Pursuit of Happiness and Belonging free essay sample

An individual’s sense of belonging is significantly determined by external influences. These external forces can have dramatic impacts on an individual’s ability to associate and conform to differing groups in society. Jane Harrison’s ‘Rainbow’s End’ epitomizes this concept through the struggle of three indigenous women to belong to place or family. Gabriele Muccino’s film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ also embodies the same ideas about how external influences distinguish between belonging and isolation. Individuals in these texts are affected by a multitude of external influences that determine the sense of belonging and association with others. Traumatic experiences from the past may inhibit an individuals attempt to connect with differing groups of society. Jane Harrison illustrates this through Nan Dear’s painful past involving the stolen generations. She was removed from her family and unable to receive an education, which ultimately hindered her ability to connect and associate with others through her lack of intelligence. We will write a custom essay sample on Pursuit of Happiness and Belonging or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The ignorance and narcissistic attitude from white society inevitably enabled Nan Dear to develop a protective and negative outlook towards the white authorities. This is evident when Nan Dear’s opinion of health services becomes obvious, â€Å"Hospitals is where they take our babies away. † Similarly, this is represented in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, whereby Chris was without a father for his whole life. The lack of a father figure and someone to idol encumbered his ability to associate with others and left him disjointed from society as a young man. The past experiences that these individuals endure were purely externally influenced and were uncontrollable; this inevitably alienated and isolated them from possibly connecting and belonging to differing groups of society. An individual’s desire to belong to differing groups in society may go unfulfilled as a result of the ignorance or selfishness of other people’s actions. This is obliviously represented in ‘Rainbow’s End’ whereby the white authorities evict Nan Dear, Gladys and Dolly from their natural home and are placed in a low economic estate called the ‘Rumbalara Housing’. The displacement of the three women diminished their sense of belonging to land, which is essential to Aboriginal lifestyle. This concept is also exemplified in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness† as Chris is yet set back again when his bank  account is garnished for unpaid taxes. This is just as Chris’ situation is looking to brighten, and on his way to associating and belonging to a higher class of society, what is stock brokerage. This significantly illustrates the isolation and segregation of Chris from his hopes of becoming a member of society around him, rather he is isolated with the ‘bums’ of San Francisco and forced to stay at a homeless shelter. This concept is also exemplified when Eroll, Dolly’s love interest, enlightens Dolly to his plan to take her away to a materialistic future, of a ‘Sweet little flat in the city with a balcony and a sitting room and a kitchen with a real stove and a new-fangled Kelvinator.. ’ Dolly then reluctantly admits that Eroll’s idea of â€Å"our future† would involve her leaving her association with her family and her home. This typically represents Eroll’s naivety and lack of respect towards Dolly’s culture and lifestyle, and ultimately leads to