Belonging_Essay

Belonging Introduction A sense of belonging can emerge from the connection made with people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. The concept can be found in a variety of texts including Peter Skryznecki’s poems ‘Feliks Skryznecki’ and ’10 Mary Street’ and the documentary ‘Bra Boys’. These texts have a commonality that deals with the importance of belonging, to both the individual and collective psyche. Feliks Srzynecki Peter Skrzynecki’s poem “Feliks Skrzynecki” utilises a variety of literary devices in order to represent his perception of the effect of migration on a sense of belonging for father and son. The poets use a personal emotive tone to talk about his “gentle father” as a man detached from the world that surrounds him, and he constantly reiterates that his forced migration has resulted in a perceived feeling of isolation. Skrzynecki shows the displacement, alienation, isolation and uncertainty that migration cause. “He keeps pace only with the Joneses of his own minds’ making” through the use of metaphor, the composer is pointing out that Feliks is indifferent to the standards set by neighbours. Feliks has his own values, which has actually brought him happiness though somewhat isolation. This sense of acceptance of not belonging is juxtaposed with the emotive experience of not belonging of Peter who does not remember or know his polish culture and feels a sense of loss and alienation. There is irony in the simile “he loved his garden like an only child” in that the speaker feels detached and separated from his father Feliks, who in the face of his foreign environment has created an enclosed and private “world” in his garden. This is expressed in the metaphor “he swept its path/ ten times around the world”. Through the use of metaphor and irony Skrzynecki shows the reader that Feliks is displaced and alienated due to his lack of connection with the wider Australian community. 10 marry street The use of repetition in the phrase “for nineteen years” reinforce the thought that in order to reach the stage of belonging one must first gain a sense of security that comes from familiarity and acceptance. The anaphora emphasises the comforting familiarity for those that are displaced and seek to maintain a connection with routine and their cultural heritage. In “10 Marry Street” routine is associated with familiarity to provide the reader with a greater understanding of how it is linked with the foundation of our daily lives. The home symbolises a refuge of which culture can be enhanced, demonstrated in the accumulation “Kielbasa, salt herrings ... cherry brandy”. A simile compounded with an Australian idiom; “like a dozen puffing billies” is utilized to remind the composer that despite ties to the polish sub culture he is still Australian. Further more this sense of routine is evident in the juxtaposition of well oiled with the hiding of the key “under a rusty bucket” indicates the routine and safety of their own world thats provides for them a sense of their heritage and a sense of belonging to the broader community. This coming together which ultimately provides a sense of belonging is shown in the families connection to the land. Skrzynecki used accumulation of nouns “potato, sweet corn, strawberries, peas and tomatoes” to provide a rich abundant image of the garden which sustains the family figuratively and literally. Skrzynecki then build on this concept of connection by use hyperbolae and simile such as “ravaged the garden like a hungry bird” and “bursting at the seams”. This recurring motif of the garden provides the basis of skrzynecki’s sense of belonging as emphasised by the metaphor “we became citizens of the soil”. Migrant Hostel Peter Skrzynecki portrays a lack of inner drive among a group of migrants in “Migrant Hostel” while highlighting their state of disconnection and isolation from the rest of Australia. Skrzynecki’s use of imagery demonstrates the transient nature of the hostel exposing us to the chaotic atmosphere. “No one kept count of all the comings and goings; arrival of newcomers on busloads from stations”. Immediately, the responder, through the use of enjambment, is confronted by a sense of no permanency for these immigrants and that their future cannot be predicted, through the use of metaphorical connection to birds as in “like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearing” he furthers the notion of their unpredictable future but also brings to our attention that they understand the need of making a connection in order to achieve belonging. Conclusion By examining a variety of texts and text types it immediately becomes apparent that a sense of belonging is an important component to the overall well being of the individual and in a broader sense society. An absence of a sense of belonging leaves a profound sense of lack of fulfilment.