Migrant Hostel, 10 Mary Street and Be My Brother Essay
- Submitted by: danacelene
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- Category: English: Poetic Works
- Date Submitted: 10/09/2013 09:17 PM
- Pages: 5
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Belonging is by nature a process and measure of our connectivity and involvement with people and places. While these connections allow us to embrace others in order to avoid isolation and the harsh experiences of not feeling accepted, we must also acknowledge the urge human beings have to distinguish themselves as individuals. Peter Skrzynecki’s anthology of poems Immigrant Chronicle, in particular the poems, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ’10 Mary Street’, highlight how changing circumstances and values can influence a migrant's search for assimilation and the confinement or liberation people or settings can bring to an individual. Also the short film, ‘Be My Brother’ by Genevieve Clay, winner of the 2009 Tropfest Short Film Festival, follows the journey of its Down syndrome protagonist as he seeks connection in a world that does not accept his condition.
The problematic nature of belonging is explored in 'Migrant Hostel' where hegemonic society and cultural preconceptions restrict a person’s choice to belonging and self fulfilment when exposed to a circumstance that an individual cannot control. The struggle to establish a sense of affinity in an environment such as a hostel is made difficult for the persona, Skrzynecki by its transitory nature. The poem captures the impermanence of diaspora through the discombobulating imagery “comings and goings- /Arrivals of newcomers/Sudden departures", demonstrating the imbalance and insecurity faced by the subjugated migrants, reinforcing how the circumstances they face bring discomfort and isolation in an unfamiliar setting. The lyric simile "Nationalities sought Each other out instinctively/ Like a homing pigeon” highlights the eagerness to seek reassurance within the hostel. He and the other migrants therefore restrict themselves from belonging due to the implications to retain connection to their homeland. Personification is used to emphasise the sense of imprisonment the migrants feel, describing that the "barrier at the...
The problematic nature of belonging is explored in 'Migrant Hostel' where hegemonic society and cultural preconceptions restrict a person’s choice to belonging and self fulfilment when exposed to a circumstance that an individual cannot control. The struggle to establish a sense of affinity in an environment such as a hostel is made difficult for the persona, Skrzynecki by its transitory nature. The poem captures the impermanence of diaspora through the discombobulating imagery “comings and goings- /Arrivals of newcomers/Sudden departures", demonstrating the imbalance and insecurity faced by the subjugated migrants, reinforcing how the circumstances they face bring discomfort and isolation in an unfamiliar setting. The lyric simile "Nationalities sought Each other out instinctively/ Like a homing pigeon” highlights the eagerness to seek reassurance within the hostel. He and the other migrants therefore restrict themselves from belonging due to the implications to retain connection to their homeland. Personification is used to emphasise the sense of imprisonment the migrants feel, describing that the "barrier at the...