"Conflicting Notions of Belonging May Exist" Explain Your Interpretation of This Quote, and How It Is Demonstrated in Two of Peter Skrzynecki's Poems.
- Submitted by: roumie2nv
- Views: 1330
- Category: English: Poetic Works
- Date Submitted: 02/12/2011 06:12 PM
- Pages: 5
- Report this Essay
"Conflicting notions of belonging may exist" Explain your interpretation of this quote, and how it is demonstrated in two of Peter Skrzynecki's poems.
Conflicting notions of belonging may exist when an individual is exposed to different situations depending on the social context of the era in which the individual is exposed to. In the poems “10 Mary Street” and “St Patrick’s College”, Skrzynecki employs the use of language techniques and personal experience to demonstrate the notion that conflicting notions of belonging may exist when an individual attempts to create a connection to a particular location, person or object.
The poem "St Patrick’s College” is a text which illustrates the image that Skrzyencki did not belong at school, even though he has attended the educational institution for approximately eight years. During these eight years, Skrzynecki did not establish a connection with not only his fellow pupils and teachers, but also with the school itself. “For eight years, I carried the blue, black and gold I’d been privileged to wear” and also “I caught the 414 bus like a foreign tourist” outlines Skrzynecki’s perspectives and emotions in regards to being forced to attend school, due to the fact that his mother wanted “what was best” for her only son. Through the use of literary devices such as first person view, tone of voice, satire and similes, Skrzynecki depicts the image that his schooling years were not most favourable as he felt like a “foreign tourist,” further portraying the image that he endured recurring feelings of alienation, displacement and exclusion for eight years, furthermore illustrating the notion that “conflicting notions of belonging may exist” depending on one’s surroundings, location and social context. Reasons for this are that “St Patrick’s College” was written referencing a time period in which Australian citizens were reluctant of allowing immigrants to integrate into Australian society due to racism and discrimination....
Conflicting notions of belonging may exist when an individual is exposed to different situations depending on the social context of the era in which the individual is exposed to. In the poems “10 Mary Street” and “St Patrick’s College”, Skrzynecki employs the use of language techniques and personal experience to demonstrate the notion that conflicting notions of belonging may exist when an individual attempts to create a connection to a particular location, person or object.
The poem "St Patrick’s College” is a text which illustrates the image that Skrzyencki did not belong at school, even though he has attended the educational institution for approximately eight years. During these eight years, Skrzynecki did not establish a connection with not only his fellow pupils and teachers, but also with the school itself. “For eight years, I carried the blue, black and gold I’d been privileged to wear” and also “I caught the 414 bus like a foreign tourist” outlines Skrzynecki’s perspectives and emotions in regards to being forced to attend school, due to the fact that his mother wanted “what was best” for her only son. Through the use of literary devices such as first person view, tone of voice, satire and similes, Skrzynecki depicts the image that his schooling years were not most favourable as he felt like a “foreign tourist,” further portraying the image that he endured recurring feelings of alienation, displacement and exclusion for eight years, furthermore illustrating the notion that “conflicting notions of belonging may exist” depending on one’s surroundings, location and social context. Reasons for this are that “St Patrick’s College” was written referencing a time period in which Australian citizens were reluctant of allowing immigrants to integrate into Australian society due to racism and discrimination....