When humanity experiences a strong connection to a place, the notion of

belonging is strengthened and enriched.

: An individuals interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their
experience of belonging. Discuss this view with details reference to your prescribed text and ONE
other related text of your own choosing.

An individuals interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or
limit their experience of belonging, through this quote an audience can gain a
greater understanding of the intended meaning of a text. As seen through Bruce
Dawes poems, Weapons Training, Drifters we can see how integral an
individuals experience with others can shift or create their sense of not
belonging in different ways, this is expressed through various techniques and
quotes.
Through the poem Weapons Training by Bruce Dawe, is an example of a
sergeant putting down and shaming recently enlisted recruits therefore, the poet
creates the theme of war. The recruits also seem to be of Asian culture (a mob
of little yellows, a pack of Charlies and you can smell their rotten fish sauce
breath) this suggests that it must be a Vietnam War. The poet uses the
technique of alliteration to emphasise the dominancy that the sergeant has over
the recruits, Bruce Dawe also uses alliteration, dead dead dead, he uses this
technique so the recruits are to be familiar with what could most likely be the
outcome of them going to this war, dying. The sense of belonging is not evident
through this scene, therefore leaving the recruits with a sense of not belonging,
this is evident due to the recently enlisted recruits not speaking or saying
anything to the sergeant, this is because the sergeant has made them feel as if
they have nothing to live for and they are not worth anything.
In Bruce Dawes poem, Drifters, her environment changes her perception of
belonging and creates depth and meaning towards her internal and external
feelings, the poet expresses how the girls house was where she felt her sense of
belonging but when this was taken away from her, she felt as if her sense of
belonging vanished. The quote notice how the oldest girl was close to tears
because she was happy here expresses her internal feelings towards the home
which she loved so very much and in the blink of an eye was taken from her.
Although she was so close to this home, her father had the ability to do whatever
he wanted and is the one who held all the power, this is evident through the
beginning quote which is One day hell tell her its time to start packing, this
quote suggests that he is the father and that they are always on the move by
moving houses. Repetition is apparent as Bruce Dawe constantly uses the word
and; this further expands the concept of not belonging to the environmental
area and further expresses the internal feelings of the eldest girl.