The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes and Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal use experiential journeys to explore various aspects of belonging. The Sense of An Ending illustrates that destructive relationships have the capacity to deter our perception of belonging, while fruitful relationships can foster maturity and result in personal growth and change. We also see that a place has the ability to shape values that are void of integrity but can also create opportunities for reconciliation and transformation. Son of Mine portrays that cultural modelling can stimulate the formation of an equivalent and peaceful society. Barnes and Noonuccal utilise two different approaches to convey the message that experience is a vehicle that determines our understanding of belonging. Barnes places Tony through an experiential journey in The Sense of An Ending which tests his capacity to maintain harmonious relations. This is shown through Tony's visit to Veronica's house. Barnes, with almost immediate effect, degrades Tony through the use of hyperbole when Veronica's father proclaims "the boy's come for a month!  Tony's personalised and introspective ideals are displayed through the use of soliloquy. Soliloquy allows us into the psychological state of Tony as he becomes consumed in cross-examining himself he begins to exaggerate everything that occurs. Barnes shows this through the use of the rhetorical questions "was that beer on his breath? , "at this time of day? . Tony's rhetorical questioning of Mr Ford is symbolic of a foreboding world of restriction, one where fear consumes Tony, resulting in restriction from being himself. Fear when combined with restriction can hold back an individual's personality. When an individual feels unable to express themselves, their sense of belonging is clearly impeded. When we recall on horrific memories it gives us the ability to reflect on the decisions we have made. The metaphor "(B)athwater long gone