Across books · Theme
Identity and Belonging
Dick Hatteras, orphaned and rootless, journeys to England to connect with his father's past, grappling with his colonial identity and the search for family and a sense of home, as seen in his visit to the New Forest and his reflections on being a 'deadbeat in a big city.'
Identity and Belonging appears as a literary theme in 24 works in the BetterReads curated set. Each book develops the idea in its own plot, voice, and historical moment — the links below open the book-scoped theme guide beside the text.
Dick Hatteras, orphaned and rootless, journeys to England to connect with his father's past, grappling with his colonial identity and the search for family and a sense of home, as seen in his visit to the New Forest and his reflections on being a 'deadbeat in a big city.'
Characters like Aziz struggle with their identity as Indians under British rule, torn between tradition and modernity, while English characters grapple with their role as outsiders in a land they cannot truly understand.
The author explores his dual identity as a Polish-born writer who adopted English, reflecting on how language, nationality, and personal history shape one's sense of self and place in the world.
Gian-Luca struggles with his dual Italian-English heritage, feeling alienated from both cultures, as seen in his schoolyard exclusion and his cousin Sisto insisting he is English despite his Italian claims.
Cogewea, as a mixed-blood woman, is caught between two worlds—rejected by both full-blood Indians and whites—and struggles to find a place where she belongs.
Freckles' quest for a name, family, and a place in the world drives the plot, as he overcomes his orphaned past and physical disability to find self-worth and acceptance.
In each book
A Bid for Fortune
Dick Hatteras, orphaned and rootless, journeys to England to connect with his father's past, grappling with his colonial identity and the search for family and a sense of home, as seen in his visit to the New Forest and
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A Passage to India
Characters like Aziz struggle with their identity as Indians under British rule, torn between tradition and modernity, while English characters grapple with their role as outsiders in a land they cannot truly understand.
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A Personal Record
The author explores his dual identity as a Polish-born writer who adopted English, reflecting on how language, nationality, and personal history shape one's sense of self and place in the world.
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Adam’s Breed
Gian-Luca struggles with his dual Italian-English heritage, feeling alienated from both cultures, as seen in his schoolyard exclusion and his cousin Sisto insisting he is English despite his Italian claims.
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Cogewea, the Half-Blood
Cogewea, as a mixed-blood woman, is caught between two worlds—rejected by both full-blood Indians and whites—and struggles to find a place where she belongs.
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Freckles
Freckles' quest for a name, family, and a place in the world drives the plot, as he overcomes his orphaned past and physical disability to find self-worth and acceptance.
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Futility
The narrator's mixed heritage and rootlessness, along with Fanny Ivanovna's German accent and the family's shifting allegiances, highlight the theme of not fitting in—culturally, nationally, or within one's own family.
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Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Tarzan struggles with his dual identity as a man among apes, feeling alienated from both the ape tribe and the human blacks, and longs for companionship and a sense of place in the jungle.
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Khaled
Khaled's struggle to establish a human identity and lineage is a major theme, as he is a genii turned man with no known father or tribe. This lack of origin makes him vulnerable to rumors that he is a Persian spy or a ro
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Kim
Kim's struggle with his dual identity as a white Sahib and a native Indian boy, constantly shifting between cultures and questioning 'Who is Kim?'
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Lavengro
The protagonist navigates multiple identities—scholar, gypsy, tinker, hack writer—and questions where he belongs, oscillating between the settled Gorgio world and the wandering Romany life.
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Pirates of Venus
Carson, a stranger with yellow hair and blue eyes, struggles to find his place in Amtorian society, facing suspicion and prejudice while also being accepted as a unique individual, highlighting themes of otherness and th
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Roughing It
The narrator's journey from 'emigrant' to someone who can navigate frontier life explores themes of social status, regional pride, and the desire to be accepted by a rough, self-reliant community.
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Short Fiction
Characters like Big Hogey in 'The Hoofer' and the thief Asir struggle with displacement and alienation, whether from space travel, social ostracism, or the loss of family connections.
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Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan's quest to understand his origins and find his place between the ape world and the human world drives the narrative, highlighting themes of alienation and self-discovery.
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Tarzan the Terrible
Tarzan is caught between his human heritage and his ape upbringing, and the story explores his search for his mate and his place in the world, while also examining the identities of the Ho-don and Waz-don tribes.
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The Faraway Bride
Characters grapple with fragmented identities as Russians in a foreign land, caught between cultures, languages, and social classes, often feeling like 'homemade' or incomplete versions of themselves.
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The Head of Kay’s
Kennedy's forced transfer from Blackburn's to Kay's creates a crisis of identity, as he grapples with being an exile in a hostile environment and losing his sense of home.
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The House Without a Key
Characters like John Quincy and Miss Minerva struggle with their sense of self, torn between their Boston roots and the allure of island life, questioning where they truly belong.
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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
The narrative explores Equiano's dual identity as an African and a British subject, his pride in his Igbo heritage, and his struggle to find a place between his native culture and the European world he adopts.
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The Jungle Book
Mowgli's struggle between his human origins and his wolf upbringing explores themes of identity and belonging, as he is cast out from the wolf pack and later struggles to fit into human society.
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The Rover
Peyrol, a rover returning to France after decades abroad, struggles to find a place in a country transformed by revolution, while other characters like Arlette and Scevola grapple with their own fractured identities in a
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The Son of Tarzan
Jack Clayton struggles with his dual identity as the son of an English lord and the heir to Tarzan's jungle legacy, seeking belonging among apes, humans, and the wild.
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Waverley
Edward's transfer between London and Waverley-Honour, and later to Scotland, explores his struggle to define himself amid shifting environments, family pressures, and cultural differences.
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