two years ago, my best friend and I met our primary school

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after we lost contact. .owadays, my friend and I have nothing to say to each other, however, we are alike / crushed in ice. %e ga0ed at the playground in awe as our spirit for "ide and #eek had disappeared. There were only dead leaves on the ground. They whispered the sound of our past, echoing the loss we were going to e1perience. #eeing the playground wither was like seeing the beauty of our friendship would grow weaker for the playground was our first meeting place. 2ack at school, we decide to play hide and seek. One of friends is counting, facing the steps of the library. The other friend and I go over to hide. %e run towards a tree. 3I think we look stupid running around like this4 I say. #he ignores me. %e run towards a tree. Instantaneously, the maple tree flashes back to my head. I think about its big strong arms. 5y friend runs toward a large tree and we hide there. Five years ago, #arah would always be in for counting, and we would hide behind the maple tree. %hen she found us, we would run for our lives. #ometimes, when she had caught Teresa, my best friend and I would change hiding spots because Teresa would probably betray us. Once you were caught, you would have to !oin in, helping the original chaser to find the others. I remember how my friend and I were always the last to be caught. #ure, everyone knew we hid there, so we had to always change places. 6laying hide and seek was our way of keeping fit. At one time, my best friend and I got separated by two chasers. The chaser chased me to the top of some stairs. In panic, I !umped five stairs down to the ground and continued to run at an uncharacteristic speed. I knew that #arah was afraid of !umping, so it allowed me some time to find another hiding spot before she found me. I hid under the demountables. 5y best friend found me and !oined me. %e laughed and talked about future whilst we laughed at the ignorance of #arah because she had passed our hiding place a couple of times. #ometimes we would invite the boys over to play hide and seek with us and it was even more thrilling because they were very fast runners. %hat it frustrated me was that the boys used to steal our bags and run away with them whilst we were hiding. .ow, a ball comes over to my friend, missing her by an inch. %e realise that this tree is not a proper hiding place. 7veryone is sitting down, eating lunch or playing handball. Another friend comes over and she runs to hide behind a rubbish bin, making abrupt turns to prevent interference for the four courts of students playing handball. I do the same. 5y other friend 'the chaser+ finds us. 3Ive found you.4 #he says. 5y friend and I sigh. 3"ide and seek isnt fun anymore4. %e look over and see some !unior boys laughing at three senior girls playing hide and seek. A teacher approaches us and says, 38irls, dont run on the concrete.4 I saw two other friends stick their eyebrows up, so we decide to sit back down. %e realise that the days of "ide and #eek are not permanent. Today, we have to go to the library to finish an assignment. %e are in 9ear *(. .obody else is running. The !uniors are going to laugh at us. Our playground has changed. Our thoughts become lost in darkles. I tousle a bunch of weeds and then ga0e at the maple tree. It is not there anymore.

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BEL NGING ESSAY

An inner sense of connection leads to an e1ternal sense of belonging, which emerges from an individuals sense of understanding about themselves, their environment and the people around them. "owever, if an individual fails to understand or accept their identity, culture, or environment, alienation may result from being unable to form relationships. The inability to understand ones cultural heritage as a manifestation of losing ones identity to belong is portrayed in 6eter #kr0yneckis poems, Feliks #kr0ynecki and In the Folk 5useum where the personas in the two te1ts are affected by their attitudes of not belonging. #imilarly, in the movie, Freedom %riters directed by ,ichard :agravenese, a sense of belonging is fostered through accepting racial differences and respecting others. This concept is also advocated in 2ig %orld by Tim %inton where the personas understanding of himself connects him to 2iggie and 6erth. Thus, an individuals attitude plays an integral part of their sense of belonging to people. In 6eter #kr0yneckis, 6ost card, the persona fails to relate to a postcard of 6oland as he lacks inner understanding of the place. This ultimately results in a lack of belonging to his 6olish heritage, creating a sense of alienation and dissatisfaction. At the outset, a menacing tone is established to highlight the sense of alienation that results in not belonging; 3A post<card sent from my friend haunts me4. In the second stan0a, the persona arbitrarily describes the images in the postcard to highlight the lack of meaning of the images to him in, 3,ed buses on a bridge, emerging from a corner, high rise flats4. The persona proceeds to contrast his lack of understanding of the postcard to his parents, stating that 35y father will be proud of your domes and towers, 5y mother will speak of her beloved =kraine4 which further emphasises his sense of isolation. This notion is further shown in the rhetorical uestion, 3%hats my choice to be>4 where the persona uestions his cultural identity. Thus, the personas inability to appreciate the features of 6oland leads to an e1ternal sense of not belonging. ?onse uently, by being unable to relate to 6oland, the persona fails to belong to his 6olish heritage. 6ostcard reveals that an e1ternal sense of connection is achieved by physically connecting to a place. The personas lack of e1perience with 6oland itself leads to a lack of belonging to his 6olish heritage. ,epetition is used in 3%arsaw, I repeat, I never knew you4 to accentuate that the persona lacks connection with the place in the past. A similar idea is advocated in In the Folk 5useum where the persona tries to connect to a museum of Australias past but cannot because he lacks cultural understanding of the artefacts of the museum and e1periences with Australias past. 2y the end of the second stan0a, the persona states, 3I stare at the images refusing to answer the voices4 showing that he is reluctant to relate to the postcard due to the fact that he lacks a sense of familiarity to it. At the end of the poem, personification is used in the lone tree that whispers, 3%e will meet again before you die4 to suggest that the persona will belong to 6oland if he e1periences it someday. Therefore, a sense of connection to a place is manifested through ones e1periences with it.

