A place to belong. There are many notions of belonging that affect our sense of unity; family, culture, self, society, relationships and places. The poems, "Feliks Skrzynecki", "St Patrick`s College" and "Postcard" from the "Immigrant Chronicles" written by Peter Skrzynecki portray the difficult quest to belong while the novel "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower", written by Stephen Chbosky, depict the easiness of affiliation. Felik Skrzynecki is a free verse poem that serves tribute to Peter Skrzynecki`s father, Feliks; a common labourer whose roots follow him back to Poland. The poem explores Feliks' relationship with his garden, his friends and his son, Peter Skrzynecki.
The poem explores how our attitudes of belonging either provide acceptance or continue alienation. The composer uses first person pronoun in “what’s my choice to be?” to highlight his change of attitude towards his cultural heritage and how perspectives differ over time. For peter acceptance of one’s culture is the most important aspect in feeling a sense of belonging. For the composer acceptance of who you are and where you come from, eliminated alienation he once felt. For his father acceptance of a new lifestyle and his love of his garden allowed him to belong in an unfamiliar environment.
A sense of belonging can be created from the connections people make throughout their lives. Belonging can also allow for people to form positive connections; however there are also many barriers to belonging. Some of these barriers are explored in peter Skrzynecki’s poem “Ancestors”. The poem shows Skrzynecki’s failure to comprehend his own cultural identity. Skrzynecki uses the idea of ancestors and ghosts to show familial, cultural and historical belonging.
The poem Migrant hostel bests represent the transience of Skrzynecki’s belonging. He uses words such as comings and goings, arrivals and sudden departures to emphasise the uncertainty present in the Hostel. Skrzynecki likens himself and the other immigrants as homing pigeons which along with migratory instincts have a need to seek out familiarity and connections. With this need, Skrzynecki mentions that nationalities sought each other instinctively, bringing them together for a period of time. However this temporal perception a belonging was quickly lost in a cycle of connection and disconnection created by physical barriers.
The journey may offer life-changing experiences, but it is ultimately the destination that motivates the traveller to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, making both equally important. Such physical journeys involve the exploration of new and challenging environments, equipping the traveller with fresh experiences, perspectives and insights of the world around them. Through a variety of written and visual techniques, these notions are explored in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems Crossing the Red Sea and Migrant Hostel, Mel Gibson’s film Apocalypto. The process of the journey is portrayed through phases of movement and standstills, allowing the traveller to reflect on the impact of the trip. Journeys can be driven by aims of escaping to a better place, but the process itself is just as significant as it shapes the outlook of the traveller.
BELONGING ESSAY Belonging is shaped by the attitudes and perceptions of the individual, as well as the norms and expectations of society. Although the road to understanding one’s identity, worth and connection can be a struggle, ultimately we all need to confront the nature of our belonging, as a result of our inherent and innate desire to feel connected with the world and its people. The challenges in coming to terms with one’s identity and belonging, and the necessity of this process, are explored in “Felix Skrzynecki”, “Post Card”, “A Place To Call Home” and “The Myth Of Belonging Masks Our Insecurity”. A comparison between a strong sense of belonging and confusion over one’s identity is made in Skrzynecki’s poem “Feliks Skrzynecki”. The metaphor “kept pace with the Joneses of his own mind’s making” shows how Feliks’ sense of identity is closely linked to his
Belonging to place and people is important in providing a sense of identity and security. In Skrzynecki’s Post Card, this is seen through the idea that an immigrant may experience confusion about whether they belong to their birth land or their adoptive land. Skrzynecki suggests that a migrant may be dismissive of their cultural heritage and feel a loss of connection to their homeland due to living in a different country. This is shown when the protagonist receives a postcard from a friend to show to his parents and remind them where they came from. The poet writes “I never knew you except in third person”.
Belonging is a perception, and varies from person to person, based on experiences and beliefs. The choices governing belonging may be up the individual – to accept the opportunity or reject it and consequences that follow. It can be argued that humans, being social creatures, need to belong to fulfil their emotional needs, moreover, belonging is part of the human condition, people seek it out subconsciously and no one can escape it entirely. First generation Australian poet Peter Skrzynecki’s reflective anthology Immigrant Chronicle, a collection of semi-autobiographical poems published in 1975 explores the concept of belonging through the use of circular imagery, sensual language and metaphors, carrying a strong sense of ambiguity throughout
In these cases, the sponsors are concerned more with reuniting with family than if they will be actually capable of providing for them. A sponsor with no money whatsoever will still feel that he should be approved for sponsorship, saying that a minimum income is necessary to be with family is discriminatory.
However, as the book “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel progressed while reading it, it was evident that in situations where any choice is largely constricted or that the environment is largely unfamiliar to them, people will cross physical, social, mental, psychological, emotional and moral boundaries just to reach something they desire. Similarly, these concepts can also apply to general life. We cross physical boundaries when we travel or when people fly from country to country as an immigrant or a refuge. It could be the notions of wilderness or the further explorations of a new “world”. It is commonly seen in poems that crossing boundaries could also mean the boundary of being at home and experiencing the “wider” world.