Belonging free essay sample

Belonging Dear Mum, Dad and everyone else who have been a part of my life so far, If you are reading this letter, Ive probably already left Cobra and started my journey to find somewhere that makes me feel at home, somewhere that I belong. I know that this is most likely going to come as a massive shock to you, but I feel going and discovering new places Is something that I really need. Ive also written this letter to you because I feel Its best not to talk over the phone now as this may be a hard pill for you to swallow.Vive written this letter, to offer you an explanation for my decision. As I said before, I know this is probably going to be hard to take in, but all Im asking is that you accept my decision and support me through this time. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Cobra will always be my hometown, but I dont think I can go on living here anymore. Now that Vive finally finished school, Vive got the chance to find somewhere where I belong, where I can make a living besides working in the mines every day for the rest of my life. In other words, Its as though throughout out my childhood, Vive been Like a fish, confined to my fishbowl.Now that Im older and able to make my own choices, Im ready to figuratively jump out of the fishbowl and explore the massive ocean that awaits. I want to see the world and find a place that I can call my new home, make a living, raise a family and fill this void inside me and finally feel as though my life is complete, feel that Im in a place where I belong. Vive decided to leave, because for the majority of my life, Vive had this empty feeling inside of me, making me feel as though something was missing. As a kid I never really thought of Cobra as somewhere Id stay for my entire life.I could never accept the thought of Cobra being the place where I belong, my interests were as far from what was on offer here as you could get. Vive never really seen much outside of the country scene before, I never got to go and experience what life is like In the city, or experience other lifestyles or cultures besides the life of living on a massive property with nothing but coal and 011 mines everywhere I look. The thought of knowing that there is a whole world out there for me to experience is the main contributing factor causing me to make the decision to leave.When I put the whole situation in perspective, there really isnt anything here for me that can satisfy my needs. No professional sport ever comes out here, there is next to no options when it comes to education after school, no Job openings here for Jobs Im Interested In applying for. In short, there Is really nothing here that Im Interested In, I dont belong In this place where I cant live the lifestyle I was born to live. So Vive decided Im going to try making a living in a city somewhere, some big city like Sydney, the Gold Coast, or Melbourne or something.Vive always been attracted to the city life, Just hearing about it from my friends who have been to places like Sydney, has always fed my dreams of experiencing the city. From all the stories Vive heard, city Ive always complained that life in the country was too slow for my liking, and now Im finally going to experience a more up tempo lifestyle. Im goanna go to nun and train to become a teacher, hopefully a PEP teacher, or if that doesnt work out for me, something else along the lines of sport of some description. The possibilities on o ffer in the city are endless, who knows where Ill end up. Im going to finally be able to do the things Vive never been able to do, like go to the beach, watch my favorite sports live, play the sports I love but havent been able to do because of how remote Cobra is from everything. Ill always keep in contact with you guys, and Ill always visit whenever I get the time. Cobra will always be my hometown, but Im too different from the lifestyle there to ever feel like its the place for me. This is the biggest experience Ill ever have in my life, finally being able to say Im in a place where I completely belong. Belonging free essay sample Significant moments in time shape an understanding of belonging. Explore how this is evident in you prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing. Belonging is defined as fitting in to a particular environment or having the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group. Our belonging to or connections with people, places and groups allows one to develop a distinct identity characterised by affiliation, acceptance and association. To gain a full understanding of belonging, it is essential to experience some significant moments in time as it shapes and develops our understanding of belonging. This is captured in the poems of Peter Skrzynecki’s, ‘Migrant Hostel’, ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ and ’10 Mary Street’ using poetic techniques such as, similes, metaphors, alliteration and imagery. Skrzynecki captures the disconnection and isolation of the migrants experience and that of his family in particular. However in Anh Do’s biography, ‘The Happiest Refugee’ he uses anecdotes, recounts, description and a positive tone to address that he feels accepted in his new home. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also in ‘Homeland’ by Anna Maria Dell’oso, this issue of cultural identity is explored by the composer through the use of metaphors and anecdotes. These texts all show a sense of belonging through place connection to and significant moments in time. They also convey that belonging isn’t easy as there are times where you may not be accepted, so attitudes to belonging can change over time depending on these significant experiences. When people do not spend a lot of time in one place, they never really feel like they belong. In the first stanza of Skrzynecki’s, ‘Migrant Hostel’, the combination of â€Å"comings†, â€Å"goings†, â€Å"arrivals† and â€Å"sudden departures† implies a sense of chaos, insecurity and instability. Skrzynecki uses similes such as â€Å"like a homing pigeon† and â€Å"birds of passage† to explain the constant change because a homing pigeon is usually trained to find its own way home which give a desire for the migrants longing for a home, a place to belong. Birds of passage† navigate from one destination to another which emphasises the absence of a fixed home for the migrants. The constant change of the hostel prevents Skrzynecki from finding a place of belonging, leaving him feeling lost and confused about his sense of self. The hostel provides a prison-like life and community group to which the migrants belong. The â€Å"barrier at the main gate† is a metaphoric and literal barrier, giving the impression of imprisonment, sealing off the migrants from the rest of the world. This isolation permits the migrants to a group, but not a country. Skrzynecki uses alliteration such as, â€Å"hunger and hate† to demonstrate the migrants emotions