?Belonging initially appears to be a simplistic allegiance to social, cultural, personal and historical ties. However, a closer analysis of texts reveals how it is in fact an interconnected web of dependencies and interdependencies in which one element of isolation or alienation can both deepen and restrict one’s holistic perception of self. It is in this way that belonging is a paradox, where acceptance into a foreign group or culture may deny an individual’s sense of belonging to themselves. This is implicit in Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s discerning novel, "Heat and Dust" where the nameless protagonist balances acceptance into the Indian culture and her own self-acceptance despite her simplistic initial belief that belonging to India was gained from a sensual immersion. “Going Home,” by Archie Weller shows the characters judgments of contexts are the catalysts for their decisions to either integrate or segregate from their ambient environment. Whether an individual decides to seek a sense of belonging is dependent on the willingness of their social context in accepting them. Jhabvala uses procatalepsis irony to foreground the nameless protagonist’s gradual journey of belonging, ‘India always changes people, and I have been no exception’. The high modality, first person narrative voice and informal register allow the reader to belong to the protagonist, sharing the emotional journey of belonging, personifying ‘India’ and highlighting the power of her experience. “I now wear a pair of baggy trousers tied with a string at the waist such as the Punjab peasant women wear. I’m now dressed as a Indian woman.” The narrator immerses herself in the Indian culture and thus articulates the symbiotic process that is required to feel a sense of fulfilment. The parallel journeys between the narrator and Olivia further emphasize the two character’s growth in relationship whilst suggesting the narrator’s continuing journey f