An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging

We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun’- William Glaser. This theory is often pondered in regards to to belonging. In essence, humanity contains a social imperative to belong to a person, place or community. If they do not obtain such a connection, the effect is detrimental. This essay will examine selected poems of Emily Dickinson: ‘I died for beauty but was scarce’, ‘I had been hungry all these years’ and ‘I gave myself to him’. In conjunction with this, Robert Redford’s 1992 film, ‘A River Runs through It’ will be referred to. Such techniques which give the notion of belonging such impact include metaphor, simile, personification and filmic devices.

Dickinson’s ‘I died for beauty but was scarce’ epitomises the view that as humans we all belong to the circle of life. The poem features two personas: one having ‘died’ for ‘beauty’ and the other ‘for truth’. They are instantly affiliated with each other as they both died of noble causes and due to the close proximity of their ‘adjoining rooms’. They form a sense of ‘kinship’ and converse until the ‘moss covered up and lips and names’. The ‘moss’ is symbolic of natures power in a metaphorical sense, to silence our voices, and thus our sense of identity and belonging. The poem has a negative connotation associated of the world; one of harshness which ultimately limits the experience of belonging.

In regards to, ‘I had been hungry all these years’, the detriment of detachment and isolation is evident. The persona of the poem longs for something that it has seen others posses. The persona’s ‘hunger’ is a metaphor for belonging. However, upon ‘dining at the table’ experiencing belonging first hand, the person feels ‘odd’, ‘ill’ and ‘hurt’. To epitomise the feeling of disorientation caused by not belong, the composer employs the simile ‘as berry from a mountain bush, transplanted on the road’. This once again reinforces the lack of belonging and perhaps that Dickinson had the epiphany or realised that she was not to belong to people but to nature. This is evidenced in her, sharing a ‘crumb’ with the ‘birds’. The ‘birds’ are representative of nature and therefore the wider world. It is here where Dickinson affiliates herself as belonging to nature itself which enriches her experience with belonging.

On the other hand, Redford depicts an intimate sense of belonging to both people and nature. The opening scenes employ a slow camera zoom in on the family photograph. The picture is in black and white, which orients the viewer to the context of the 1920’s which is reinforced by the costuming of the family. As the camera continues to zoom, the audience understands that metaphorically, they will zoom in on the family’s life. The picture is one of happiness, with the family warmly embracing each other, with smiles on their faces which are typical of a united family. In conjunction with this, the family share a close affinity to the ‘Blackfoot River’ which is the ‘family river’. It is where most of their afternoons are spent, to fly fish. Therefore the film endeavours to depict an immense passion not only for the family and in turn people, but also of nature in the form of the Blackfoot river which enriches the families understanding of belonging.

Whilst the initial scenes of Redford’s film depict family relationships as paramount, Dickinson’s poem, “I gave myself to him’ is in stark contrast. The persona uses legal jargon throughout the poem such as ‘owe’, ‘debt’ and ‘ratified’ when discussing marriage to another. It is imperative to appreciate Dickinson’s context, whereby marriage generally signified the loss of identity of a women and particularly her freedom – an essential component of belonging in Glasser’s view. The persona furthers her disaffection

for marriage by deeming it a ‘transaction’. The euphemism for sex ‘each night to owe’ furthers her contempt for the idea of marriage. The is a plethora of reasons why the persona dislikes the idea of a seemingly inclusive concept of marriage, however the underlying current remains the same: she is limited by her experiences to belong. Furthermore, the persona refers to ‘him’ instead of ‘us’ which infers she negates any inclusive language, something with infers belonging. The persona is afraid to contemplate the ‘risk’ of marriage and therefore to belong.

Redford’s film exemplifies how loving another can have detrimental effects. In stark contrast to the opening scenes of the film, the end finishes with a zoom out of old hands attempting to hook a line on to a fishing rod. The aged hands are symbolic of wisdom and experience. From the scenes prior, the viewer is alerted to Norman’s younger brother Pauls, tragic murder. The line Norman is attempting to hook is symbolic of the family which is paradoxical when compared to the life of Paul. He led a life in which he faced immense tribulations. He turned to alcohol and gambling to deal with the issues he confronted. His rebelliousness was foreshadowed in the beginning of the film, when he defied his Presbyterian father’s demands. The voice over of Norman confirms his sadness ‘I am haunted by waters’ as it reminds him of his younger brother, as he was the best in the family of fly fishing. In a sense, Redford explains how nature is immortal, especially in contrast to humanity: something Dickinson validates in a myriad of her poems.

Both composers highlight the significance of experiences on ones viewpoint in regards to belonging. We all contain a drive for belonging evidenced in Glasser’s quote. We also face a social imperative to affiliate ourselves and seek acceptance with another or with nature. In Dickinson’s case, she chooses to alienate herself from people, and seek an affinity with nature as she is in ‘awe’ of it. Similarly, Redford’s poem exemplifies nature’s importance