Belonging In St. Patrick Skrzynecki And Freedom Writers

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Belonging can be described as the physical, social or emotional connection to other people or things. Security, happiness and comfort are common positive emotions that relate to the idea of a person belonging. Several views of the concept of belonging and not belonging are conveyed when analysing different texts.The poems ‘St. Patrick’s College’ and Feliks Skrzynecki by Peter Skrzynecki and the film Freedom Writers, directed by Richard LaGravenese denote these themes and ideas. Both Skrzynecki and LaGravenese incorporate language and film techniques in their texts to demonstrate different types of belonging and the different emotions that are felt when a person chooses to belong or not to belong. St. Patrick’s College’ explores the effects…show more content…
This is also ironic considering the motto represents the core values of the school, and the speaker is desecrating the idea to let his light shine. There is a placed emphasise on the distance or ignorance of the persona. This is highlighted in the closing line of this stanza; “Luceat Lux Vestra, I thought it was a brand of soap.” The persona is shown to have a lack of understanding of the school’s crest/motto. Again shows a lack of belonging. When a person detaches themselves from society, like Skrzynecki at his college, they will soon begin to feel alienated and neglected. This perception is also present in Freedom Writers, a film based on a true story about a young teacher named Erin Gruwell who inspires her class of students to learn to overcome the idea of isolation which they are creating within themselves, due to racism which they have been exposed to from a young age. The concept of belonging is represented through the use of racial groups and gangs and is linked with cultural and social aspects of…show more content…
Throughout the movie, we see the transformation of the barren environment of their classroom into one with bright posters, and a welcoming atmosphere. The transformation of the set ....links with the transformation of the students and their attitudes in which they have towards the idea of being able to belong at school and being comfortable with one another, something which Skrzynecki struggled to achieve. Through the constant change of this set, the audience is able to witness the change that is occurring in the students and their increased desire to socially belong. The continual use of pieces of writings from the students’ diaries, usually narrated by the students in a voiceover and combined with a visual impression of the event, positions the responder to understand and empathise with the world of the students. This encourages the audience to acknowledge their desire to have a rightful place in their community. In conclusion, through the use of personal reflections, and views, both St patricks college and freedom writers demonstrates to responders that an individual’s relationship with others which surround them can have an impact on the individual’s sense of self worth and their feelings on

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