Belonging is the understanding and acceptance of an individual which makes them feel included. It is through their relationships with people and places combined with their experiences that help them transform their own 'identity'. These essential concepts of belonging are displayed within William Shakespeare's play, As You Like It and in John Lee Hancock's film, The Blind Side; as their intrinsic desire for belonging shape their understanding of their identities and relationships with others.
When one lacks meaningful relationships and feels a sense of alienation within a community, their identity often feels lost.
This is evident in William Shakespeare's play As You Like It through Orlando, who initially lacks meaningful relationships within his community and this lack of understanding and sense of belonging forces him from the Court to the Forest of Arden where he begins to search for a more accepting community.
The biblical allusion to the 'prodigal son' represents the rift between Orlando and his brother Oliver, demonstrating how a lack of relationships creates a sense of alienation within a community.
Orlando's alienation from his family and society places him in a depression, demonstrating the innate need for belonging. This need for belonging and lack of self-identity is demonstrated in the negative diction within his metaphorical description of himself where he "fills up a place, which may be better supplied when made it empty." The impersonal nature of 'a place' highlights Orlando's lack of belonging, which is reinforced through the word 'empty,' as it accentuates the hollowness of his identity. Orlando feels lost and without any connections as elucidated by Shakespeare in "I have none to lament me." The high modality of 'none' illustrates Orlando's lack of belonging which weakens his perception of his self-identity as emphasized through his dejected and sorrow state. This melancholy is further evident...