The Influence of Belonging Having and needing a sense of belonging is a facet of human nature. In this context, belonging refers to the acceptance of an individual as a member or a part (Hall 1). In Perry Moore’s Hero, Thom is faced with many barriers to attaining a sense of belonging with nearly every group that he encounters. His largest barrier would be the fact that he is homosexual in a world that seemingly doesn’t accept homosexuality for what it is. In Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, the Joker doesn’t exactly have an easy path through life. He loses his wife and unborn child due to an electrical short in their home. Seemingly, his sense of belonging is altered after this incident. In Hero and The Killing Joke, vital characters’ sense of belonging ultimately molds who they are and how they make decisions. …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel, Thom pulls off some late game heroics to win a basketball game for his team. Thom’s coach, teammates, and father all gathered in a celebratory fashion in the parking lot of the school after the game. Thom and his controversial father are even invited to partake in a celebratory pizza party with the team. However, a player from the opposing team (the Gary Coleman kid) walks by and says, “Oh, that’s the gay guy (P. Moore 26).” Thom immediately says, “He did not say it with venom. He didn’t need to. He said it loud enough so we could hear it, like it was just so obvious. You don’t make an accusation that the sky is blue; it’s simply a matter of fact. The coach’s smile dropped, my teammates looked uncomfortably in the other directions and tried to pretend they didn’t hear what they all had obviously heard. My father stared forward, a fixed expression on his face. I think he was afraid to look at me. Afraid of what his look would do to me. I hear the keys jingle against the change in his pocket again (P. Moore