Skrzynecki -Belonging Essay

Skrzynecki -Belonging Essay

  • Submitted By: BryceJG
  • Date Submitted: 07/29/2013 12:08 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 902
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 1

When place creates a connection within an individual both physically and spiritually a strong sense of belonging is felt. This is explored by Peter Skrzynecki in the Immigrant Chronicle in both ’10 Mary Street’ and ‘St Patrick’s College’. Also exploring connection of place through physical and metaphysical belonging is Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society.

Only physical belonging does not create a strong sense of belonging. In ‘St Patrick’s College’ despite the physical connection of place, the persona chooses not to belong metaphysically and spiritually to the school. This is made apparent by the repetition of “For eight years” which creates the sense of familiarity of routine and place. But despite this the persona still feels “Like a foreign tourist”, demonstrating a lack of a metaphysical sense of belonging to the school. Furthered by Skrynecki’s use of contrast and humour by thinking the school motto “was a brand of soap” and being able to recite “the Lords Pray in Latin, all in one breath” creating the tone of a dismissive, disrespectful and disinterested opinion of Saint Patrick’s College. Which in-turn lead to the spiteful metaphor “that the darkness around me wasn’t ‘for the best’”. All accumulating to the negative bitter and sarcastic mood of the persona’s inability to connect spiritually, although ability to connect physically, to place. Demonstrating a weak sense of belonging and effects an individual’s sense of identity.

Dead Poets society similarly shows that physical belong to place, without an emotional or metaphysical connection to that place cannot create a strong sense of belonging, or personal identity. This is seen most clearly by the school motto being chanted in unison “Tradition, honour, discipline, excellence.” Being satirically juxtaposed in the following scene by “Travesty. Horror. Decadence. Excrement.” Aided by a mid angled shot of lighting a cigarette in school uniform, showing a lack of respect and traditional values of the school....

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