Feliks Skrzynecki Analysis
Belonging essay:
‘An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices, but also by the attitudes of others’. Belonging is an individual’s feeling or level of security and comfort relating physically or mentally to one’s social life. The ‘sense of belonging’ to a place, object or person, allows someone to express who they are, not only to themselves, but also to others in a comfortable way that is accepted. The prescribed texts that I have used to identify the power of own choice, attitudes of others and external factors that influence a person’s sense of belonging; include two poems from Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicle’, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’. Another two related texts that I have identified to have significant meaning and relation to the statement, include Ian Kim’s watercolour painting ‘Alienation’ and an anonymous online feature article called ‘The challenge of being a Muslim in post-9/11 America’ from a website called ‘The Guardian’.
Despite an environment which is not conducive to achieving a sense of belonging, some people are able to find contentment and peace with themselves and their surrounds and are thereby able to achieve a sense of belonging. Skrzynecki’s poem “Feliks …show more content…
Skrzynecki” describes Feliks’s confirmed identity and sense of belonging through the abundance of metaphors, similes and emotive enjambment. The metaphor ‘where his father kept pace only with the Joneses of his minds making’, coupled with the simile, ‘loved his garden like an only child’, captures his father’s immersion in Polish culture and his indifference OR more likely his father’s pretermit to the world around, suggestive of a deep emotive attachment to his garden, which serves as a nexus of his agrarian heritage and alteration or indifference to new cultures. This sense of contentment finds resolution in the tranquillity that shapes his father’s connection to his past, evident in the gentle meandering and lyrical emotive enjambment where the poet describes his father as he ‘sits out the evening with his dog...happy as I have never been’, suggesting that a profound sense of belonging contributes to a positive sense personal identity.
The anonymous online article “The challenge of being a Muslim’ explores the influence and strength of a person’s decision to a culture even through the influence of negative external factors.
A young Islamic lady suffered from constant bullying, stereotyping, profiling and abuse from Americans after the crisis of 9/11. “They came to bully us, many, many times”. The quote portrays that she has suffered from significant bullying and it has affected her. “9/11 changed everything and 9/11 changed nothing at all. America – I'm not going anywhere”. Whilst this powerful quote confirms her struggle to belong despite the negative influence of others and that she is willing to fight for what she believes in no matter what people
think?
Besides from an individual’s own choices, lack of tolerance of others (difference of attitudes, values and beliefs) can majorly influence and determine an individual’s sense of belonging. Peter Skrzynecki’s second poem “Migrant Hostel” highlights how uncaring and ignorant attitudes of others prevent the migrants from achieving a sense of connection or belonging. Skrzynecki sets the tone from the beginning as insecure and mysterious in the first stanza with the use of nouns such as “Arrivals” and “sudden departures”. The tone is the strongest technique felt whilst reading the poem because it is specifically and consistently outlining that the migrants are made to feel like they don’t belong. The imagery of “A barrier at the main gate sealed off the highway” gives a powerful image and interpretation to the reader that the Australians do not consider the migrants to belong in their country, thus for the reason of confining them away from society. These external factors of confinement and insecurity from the Australians are the causes for the migrants to feel unsettled and not achieve a sense of belonging. “Like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearings”. The allusion to the homing pigeon is a perfect example and excellent way to express how the migrants are not able to achieve a sense of belonging even though they are together.
Ian Kim’s watercolour, graphite, colour pencil painting also outlines the impact of negative external factors which influence an individual’s sense of belonging. The salient image of the girl standing in the foreground evokes a tone of sadness with her wiping her tears away with her arm. The cause of her crying is linked with the posture of the group in the upper corner of the picture. The close proximity of the group and how they are facing each other with a relaxed stance shows that they feel included. Whilst the girl is facing the opposite direction in an insecure stance feeling excluded. The image shows that the girl has made an attempt to belong with the society through the use of same colour clothing as the group. The lunchbox with an American flag is also a sign of patriotism and a representation of an attempt to fit in with her new society. Through all her attempts she has been unsuccessful due to the cultural difference. The hijab represents her honour to her original culture and links to the two lines in the middle which are the twin towers disaster, the deeper meaning behind the painting. The artist uses the towers as contextual symbolism of a cultural divide between her culture and theirs. It is a representation that no matter how hard the girl try’s, she will never achieve a sense of belonging due to her original culture being stereotyped as murderers and terrorists from the disaster of 9/11 which the society blame on her. The choice to continue to wear a hijab is not accepted in this society because it reminds the locals of the disaster of 9/11 which leads to fear and paranoia.
Through the use of poetic, visual and life experiences. I am able to confirm that ‘An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices, but also by the attitudes of others’. The burden set on an individual belonging is heavily weighted on both your own decisions, and the effect of external factors from others.
