Analysis Of Immigrant Chronicle By Peter Skrzynecki

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“How have perceptions of belonging been explored in your set text and one other text” Perceptions of belonging have been explored in Peter Skrzynecki’s collection of poetry in the book ‘Immigrant Chronicle’. Throughout the text, Skrzynecki writes his experiences dealing with belonging along with his family after migrating to Australia. Three of which poems in which reveal these perceptions include ‘St Patrick’s College, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki.’ Another source in which also exposes these perceptions of belonging is the article of Donna Meehan who was taken away by the Welfare Board. Firstly, St Patrick’s College is a poem based on the author, Peter Skrzynecki’s life during school and the challenges he went through for…show more content…
This poem describes the feelings and experiences of the persona and his family along with many other immigrants. ‘Nationalities sought each other out instinctively- like a homing pigeon collecting its bearings’. Through this simile we can see the discomfort that all the immigrants are coping with and the struggle that they are going through in order for some sense of belonging. As a result, we are given a perception of not only the persona towards belonging, but also the rest of the immigrants in which just want a new beginning but feel they need to belong and be accepted first. This is the reason for the seeking out of other immigrants of the same nationality as they feel the pressure of the boundaries around them that has forced them to seek out…show more content…
In saying this, we are given the personas perception of belonging in which he feels he may achieve one day as he is still young, however, for his parents, it may not be the same story. Therefore, the persona believes this is a new beginning for him, however, his parents may not achieve the belonging that the persona most likely will achieve. The last poem from the text immigrant chronicles is ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’. Feliks Skrzynecki is a poem about the persona’s father Feliks and the measures that he undertakes to create a sense of belonging for himself and his family. ‘Kept pace only with the Joneses of his own minds making’ suggests the measures that Feliks took in order for some sense of belonging. ‘The Joneses’ is a term used to describe ‘everyone else,’ and as a result, Feliks has tried to accomplish an environment where his family is accepted and belong on his own terms. By keeping pace with the Joneses, Feliks has tried to create this environment where he believes is like everyone else, however at the same time, not being affected by wider society, especially by the Australian way of
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