Belonging is one of those universalities that appears simple and yet holds complex truths about

humanity. It is the state in which an individual holds a place of purpose and is valued for ones own
intrinsic identity within a group or relationship. In order for belonging to occur, there must be an
affinity between individuals in terms of shared aspects of identity. However, as each individual has a
set of values that shapes their identity, there must be some negotiation in order to find
commonalities. There are many ways through which an individual can belong to a group or
relationship, however some individuals find it difficult to establish similarities in identity with others,
so must suppress their individuality in order to belong or else completely withdraw. Thus it is
evident that one identity affects, and is affected by whether or not and how one belongs.
This crucial relationship between identity and belonging is explored in the play As You Like It by
William Shakespeare. The play deals with the ubiquitous dilemma of disconnected individuals
searching for a place of belonging, to regain a lost sense of self. In the play Shakespeare identifies a
number of different ways which one can belong; the familys role in establishing ones identity and
self perception, the role of gender as defining identity, and love as an avenue for ultimate belonging.
These concepts of belonging are explored through Shakespeares use of characterisation, plot and
setting. Two other texts that explore the concept of belonging are Jane Austens novel Persuasion
and the short story Comrades by Nadine Gordimer.
As You Like It follows several characters disconnected from society on their individual journeys to
regain a place of belonging. The sense of discord in the play is evidently a result of the corruption in
the court, the setting where the main characters ideally belong. Corruption in the court is identified
through the family breakdowns that have occurred. The play opens with a sense of disorder, an
unnatural situation where Orlando rails against his brothers maltreatment of him. Oliver fails to
fulfil the role charged him by his late father to provide Orlando with adequate education befitting
a gentleman of [his] birth. By denying Orlando the means to his rightful place in society, Oliver
removes a vital part of his identity, consequently denying him a part in the family; the place of a
brother. The corruption in the court is further illustrated through the banishment of Duke Senior by
his brother Duke Frederick. This lack of kinship conveys the need for a restoration of balance in the
court.
However the devoted, loving relationship between Rosalind and Celia transcends shows how
harmony can occur within the court. In a stark contrast to the tension in the previous scene, the
atmosphere denotes a satisfying accord. The fact that the two are merely cousins yet are coupled
and inseparable highlights the corruption in the court. Shakespeare contrasts the character of Celia
to her father Duke Frederick to convey how the disparity in identity can result in a lack of kinship.
When Rosalind is banished by her uncle, Celia not only rises to her defence, but is disloyal to her
father leaving him to seek another heir and following Rosalind into the forest. Celia recognises her
fathers rough and envious disposition which sticks her at the heart: unlike her father, Celia has a
moral conscience.
As Shakespeare uses the contrasting characters of Celia and Duke Frederick and Oliver and Orlando
to illustrate how ones identity is not completely shaped y ones family and that one does not always
belong to their family, he also uses characterisation to show how an affinity in identity can allow two
individuals to belong completely to one another. Orlando is characterised as virtuous and noble as
Oliver himself admits Orlandos natural gentility accepting that he is learned...full of noble device
and enchantingly beloved. Rosalind, similarly is portrayed as worthy by her banisher, Duke
Frederick who acknowledges that her smoothness...her patience elevates her above his own
daughter. The high merit of Rosalind and Orlando serves to highlight the injustice of Olivers
deficiency as a brother and Duke Fredericks malevolence, as well as establishing the affinity between
the two.
Similarly, in her novel Persuasion, Jane Austen uses contrasting characterisation to explore how
family influences ones identity and state of belonging. The novel deals with the moral struggles of
the art of persuasion and the consequences of its power.
The novel opens with the protagonists father Sir Walter Elliot perusing his favourite volume, the
Baronetage in order to reaffirm his own history and social status as a Baronet. This clearly
identifies not only Sir Walterss superficial values, but also societys prevailing value of maintaining a
prominent position. Sir Walter blatantly displays his veneration of social rank as he exemplifies the
target of Austens satire. Her mockery identifies Sir Walters vanity as the beginning and the end
of his character which serves only, through contrast, to elevate the protagonist, Anne Elliot, as
virtuous.
Juxtaposed to her father, Anne is portrayed as a worthy character. Having elegance of mind and
sweetness of character, she is identified as separate from the conceit and Elliot pride of her
father and her two sisters who hold the same preoccupation with status. The reader is also made
aware however, that Anne is not valued for her endearing traits, instead she is nobody with either
father or sister and evidently in isolation within her family. However, the rejection is not one-sided
as Anne continually opts disassociates herself from her family refusing to ingratiate herself with her
cousins of nobility, the Dalrymples. Austen goes so far as to make Anne ashamed of the
Dalrymples bearing no superiority of manner, accomplishment, or understanding and merely
being charming. Annes refined judgment of character identifies her as clearly not belonging to her
family.
