A sense of belonging often emerges from connections made with people, places, groups, communities, and the world at large. The Bourne Identity is a novel written by Robert Ludlum The main character of this novel is Jason Bourne, a broken man, not only physically, but also emotionally and psychologically. Throughout the novel we see a man trying to put the pieces of himself back together. life suffering from sudden amnesia There are several ways in which this text relates to belonging and not belonging, all of which become increasingly evident as the novel progresses. , every aspect of an individual's sense of belonging is completely removed and as Bourne struggles to reclaim these aspects, he struggles to reclaim his sense of belonging. One of the main aspects of belonging is about the connections that. we establish as humans with others, our relationships without this connection, an individual cannot belong anywhere. At no point does Bourne share a connection with more than a handful of other people. He meets a woman named Marie St Jacques and while initially he only makes contact with her to escape from a hotel “'I don't want to use that (a weapon). I don't want to hurt you, but I'll do both if I have to. 'My God….' 'Be quiet. Do as I say and everything will be fine. I need to get out of this hotel and you're going to help me. Once I get out, I'll let you go. But not before. ". However, the situation he finds himself in becomes more complex and so he refuses to let her go until he feels safe. "'For God's sake, let me go!' 'Not yet.' He really meant it; there was another exit somewhere, men were waiting outside for the Marseille target. In the events that...... middle of paper ...... all without understanding of their own identity have nothing in common with anyone, nothing that connects them to these groups, communities or to the world as a whole. They can't belong. In conclusion, Jason Bourne has his entire world, his memory shattered into a million pieces. The result is a physically, emotionally, and mentally broken man struggling to piece together the life he once had. Through the connections he makes with people and places, a sense of belonging begins to emerge. Yet his lack of understanding, his connections to individuals like Carlos, groups like Treadstone, society and the world at large mean that Jason Bourne can't truly belong anywhere. “In a way, he’s a functioning microcosm of all of us. I mean, we're all trying to figure out who we are, right? » Works CitedThe Bourne Identity: Novel, written by Robert Ludlum