St Patrick's College Peter Skryznecki Analysis

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There is always a conflict between the individual’s desire to belong and his/her duty to themselves Belonging is a multi-faceted concept with a variety of different aspects. It can be perceived in a number of different ways and confliction may arise between them over time. This is depicted in the post-war poem ‘St Patrick’s college’ by Peter Skryznecki where he exemplifies the conflict between his desire to live a less regimented life and his mother’s desire for him to become assimilated into the structured private catholic school lifestyle (place). His tight-knit relationship between his mother and his craving for finding his own individual sense of identity considerably affect his sense of belonging. This is evident from the very first stanza where he writes “Mother enrolled me into St Pat’s, wanting only what was best.” These two lines imply the fact that he only attended the school due to his selflessness and his belief that living up to his mother’s expectations was not only a duty towards her, but to himself.…show more content…
This symbolises his state of ambivalence and detachment from the religious culture his mother wanted him to become affiliated with. Another example of ambiguity in the poem is when Peter writes “caught the 414 bus, like a foreign student”. These two lines contradict each other because he first acknowledges the number of the bus, indicating a sense of belonging, but in the line after he compares himself to a foreign student, which is a symbol of disconnection. This is another example of how Peter’s desire to belong is in conflict with his duty to
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