Beyond the contrasting characters, Austen also addresses a larger conflict between two whole
attitudes and ways of life. Torn between her sense of acceptance within the naval circle at
Uppercross and her duty to her family at Bath, Anne vocalises the disparities between the two social
sets. While Anne is at home and with the Musgroves, Sir Walter and Elizabeth are at their most
characteristic in the sterile vanity of Bath, exulting: that their acquaintance was exceedingly
sought after. Austens use of the contrasting locations of Bath and Uppercross highlights the ability
of different settings to confirm individual values.
The use of setting to explore the ability of a location to either affirm or transform ones identity is
evident in the setting of the Forest of Arden in As You Like It. The forest is a place of transformation,
and idyllic world where one can fleet the time carelessly and gain a deeper understanding of
themselves and society. This is evident in the characters often critical description of the court after
being in the Forest. Duke senior himself describes life in the court as painted pomp and the woods
more free from peril than the envious court. There is a unity with Dukes associating with fools and
shepherds and the natural world is portrayed as harmonious, a place where one can belong
regardless of their identity.
The forest also allows the characters to explore their identity through identifying the gender
expectations that help shape them. In the play, Shakespeare toys with the idea of gender, suggesting
that it is largely performative, but that there is an essential core of gender and identity within
humans. The plot device of Rosalind posing as a male shepherd, Ganymede allows Shakespeare to
convey this idea. While a man, Rosalind is able command the events of the play, exerting power
that she did not posses as a woman. However, Shakespeare identifies that she is essentially
feminine, allowing her to faint when Orlando proves his worth to her, despite her counterfeit to be
a man.
The exploration of gender roles is only one part of the process the characters must undergo to
regain a lost sense of identity. In the play, romantic love is explored as a means of creating harmony
and restoring the disorder in society. The transformative power of love is illustrated by the
relationship between Rosalind and Orlando, who despite having developed a relationship while
Rosalind was a man, still share a connection that no cross shall part once they are married. The
unconventional relationship between the ever devoted Silvius and the scornful Phebe is also
transformed by marriage. Even though Phebe appears to command Silvius, making him an
instrument of her will which was an unlikely role for women of the time, their marriage restores the
balance and allows Silvius to regain his rightful place as her husband. In effect, the rightful identity of
both individuals and both relationships is restored through a sense of belonging found in marriage.
The various couplings in the play endow the characters with fulfilment; a sense of belonging
associated another being.
While As You Like It deals with social order being restored by a regained sense of connection in
individual characters, the short story Comrades by Nadine Gordimer similarly explores the
necessity of individual understanding for social harmony to occur. Set in the racist society of
apartheid South Africa, the text conveys the deep lack of understanding and acceptance in society
through the individual experience of protagonist Hattie Telford. Telford is an individual who aims to
eliminate the disadvantages faced by black people by joining a committee of white and black
activists advocating for the education of black people. Gordimer characterises Hattie as holding
different values to her affluent European society by her constant striving to acknowledge equality
between herself and the youngsters she encounters. The fact that she identifies that it is she with
them and not them with her conveys her belief that equality and a sense of belonging can be
achieved by both races if there is a shared value for liberation from discrimination. However, the
naivety of Hatties values is evident in her ironic declaration of the university being a non racial
enclave of learning while European style tended flower beds are incongruous with the campus
guards and dogs that denote a need for protection from the black community who alarmed her at
the storys opening.
The setting of Hattie's house further illustrates her privilege and the irony in her belief of equality. In
order to truly understand the great disparities between their two worlds, Hattie must undertake a
journey of self reflection. The youngsters at her house are overwhelmed by something she cant
see. Positioned through Hattie's perspective, the reader is also unable to see what it is that
overwhelms. The realisation begins to dawn however, when Hattie recognises the harsh realities of
the boys lives. They do not go to school, for them school is a battleground...with responsibilities
beyond childhood. Their silence points to the fact that they are awestruck by Hatties affluence; the
phenomena undifferentiated has no place in their world of political activity. Their response
illuminates the large gap between the two worlds that cannot be bridged in a wider social context
unless people come to recognise their ignorance as did Hattie Telford.
Belonging is a dilemma that has many aspects included in it. There are a number of ways in which an
individual can belong and there is a vital relationship between an individuals identity and their state
of belonging. The texts As You Like It by William Shakespeare, Persuasion By Jane Austen and the
short story Comrades by Nadine Gordimer all explore this concept of belonging.