There are so many useful and easy quotes to remember, such as ones that refer to how an individuals experience of belonging is enriched or hindered by their interactions with their surrounding world (i.e. community).. Just remember basic comparisons and scenes that refer to the syllabus such as the effect of time, places, relationships.
Raimond's interactions with popular culture lead him away from the strict moral convictions of Romulus.. he recalls being attracted to the "delinquent characters" in Blackboard Jungle, and became attuned to the "conformist aspirations of teenage culture".
As he matures he can be seen to drift away from his father, stating that "My relationship with my father changed because I had asserted my independence". With Romulus' affliction, Raimond visits him in hospital and the image of him "shrunken and bewildered" results in the realisation that Raimond is no longer in possession of the freedom and innocence of childhood, and that he now has responsibilities. "I left the hospital changed. I had absorbed past sorrows against the sure confidence of my father's strength... I could never do so again."
So basically, Raimond's interactions with the community lead him to develop a new sense of belonging that diverges from Romulus'. This is also seen in his perception towards the landscape. Gaita recalls that "Even after more than forty years my father could not become reconciled to it." He late states that "my perception of the landscape changed radically". He became aware of its beauty, and, when paired with the scenes of Presley and Blackboard Jungle, there is an implied sense that Rai is drifiting away from his fathers ideals.
So that's just some of the relationship between Raimond and Romulus. There is so much more you could talk about, such as Romulus' work being an essential part of his character and according him respect from the community.. Christine's complete isolation in the rural landscape... Romulus affliction and its effects on Raimond.. Hora and Romulus' friendship influencing Raimond's character and identity while growing up...
Haha, I have my half yearly belonging exam on Wednesday so this is kind of helping me too
You could be given any question in an exam, so don't just focus on Romulus himself, try to find links between the characters, such as how they all respond differently to the Australian landscape, and how they all ultimately find belonging (Romulus with Milka.. animals in his old age.. his 'transcendent sense of common humanity' ~"He was truly a man who would rather suffer evil than do it". Rai with the landscape and his father. Christine with no one (Rai often recalls her mental episodes with pity and a "disturbingly detatched" tone)).
I think the easiest ones to remember are the concepts of their belonging to the landscape and to each other. And remember the basic characterisation of each (Rom's moral puritanism, Rai's attraction to teen culture, Christine's debilitating mental condition).
There is also a sense that in the broader context of their migrant experience, they find it difficult to connect with the new culture and landscape, Christine especially so. I'm not entirely sure how an individual enriches a community or what that really means for belonging, other than it must mean how they are able to connect with the community and thus enrich their own sense of belonging .. And you can mention the context of multiculturalism in Australia in the 1980's, how Gaita says that "Immigrants were tolerated, but seldom accorded the respect they deserved." Idea of tolerance implies a condescension, a lack of ignorance on both sides, presenting a barrier to belonging. (Cultural difference is a major barrier, preventing them from belonging from time to time).