‘An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices, but also by the attitudes of others’. Belonging is an individual’s feeling or level of security and comfort relating physically or mentally to one’s social life. The ‘sense of belonging’ to a place, object or person, allows someone to express who they are, not only to themselves, but also to others in a comfortable way that is accepted. The prescribed texts that I have used to identify the power of own choice, attitudes of others and external factors that influence a person’s sense of belonging; include two poems from Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicle’, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’. Another two related texts that I have identified to have significant meaning and relation to the statement, include Ian Kim’s watercolour painting ‘Alienation’ and an anonymous online feature article called ‘The challenge of being a Muslim in post-9/11 America’ from a website called ‘The Guardian’.
Despite an environment which is not conducive to achieving a sense of belonging, some people are able to find contentment and peace with themselves and their surrounds and are thereby able to achieve a sense of belonging. Skrzynecki’s poem “Feliks …show more content…
Skrzynecki” describes Feliks’s confirmed identity and sense of belonging through the abundance of metaphors, similes and emotive enjambment. The metaphor ‘where his father kept pace only with the Joneses of his minds making’, coupled with the simile, ‘loved his garden like an only child’, captures his father’s immersion in Polish culture and his indifference OR more likely his father’s pretermit to the world around, suggestive of a deep emotive attachment to his garden, which serves as a nexus of his agrarian heritage and alteration or indifference to new cultures. This sense of contentment finds resolution in the tranquillity that shapes his father’s connection to his past, evident in the gentle meandering and lyrical emotive enjambment where the poet describes his father as he ‘sits out the evening with his dog...happy as I have never been’, suggesting that a profound sense of belonging contributes to a positive sense personal identity.
The anonymous online article “The challenge of being a Muslim’ explores the influence and strength of a person’s decision to a culture even through the influence of negative external factors.
A young Islamic lady suffered from constant bullying, stereotyping, profiling and abuse from Americans after the crisis of 9/11. “They came to bully us, many, many times”. The quote portrays that she has suffered from significant bullying and it has affected her. “9/11 changed everything and 9/11 changed nothing at all. America – I'm not going anywhere”. Whilst this powerful quote confirms her struggle to belong despite the negative influence of others and that she is willing to fight for what she believes in no matter what people
think?
Besides from an individual’s own choices, lack of tolerance of others (difference of attitudes, values and beliefs) can majorly influence and determine an individual’s sense of belonging. Peter Skrzynecki’s second poem “Migrant Hostel” highlights how uncaring and ignorant attitudes of others prevent the migrants from achieving a sense of connection or belonging. Skrzynecki sets the tone from the beginning as insecure and mysterious in the first stanza with the use of nouns such as “Arrivals” and “sudden departures”. The tone is the strongest technique felt whilst reading the poem because it is specifically and consistently outlining that the migrants are made to feel like they don’t belong. The imagery of “A barrier at the main gate sealed off the highway” gives a powerful image and interpretation to the reader that the Australians do not consider the migrants to belong in their country, thus for the reason of confining them away from society. These external factors of confinement and insecurity from the Australians are the causes for the migrants to feel unsettled and not achieve a sense of belonging. “Like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearings”. The allusion to the homing pigeon is a perfect example and excellent way to express how the migrants are not able to achieve a sense of belonging even though they are together.
Ian Kim’s watercolour, graphite, colour pencil painting also outlines the impact of negative external factors which influence an individual’s sense of belonging. The salient image of the girl standing in the foreground evokes a tone of sadness with her wiping her tears away with her arm. The cause of her crying is linked with the posture of the group in the upper corner of the picture. The close proximity of the group and how they are facing each other with a relaxed stance shows that they feel included. Whilst the girl is facing the opposite direction in an insecure stance feeling excluded. The image shows that the girl has made an attempt to belong with the society through the use of same colour clothing as the group. The lunchbox with an American flag is also a sign of patriotism and a representation of an attempt to fit in with her new society. Through all her attempts she has been unsuccessful due to the cultural difference. The hijab represents her honour to her original culture and links to the two lines in the middle which are the twin towers disaster, the deeper meaning behind the painting. The artist uses the towers as contextual symbolism of a cultural divide between her culture and theirs. It is a representation that no matter how hard the girl try’s, she will never achieve a sense of belonging due to her original culture being stereotyped as murderers and terrorists from the disaster of 9/11 which the society blame on her. The choice to continue to wear a hijab is not accepted in this society because it reminds the locals of the disaster of 9/11 which leads to fear and paranoia.
Through the use of poetic, visual and life experiences. I am able to confirm that ‘An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices, but also by the attitudes of others’. The burden set on an individual belonging is heavily weighted on both your own decisions, and the effect of external factors from others.