People may see belonging as a good thing. However it can come with a cost. Belonging can be seen as a sense of security, achievement or for a purpose. A sense of belonging can emerge from the connections made with people, places, groups and communities. There are different concepts of belonging and they can be described through the use of various language and visual techniques.
'In the hierarchy of human needs, belonging is considered the most important individual need' this can be further explored through Peter Skrzynecki’s poems ‘St Patrick’s College’ and ‘Felix Skrzynecki ‘and in the graphic novel ‘The Arrival’.Both composers use various ways of interpreting belonging and not belonging. Through the use of techniques, we can gain a greater understanding of belonging and its costs. In the poem ‘St Patricks college’, Skrzynecki reflects on some of his experiences of St Patricks college in Strathfield. Peter questions the social, educational and spiritual value of his school experiences at the college. Through a cliche, Skrzynecki states that his mother only sent him to that school because she wanted to give him “what was best”.
This quote allows the reader to be explicit with him as everyone has experienced what their parents thought “what was best”. Peter Skrzynecki in St Patrick’s College is accepted to the school; however it isn’t evident that he wants to be accepted. The poets choice of verb ‘carry’ in “carried the blue, black and gold” conveys the burden he feels in wearing the St Patricks uniform for eight years, as well as the effort of trying to fit in to the school environment and failing.Instead of using the word ‘wear’ skrzynecki demonstrates that being forced to wear something you are not entirely comfortable with does not mean you belong. The mood and sarcastic tone in the phrase “I’d been privileged to wear” suggests that he is worn out and tired as well as when wearing his uniform he has no pride whatsoever.
It adds a heavy tone as it implies the expectations of others weigh on him. Therefore to feel assimilated it is considered that it must come naturally and not be imposed upon us.In the poem ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ it details Peter’s reflections on the father and describes their changing relationship. Peter’s father understood the gap between them but knew his son would treasure his heritage later after an initial dislocation from it. Feliks never felt as though he belonged in the Australian culture so he creates his own world in the safety and beauty of the garden creating a bond providing him with a sense of security and purpose. Through the use of the simile “like an only child” it outlines the father’s time and attention devoted to his garden.
The use of the alliteration in the phrase “spent years walking its perimeter from sunrise to sleep” illustrates the physical limitations of where he feels he belongs. Feliks creates his life with his garden and his polish cronies and latches onto the past. The phrase “they reminisced... /About forms where paddocks flowered” indicates that his memories remind him of his youth and happier uncomplicated times before the trauma of the war and the distraction of everything he knew.
However Peter belongs to a different context of time and he feels disconnected from the Polish heritage.He is excluded from conversations about Poland and the past, as it is a history he is not part of. The exclusive pronoun ‘they’ highlights his separation. Belonging to a heritage by name doesn’t always make it automatic.
In the poem ‘Feliks skrzynecki’ , Peters sense of belonging is influenced by his parents domestic social, cultural and economic circumstances. The father is deeply attached to his polish heritage where as when Peter immigrated he has felt alienated from his environment and deeply conflicted about his identity.Through the use of hyperbole in the phrase “why his arms didn’t fall off” illustrates Peter’s amazement. As a young boy he is astonished by his father’s stamina and cannot figure out his strength and patience. Feliks experiences discrimination and he is mocked at because of his lack of English which is evident in the phrase “did your father ever attempt to learn English? ” sympathy is created through the skrzynecki’s who are forced to deal with stupidity and arrogance. The incident reveals an unpleasant aspect of Australias response to migrants.
Dealings with bureaucracy prevent belonging. However, Peter is intent on belonging to the culture he is growing up in. He focuses on his studies due to the harm of his polish education. The classical allusion to ‘Caesar’s Gallic War’ is ironic as Skrzynecki is getting a grounding in Latin – a ‘dead’ language – while ignoring the satisfying ‘lessons’ that Feliks is fighting to instil in him.
The phrase “I forgot my first Polish word/ he repeated it so I never forgot” Skrzynecki’s tone reveals the building resentment he felt to Feliks at the time.The poem ‘St Patricks college’ reflects on some of Skrzynecki’s experiences at St Patricks college in Strathfield as well as his day-to-day life as a student. St Patricks College is a well known Roman Catholic school in Sydney that the poet does not feel he belongs to. The poem makes reference to specific details of the school environment, such as to a statue of ‘our lady’ who ‘watches’ imposingly from the building. This provides the first sign of the high religious status of the school.
Through the use of personification of the word ‘watched’ suggests the unfamiliarity with the religion forcing him to feel uncomfortable.To highlight Skrzynecki’s sense of not belonging he uses school-based jargon to illustrate his lack of understanding of his environment. He makes an amusing reference to the schools motto ‘Luceat Lux Vestra’ (let your light shine) which demonstrates his complication of the significant meaning as he thought it “was a brand of soap”. Due to ‘Lux’ being a popular brand of soap at the time. The reference also serves to illustrate how the details that are important to Skrzyneckis mother – tradition, uniform – have a small minor effect on him.
Repetition of the phrase “for eight years” indicates the amount of time Skrzynecki attended school. This contributes a weary tone, implying that the long period of time spent, he feels he has learnt little of value creating a disconnection from the school. The simile “like a foreign tourist” informs that he has always felt like an outsider. It also creates a sense of irony as he is from a foreign background which is why he may feel isolated at school for this very reason.
This reflects back on the social and cultural expectations that influence belonging.
