COMM2533 Narrative Structure In Film - Homelessness in Australia

Melbourne’ 2019. Life of the homeless. Australia belongs to many, but equally true is the fact that many amongst the Australians do not have roofs over their heads. We are human beings blessed with food, family and shelter- three basic necessities that we tend to take for granted. In a city like Melbourne, there are many people who fail to experience the comfort of a home. They fail to experience what it is like to return home tired and collapse into a bed with a loving partner providing emotional support. For many of us who are actually blessed with a comfortable life at home, there is absolutely nothing on earth that could take that feeling away. The life at home is the kind of life that remains stable. A life at home is not only about having shelter, but also about having our loved ones around us. Either we share the same household with other members of our family, or people close to us are just a call away in the event that sharing the same household is not possible for whatever reasons. In addition, a life at home is also characterized by having the company of friends we enjoy talking to. By and large, being at home revolves around having a safe shelter, alongside having the company of those whom we can count on. Things seem to worsen when, at the end of the day, there is no home to go to. A normal and stable life for anybody would spin around a house, a loving family, a comfortable bed, some privacy, a room nobody else gets to share, and many other related elements. If an individual is deprived of any one of the aspects of their normal everyday life, there is a high likelihood that survival would get difficult. The situation further deteriorates when an individual eventually has to let go of all the elements of their normal everyday life. In such a situation, homelessness is bound to occur. There is no place to go to, nobody to turn to, and absolutely nothing to do. People living in Melbourne can barely imagine how it is to live on the streets until they get to experience lives of the homeless all by themselves. On any given night, thousands of people are out on the streets with no place to go to. It is not only depressing, but also exhausting to a certain degree. A homeless person wandering alone in the streets of Melbourne is lost and hopeless. This person is totally clueless about what life holds for him. This person who sleeps in the street does not get much sleep. This person is scared about getting hit, attacked or run over by a car. This person feels worthless. This person is in pain. Homelessness can be explained in a multitude of ways. In a city like Melbourne, finding affordable homes can be really daunting. A dearth of affordable accommodation in the city can be amongst one of the many reasons why people spend their nights on the silent streets. An unemployed individual handcuffed in poverty has no home to head to, at the end of the day. Immigrants are homeless, people leaving prisons are homeless, women escaping abusive relationships are homeless, millions are homeless. 

Experiment 2: Character Profile

This story is about Brandon’s life, and the normal days he spends in homelessness. Brandon lived in Sydney with his parents. He lived in a dysfunctional family where heated debates and domestic violence had become a ritual. As violence at home began to intensify, Brandon grew frustrated. He found himself in a helpless position where he could not think or function well from a mental standpoint. Brandon was only 13 when he was both, physically and mentally tortured by his parents. When tension grew and panic attacks became more frequent, Brandon left home when he turned 16 out of increasing frustration. He left Sydney and moved to Melbourne. Soon after Brandon moved to Melbourne with little cash in his hand, he found Amanda. Amanda worked at a supermarket as a cashier who saw Brandon wandering alone in the streets. She decided to approach him and see if the young man needed anything. Upon hearing Brandon’s life story, Amanda could not help but extend support to him. Shortly after meeting each other, Amanda and Brandon started dating each other, particularly at the age of 17. Life was good for another three years when Brandon shared a home with Amanda. The two dated for three years after which Amanda conceived a baby in the fourth year. They had a young son who was named after Amanda’s grandfather, Charles. Charles was born ill, and could not survive. Upon losing her son, Amanda grew frustrated. She was diagnosed with severe depression and often suffered mental breakdowns. She knew she could not live with Brandon anymore. She wanted to get out of this relationship because Brandon’s presence in her life reminded her of her lost baby. Hence, Amanda kicked Brandon out of her house. Brandon had no one in Melbourne except Amanda who had left him. Brandon was only 16 when he fled Sydney and moved to Melbourne. He had some friends here, but he would spend most of his time in the company of Amanda. Brandon was unemployed and only relied on Amanda for financial support. Now that Amanda left Brandon, the 21 year old man has nowhere to go to. He is all alone in the streets of Melbourne. Australia is very expensive, and Brandon is homeless with no money. He does not have a job, he is not qualified enough to find a job. He is totally clueless about the future. Some of his nights are spent on the streets, and some at his friend’s home. Brandon’s mental health worsens with every passing day. He is not only emotionally unstable, upon losing Amanda and his child, but also financially distressed, with no income or a roof over his head.