A life of isolation seems like a punishment to some. But to others, it's considered the best option. Do people really need to belong? Is belongingness important to life? People do need to belong for a number of reasons. It's human nature to want to belong with similar people to themselves. By Any Other Name by Santha Rama Rau shows this point. In the story, the Indian author moves to an Anglo-Indian and immediately notices the only other Indian girl in her class. “When it was time for recess, I followed the girl with the braids out onto the veranda.” The author wants to be friends with the other Indian girl instead of her other classmates because she wants to belong with someone similar to her. But what happens when people aren't involved?