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#imilarly, In the Folk 5useum shows that an individuals desire to belong to a place by fostering a connection to its cultural heritage is difficult for immigrants because of their lack of cultural understanding and e1periences with the countrys past. In the Folk 5useum involves the persona visiting a folk museum in order to establish a sense of belonging to Australia but fails as it is a dark and confronting e1perience. At the outset, an ominous tone is established in the negative connotation of darkness in 3A darkness in the rooms4 to emphasise the personas alienation from his surroundings. 8iven the personas migrant heritage, he has no cultural understanding of the e1hibits in the museum and in the second stan0a, he arbitrarily lists the artefacts 3machinery, clothes, transport4 highlighting their lack of meaning to him. "e decides that they are 3relics4 which 3remind AhimB of a past which isnt AhisB4. Towards the end of the stan0a, the caretaker touches his hand only ask 3%ould you please sign theCDisitors book>4 reminding him that he is an outsider, a 3bird of passage4 as suggested in 5igrant "ostel. #kr0ynecki shows that the persons desire to belong to Australias past has failed because he does not share a past with Australia. In the Folk 5useum is also a parado1 that stresses that the persona cannot belong to people in the present if he cannot connect to the past. In the third stan0a, the persona fails to connect to the caretaker as the woman 3knits without looking up4. The symbolism in the caretakers 3grey hair4 and the 3cold4 clay bottle further emphasise the alienation of the persona. In the Fourth stan0a, the people 3in the Town hall ne1t door singing to ?hrist4 further adds up to the frightening prospect of an 3eternity, 7ternity4 of alienation. The use of third person in 3they4 indicates disconnectedness to the community. In the final stan0a, personification is utilised in the wind tapping 3hurriedly on the roof and walls4 which creates a sense of unease and the need for the persona to leave, reinforcing his fear of eternal alienation. Therefore, the persona cannot overcome his barriers to belonging, resulting in his lack of connection to the present. 6aralleling a complementary notion, 2ig %orld by Tim %inton shows that an individuals understanding about themselves provides them with a sense of belonging. 2elonging is shown to be an inherent desire that provides individuals with a sense of satisfaction and security. At the outset, the persona establishes a negative atmosphere in the monotonous routine of work which is conveyed in the use of short sentences, 3The !ob mostly consists of hosing blood off the floors4. In the third paragraph, high modality is used in 3That I dream of escaping, of pissing off north to find some blue sky4 to accentuate that the persona has a deep sense of understanding about himself and the place he will belong to. A change to positive atmosphere is achieved when he visits 6erth in the visual imagery 3the air was soupy, salty4 and oral imagery 3birds in the mint scented scrub all round4. The simile in 3nervous and giggly like a pair of tipsy travellers4 stresses that he belongs to 6erth and it gives him a sense of identity. Towards the end, the persona loses his sense of connection to the place as a fire occurs. The persona proceeds to relate the effect of the fire with his view of the world, 3The sky goes all acid blue and theres !ust this huge silence. Its like the worlds stop4. The lines that proceed then describe a bleak future of alienation. Thus, it is essential for individuals to have a sense of

