Considered a fundamental aspect of being human, belonging is an ambiguous concept which can offer individuals a sense of identity, security and connectedness. Experiences of belonging are closely related to a person’s interaction with others, as positive experiences can enrich their sense of belonging, and negative experiences can limit their sense of belonging. An individual’s limited experience of belonging through their inability to positively interact with others can often incite them to reject the majority through acts of defiance, self-alienation and rebellion. This notion is extensively explored within Peter Skrzynecki’s poem, St. Patrick’s College, from the anthology Immigrant Chronicle, and Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange as both texts illustrate the protagonist’s limited experience of belonging through their interaction with others leading to their acts of defiance. Conversely, Peter Skrzynecki’s poem,10 Mary Street- also from the anthology Immigrant Chronicle-explores the notion that it is through the positive interaction with others that an enriched sense of belonging can be established.
Negative interactions within a group dynamic leading to a limited sense of belonging is explored in Peter Skrzynecki’s St Patrick’s College, a semi-autobiographical poem in which the persona recalls his schooling years of loneliness whilst employing a lethargic tone to demonstrate his segregation from the school community. The limited sense of belonging is conveyed metaphorically in the description of the persona’s schooling years as ones of “darkness”, which is ironic in that the school’s Latin motto, ‘Luceat Lux Vestra” translates to ‘Let your light shine.” The school’s idea of allowing your light to shine, contrasted with the persona’s description of a school life of