The Theme Of Belonging In Amanda Lohry's Vertigo

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Vertigo is a novella written by Amanda Lohry in 2009. The novella explores the human experience of a young couple, Anna and Luke, through the loss of their stillborn child, the boy. The text expresses insights into both individual and collective human experiences through the critical themes of grief, change, and belonging. Through these themes, Lohrey can convey to the audience a sense of understanding of how different stories give us insights into different human experiences. In Chapter 1 of the novella, the characters Anna and Luke decide to move to a rural town called Garra Nalla. This change was necessary to deal with Anna’s asthma and to relieve the pain of the loss of their stillborn child. Thai shared experience is experienced amongst many individuals in today's society as we all undergo a shift in our lives, whether it be a change of environment or a change of lifestyle. Change has both a positive and negative impact on our lives. For example, Anna found change difficult as she felt a source of disconnection from her family and friends. Lohrey was to emphasise this through the imagery of "no hotel, no shop, no community hall." By doing so, the readers can visualise Garra Nalla …show more content…

For Anna's character, a place like Garra Nalla was difficult to find as she shifted from city life to county life. Anna tries to blend in to find a sense of belonging by buying a she-oak tree and gardening it. However, when she experiences her first snake, she can find a sense of belonging: "You first snake, now you can call yourself a local." Through this experience, Lohrey was able to represent Anna's character development as she started to feel a sense of belonging. However, Luke had a spiritual connection to Garra Nalla and felt a sense of belonging from the beginning. "This is our promised land." This directly refers to a Bible quote due to his spiritual