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understanding about themselves and the world around them to belong. 2ig %orld also shows that relationships are essential to belonging. This is e1pressed in the personas friendship with 2iggie which provides him with a sense of security and means of overcoming obstacles in life. This is e1pressed in the bullying the persona encountered by Tony 5acoli and that 2iggie saved him from it. %inton highlights that healthy relationships do not only provide companionship but also safety, security and satisfaction. The !u1taposition of 2iggie and Tony 5acoli in 32iggie became my mate, my constant companion, and Tony 5acoli was suddenly landscape4 e1plains that to belong, a healthy relationship is needed. The persona e1plains that 2iggie helped him overcome the news of his horrid e1am results as 3the ache is still there inside me but this is the best Ive felt since the news about the e1ams4. Thus, a healthy relationship is essential to belonging and provides individuals with a sense of security and satisfaction. A similar idea is advocated in Feliks #kr0ynecki where 2elonging to a heritage is vital for an individual to develop a sense of identity. #kr0ynecki utilises the first person narration to depict the strong poignant sense of longing that 6eter has to understand his fathers heritage and to develop a strong connection to it. At the outset, the personal pronoun, 35y gentle father4 is used to depict the personas love and admiration for his father. The simile in 3love his garden like an only child4 employs the possessive pronoun 3his garden4 and 3only child4 to demonstrate that Feliks loves his garden and that #kr0ynecki is !ealous of this. Throughout the poem, the imagery of his father being a 3hero4 and 3did not dull the softness of his blue eyes4 suggests that the persona admires his father greatly. As the poem progresses, #kr0ynecki begins to feel detached from his fathers heritage due to the new migrated world that he has grown up in. In the third stan0a, 3Feliks #kr0ynecki That formal address I never got used to4 suggests that the son is feeling more distant from his father. The imagery of 3always shook hands too violently4 accentuates his lack of understanding towards the 6olish customs which stops him from staying connected to Feliks. The fact that his fathers friends reminisced together on their past life suggests how the full acceptance of oneself and ones past can help one survive in an unfamiliar land. Thus despite the hardships that he has encountered in his past life Feliks acceptance of the two Australian and 6olish cultures has allowed him to belong in an unfamiliar land. Towards the end of the poem, there is a maturing of the persona, where he realises that he is unable to relate to his 6olish heritage and knows little about his father, suggesting the widening distance between them. This is depicted in the final stan0a where he forgets his first 6olish word. The line 3"e repeated it so I never forgot4 and the simile of the parado1 employed in 3like a dumb prophet4 reinforces the fact that the father is no longer an influence in shaping his sons character, as they belong in two separate worlds. It is noticeable of how the father struggles to belong in the new world, but his acceptance of this allows him to ironically, gain a sense of belonging which does not affect his self perceived identity as it has with 6eter. This is depicted in last line of the fifth stan0a, 3"appy as I never been4 which suggests the importance of acceptance in the search for belonging. The harmonious atmosphere described in

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the fathers place in the garden, when contrasted to the sons struggle, gives a subtle sense of how the persona longs to belong in his fathers world. #kr0ynecki reflects the notion of drifting away from his heritage as a manifestation of losing his identity, family relationships and character. This is strongly reinforced in the repetition of 3further4 in 3further and further south 3of the metaphorical 3"adrian wall4 which suggests that this becomes a barrier to his self identity. Freedom %riters also conforms to the concept that ones cultural identity hinders the way they belong to the outside world and that it is their acceptance of the ideas of other cultures that will provide a sense of belonging. At first, the panning effect of the camera is utilised to depict the middle angle shots of students moving and the close up shots of tables being !oined against one another to show the racial divide in the classroom and the lack of racial tolerance. This is further aided by the overhead shots of students physically abusing each other and cheering. This changes when 5rs 8ruwell intercepts in a racist drawing of one of her students to teach the students that respect, understanding and tolerance is essential to belonging. The low angle shot of 8ruwell is utilised to emphasise 8ruwells superiority which then becomes a high angle close up shot of 7va saying, 3Its all about colour. I hate white people4 to indicate her racist attitude. In the :ine 8ame scene, 8ruwell makes the students relate to one another by asking uestions about their hobbies and interests. A long shot is utilised when she asks them about seeing their friends die, to which the students begin to realise that many of the other students have e1perienced the same hardships. #ad, poignant pleonastic music is utilised at this stage to depict the similar e1periences students have encountered. This urges students to try and understand each other and soon results in belonging. Therefore, a sense of belonging is achieved through understanding others and accepting differences. An individuals attitude plays an important role in belonging. Freedom %riters shows that belonging enriches individuals in broadening their understanding about the world and others. The change in the students is obvious in the Toast of change scene. The close up shot of a boy who walks up and says, 3 5rs 8ruwell, is the only person that made me think of hope. I walk into the room and feel as though all the problems in life are not important anymore. I am at home4 and then the medium angle shot of all the other students giving him a pat on the back suggest that the students support each other. The students become sympathetic for each other and listen to each others problems. =ltimately, this leads to 7va confess that her friend shot #indys boyfriend, indicating that belonging has resulted in her maturity to see !ustice and truth done. Towards the end, the eventual brightness and uplifting rap music when the class find that 5rs 8ruwell will teach them again indicates that the class is belonging. A long shot is used to depict the class grouped together as opposed to the segregation in the beginning. The high modality in 5rs 8ruwell saying 3This class have become a family to each other4 indicates that belonging has brought people closer to each other. Therefore, belonging is a !ourney that leads to a sense of security and satisfaction, enabling an individual to gain a better understanding about their place in the world and the place of others.

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=pon e1amination, the four te1ts reveal a similar notion about the ways connections enable individuals to belong. Although individuals desire to belong, a sense of connection cannot be established to a person or place without an inner sense of connection or understanding. 2elonging helps to enrich and broaden an individuals understanding about others and themselves.

!!!!!!!!!!!

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