The Desire to Belong Challenges Individuality with Conformity
- Submitted by: skylar18
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 01/05/2012 10:18 PM
- Pages: 7
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The yearning to belong can imbalance a person’s sense of individuality and personality. In a contemporary Western society, individuality can come in the form of cultural heritage, however, the desire to belong into this mainstream Western society can challenge a person’s acceptance of their cultural background and influence them to reject it whilst attempting to conform to the culture of the society they now live in. This challenge is demonstrated in Peter Skrzynecki’s poem ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ where Peter attempts to assimilate into Australian society, it is also illustrated in ‘Born Confused’ (novel) by Tanuja Desai Hidier, where Dimple Lala rejects her Indian culture to fit into modern American adolescent society and is also depicted in the poem, ‘Migrant Hostel’, by Peter Skrzynecki, where the migrants must push aside their cultures and conform to the routine of the Australian hostel.
‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ depicts the idea that in order to belong, one must sacrifice and conform- in this instance, Peter believes that in order to gain a sense of belonging in Australian society, he must reject his Polish cultural heritage and assimilate into the Western society. It is Peter’s perceptions (that he must reject one to belong in the other) that forces him to conform and go against his father’s wishes, which were to learn, understand and accept his Polish heritage. Peter’s father “watched me pegging my [Peter’s] tents/ Further and further south of Hadrian’s Wall”; Australia is one of the southernmost nations and the repetition of “further” emphasizes Peter’s distance (not only physical) from his Polish culture. The allusion of Hadrian’s Wall symbolises Peter’s lack of understanding and acceptance of his heritage, and his attempts to conform to the Australia way of life- the wall was established between England and Scotland as the English perceived (much like Peter’s perceptions) as uncivilised and hence, a barrier was created between the two nations and cultures....
‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ depicts the idea that in order to belong, one must sacrifice and conform- in this instance, Peter believes that in order to gain a sense of belonging in Australian society, he must reject his Polish cultural heritage and assimilate into the Western society. It is Peter’s perceptions (that he must reject one to belong in the other) that forces him to conform and go against his father’s wishes, which were to learn, understand and accept his Polish heritage. Peter’s father “watched me pegging my [Peter’s] tents/ Further and further south of Hadrian’s Wall”; Australia is one of the southernmost nations and the repetition of “further” emphasizes Peter’s distance (not only physical) from his Polish culture. The allusion of Hadrian’s Wall symbolises Peter’s lack of understanding and acceptance of his heritage, and his attempts to conform to the Australia way of life- the wall was established between England and Scotland as the English perceived (much like Peter’s perceptions) as uncivilised and hence, a barrier was created between the two nations and cultures....