Belonging

“Different people have different perceptions of belonging,” Our own identity is shaped by various influences in our lives these factors that build who we are emerge from personal experiences, relationships , understanding, social or religious ties and our perspective of the society that we live in. Belonging to a specific group may occur simply by choice or a sense of obligation. For instance, the decision to belong to a certain social group is entirely dependent on what we feel comfortable doing, whereas being a part of a cultural group is not necessarily something we have control over, as people are generally born into a specific culture which may be difficult to abandon. People generally choose to involve themselves in a group in order to feel accepted and to obtain a sense of security. If our identity is marginalized we are forced to feel alienated. This is seen in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems “Migrant Hostel,” “Ancestors,” “St. Patrick’s College.” Rusty Young’s “Marching Powder” and Shane Meadows “This is England.” When a group of people or family is living in a new society their sense of belonging will be challenged because of their absence of personal experiences, relationships and understanding of their new environment. “Migrant Hostel” provides insight for the audience to show what migrants experience when adapting to a new lifestyle, causing cultural and social conformity. This is shown in the poem Migrant Hostel, “Sudden departures from adjoining blocks” expresses the constant changing of the migrant’s personal environment. The use of “Sudden departures also gives a sense that a migrant has negative thoughts towards this specific place where they are just passing through and not having any acceptance in the new environment. The simile “Nationalities sought each other out instinctively – Like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearing” creates a sense of the migrant being constantly on the move and looking for a friend for support. Also this quote shows the migrants are looking for people who have shared the same experiences so they can relate and share things in common which would set a sense of belonging in the harsh scenario they are placed in. The sense of not belonging is also related to social and cultural ties. In the poem “Recognised by accents” shows if the migrants belong to a different cultural background they are easily noticed. This form of marginalization caused by being different could cause a person to be singled out in a new environment, yet also could open new relationships with other people with the same cultural heritage. “A barrier at the main gate” symbolizes not only the migrants being locked in a sealed environment but is a metaphor for the social barrier that the migrants face being the minority, therefore having trouble being at ease with their identity and whether or not they feel as if they belong. Peter Skrzynecki uses “blood” to show that the persona can’t run and hide from his cultural background forever. In “Ancestors” The persona expresses a separation from his cultural heritage resulting in a feeling of not belonging in terms of family relationships and understanding. Being separated from his heritage, the persona experiences a kind of guilt due to not being attached to his parents culture, but also a sense that this issue will have to be resolved, even if it involves some distress and confusion. A questioning tone is carried on throughout the poem, this tone gives a sense of self reflection and questioning of his relationship to his ancestors which leads to further questioning of his identity. We see throughout the poem the persona ignoring the heritage of his ancestors, he is afraid of the past and its blemishes. “To what star do their footprints lead'” This not only shows his fear of the past but his uncertainty about conforming to his ancestral culture. The ancestors “never speak” which is implying that they communicate to the persona in some other way. The idea of the poem is that it is a dream or nightmare about his ancestors and the persona having a hard time trying to relate to the cultural heritage. Skrzynecki uses “blood” to show that the personas cultural heritage is a part of him, it is in his “blood” he can’t escape a part of who he is forever even if he feels a sense of insecurity with his heritage. The predominate theme explored in “St. Patrick’s College” is the personas sense of disconnection which he feels during his secondary schooling. He constantly feels segregated from his school community, not participating or forming any relationships with peers. Example of this, “Like a foreign tourist uncertain of my destination every time I got off” the use of the simile shows how the persona perceives his everyday life to a tourist, someone unfamiliar with their new environment. This demonstrates the persona having trouble having a sense of belonging due to no personal experiences he can share at schooling and the persona not branching out and forming relationships, comparing his to a world which is his “home” and a place that is foreign to him. “Saw equations never understood rubbed of board voices at the bus stop taking the right hand turn out of Edgar Street for good prayed one day mother would be pleased.” These images that are etched in the personas mind show that the time at his secondary schooling has rapidly passed him by without a memorable connection to the school. He doesn’t engage himself in these activities emphasizes the persona detaching himself. In previous poems the persona was alienated from the world of his parents but this poem suggests he did not feel that he belonged in his new world either, but the persona finally felt like he belonged when he chose his own path.