Where You Came From Belonging

Words: 801
Pages: 4

Travelling to a new destination transforms ones understanding of the world and themselves. One’s self-discovery is dependent on their perceptions of themselves and influenced by the people around them, thus one’s journey to the unknown or revisiting familiar places with new eyes renews one’s perceptions of their inner self and the world around them. Ivan O’Mahoney’s documentary Go Back To Where You Came From (Go Back) portrays the journey of six Australians who participate in a unique experiment requiring them to travel to around the world, renewing their perception of refugees. Similarly Ayan Mukerji’s 2013 film, Yeh Jawaani Yeh Deewani (YJHD), based upon the lives of Kabir Thapar, an aspiring photographer who embarks on an endless journey to explore the world, and Naina Thalvar, a shy 21-year-old medical student, conveys the need for exploration. Correspondingly Bill Cattey’s 1979 poem What is happening to me requires the persona to retrospect in order to understand the significance of his discoveries. Therefore, it is evident that an individuals understanding of the world and themselves can be transformed through travel and reviewing familiar places. Journey to unknown or familiar places renews ones …show more content…
What is Happening to Me, portrays the persona unknowingly discover a new journey, ‘like a blind man learning to see’ metaphorically signifying his experience. The persona feels “a new bridge under construction”, “across an abyss of unknown” as he tries to connect his findings and ponders “when will it be…May I cross?” rhetorically emphasising his cluelessness as to when he can undertake his passage to discovery. The move he makes over the bridge symbolises his journey and how crucial it is to find himself. Therefore journeys to places are what drive the need to understand