Being part of a community and feeling a sense of belonging is something everyone strives for in life. Community plays a vital role in society by fostering mutual support, cooperation, and a sense of belonging. The importance of community lies in its ability to create a sense of unity, support, and cooperation among its members, contributing to a stronger and more prosperous society. Humans tend to want to belong as part of a community. This need to belong is a fundamental aspect of human nature that greatly influences one's behavior. Throughout our lives, we look for connections and relationships with others, longing to be part of a community or group. This need to belong influences our thoughts, actions, and decisions in various ways. The desire to belong affects our social interactions and drives us to conform to group norms and values. The short stories The War of the Wall, The Stolen Party, Hello My Name is _____, and The White Umbrella all demonstrate the importance of a community and the human need to belong through the journey of the main character(s).
Communities are built upon shared identities and standards which is why fitting into a community that you weren’t born part of can be difficult. Communities often have unspoken “rules” or “standards” that you have to fit in with in order to be accepted by that community. In The War of the Wall, when the painter lady comes and visits, it is evident that she doesn’t fit in with the standards of the community, therefore others don’t accept her. In The Stolen Party, Rosaura will never fit into Luciana’s community because she doesn’t fit the standard/category of being rich/having money. In Hello My Name is ____, Jason has to try hard to fit into the American community because of his differences that don’t blend in with the unspoken standards set. In The White Umbrella, the young girl is very different from Eugenie who is a perfect example of the community the young girl wants to be part of. Communities often have views and standards that determine whether one can “join” or not. These shared identities and standards are what builds the foundation of a community and determines whether or not you can eventually fit in.
The need to belong is a fundamental aspect of human nature that greatly influences one's behavior. The desire for acceptance, connection, and identity drives individuals towards conformity, shaping their choices, actions, and decisions. However, it is important to strike a balance between the need to belong and the importance of staying true to oneself. In The War of the Wall, though the painter lady doesn’t belong, she is a good example of staying true to oneself. She doesn’t drastically change herself or her behavior in order to belong. She accepts herself for who she is and shows others who she truly is. In The Stolen Party, Rosaura doesn’t belong quite right either. However, she is still young and doesn't realize it. She too doesn’t change who she is in order to fit in. However, in Hello, My Name is _____, Jason changes himself and shuns away his Korean identity in order to fit in. By doing so, he isn’t staying true to himself. He is an example of how the human need to belong and conform can change human behavior. In The White Umbrella, the young girl tries to be more perfect and to act differently in order to appear more like Eugenie. She is changing herself because of her wanting to belong. In many ways, the human need to belong and conform can impact human behavior in many ways.
If you truly fit into a community, you don’t need to change yourself, attend things or to have certain items to belong. Items will one day disappear. However, if not having something or going to something determines whether or not others accept you, then in reality, you don’t fit in with others. In The War of the Wall, though the wall is an important part of the community, though it may not seem evident, even without the wall, the community will still be a community. In The Stolen Party, the girl thinks that if she goes to the party, she will get accepted by others. However, in reality, she is still seen as the maids daughter. In Hello My Name is ____, Jason thinks that by changing himself and acting more American will have others accept him. You should never need to change yourself in order to belong. In The White Umbrella, the girl believes that by having the white umbrella, she will become Eugenie and will get praised and accepted by others. If you truly belong to a community, it will accept you no matter who you are, what you have, and what you do.
Communities and belonging to a community is something everyone tries to achieve in life. However, when doing so it is important to stay true to yourself. If you truly are part of a community, you shouldn’t need to change yourself in order to fit in. when we humans try to fit into a community, we may not notice it, but we change our behaviors in many ways. The human need to belong and conform, can impact human behavior, which is totally normal. In the short stories, The War of the Wll, The Stolen Party, Hello My Name is ____, and The White Umbrella, the main characters all teach us the importance of community, and how humans try to belong and conform to a community.
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