of other groups after their own suffering. Skrzynecki, like other migrants who would have started out their journey with hope and optimism, feels as though he does not belong in the new land because of the impermanent, instable environment, however he and the other migrants have certain things in common which unite them, consequently creates a place where they belong. In contrast with Skrzynecki’s disconnection through place and identity, Anh Do’s, ‘The Happiest Refugee’ elucidates a more positive sense of belonging. Through the use of anecdotes, he explains that it didn’t take long before his father found a job and moving out of â€Å"East Hills Migrant Hostel† within weeks, depicting that his family was trying to fit into their new country, their new culture, their new home. Do expresses his feelings to Australia in a positive aspect, showing a sense of gratitude to Australia for providing for him and his family. This is shown through the description of his family trying to adapt to the Australian lifestyle and trying to live life like any Australian family such as, participating in team sports, family outings and his parents going to work. Skrzynecki however, positions his stay in Parkes Migrant Hostel in a negative perspective through a bitter tone. Word choices such as, â€Å"reprimand† and â€Å"sanction† convey that he didn’t have a say in anything, which didn’t make him or the other migrants feel welcome. This now becomes ironic since because the migrants came here expecting in Australia, but here is a â€Å"barrier at the main gate† illustrating the migrants sentiment of separation and alienation to both their old and new country. When being in a new place, people can choose to belong and it can be adapted over time. In Skrzynecki’s, â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki†, his father chooses not to fit in with his new culture. Through the use of a simile and hyperbole, â€Å"he loved his garden like an only child†, shows Feliks Skrzynecki’s love and devotion into his garden. This technique evokes a sense of his dedication to his garden and his fatherly feelings towards it, connecting to this place like a father connects to an only child. His sense of belonging also comes from his close Polish friends. They â€Å"reminisced about farms where paddocks flowered†. This conveys a sense of nostalgia and shared pride in their culture and heritage which connects them together which conjures a sense of belonging. Many migrants and refugees avoid adapting to their new culture by not learning a new language. However, this can cause discrimination due to their English skills. Using direct speech, Skrzynecki illustrates his father’s stubbornness to belong and adapt to the place he now lives in. â€Å"Did your father ever attempt to lean English? † reinforces Feliks Skrzynecki’s desire to not belonging and retain his heritage and culture. This also shows that he doesn’t want to let go of the country he grew up in. Unlike ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’, in Anh Do’s biography, through the use of personal recount and dialogue, Do portrays that although you can try to fit in, you may not necessarily be accepted by everyone because of your different racial background. He recalls a boy during high school yell out to him, â€Å"I’m going to smash that gook! † This racial comment would make Do feel like an outsider and would conjure a sense of not belonging to the new land he calls â€Å"home†. This comes to show that belonging isn’t easy, it takes time and there is no guarantee that you will be accepted in the end. The idea of belonging to a land is also explored in Peter Skrzynecki’s â€Å"10 Mary Street†. In this poem, Skrzynecki portrays his family’s experience belonging in 10 Mary Street as it was a place of acceptance, a place where they could embrace their old culture and still co-exist in their new life. Imagery is used to depict a clear sense of belonging to his family and to their house. Images and cultural references such as, â€Å"photographs and letters† and European food, â€Å"Keilbasa, salt herrings and rye bread† illustrates that 10 Mary Street was a place where the poet’s family and friends unite together and could freely express their old heritage. Like ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’, the poet again uses garden images in ’10 Mary Street’ to convey a connection to this place. The garden images, â€Å"grew potatoes and rows of sweet corn† and his parents daily routine going out to work in this poem displays how they fit into both their old and new culture. The shows that his family has slowly adapted to their new home and shows that you don’t have to let go of your old place and heritage you grew up in. In relation to ’10 Mary Street’, in Anna Maria Dell’oso’s, ‘Homeland’, illustrates that grasping onto you old culture isn’t always a ood thing since things change overtime. When Dell’oso’s parents return to their homeland, it’s not what they expected. They think they still belong in their old country, but in reality it is quite different. Humour and vulgar language are used to make a joke about the way Italy has changed. â€Å"It’ll all McDonalds and pigeon-shit† shows that modern Italy has changed and they don’t belong there. This depicts that the composer’s parents no longer belong to the place they once called, their â€Å"homeland†. This was a significant moment which changed their sense of belonging. The desire to belong is universal and exceeds age, location, heritage and time frames. Peter Skrzynecki’s poems, ‘Migrant Hostel’, ‘Feliks Srkzynecki’ and ’10 Mary Street’ along with Anh Do’s autobiography, ‘The Happiest Refugee’ and Anna Maria Dell’oso’s, ‘Homeland’ acknowledge that even if you have begun or have adapted to a new country and culture, you will always have your old culture and heritage inside of you as you have grown up in the old country and will have too many memories to forget and let go. These texts also prove that there are significant moments in our lives which reshapes our understanding of belonging. Belonging free essay sample We are all torn between wanting to stand apart and wanting to fit in. How is this conflict explored in 2 poems and one text? (800 words) An Amerian psychiatrist, William Glasser, once said: â€Å"We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. † As humans, the impulse to search for acceptance is present in our nature; however we are also driven by our desire to be unique. It is this conflict between wanting to stand apart and wanting to fit in that shapes our identities, and distinguishes us as a distinct species in the world.These ideas of acceptance and alienation are explored in the poems Feliks Skrzynecki and Postcard, and Randa Abedel-Fattah’s feature article Prejudice is alive and well in the legal profession. Feliks Skrzynecki offers its readers an insight into the life of a man who chooses self-satisfaction over social acceptance while also reflecting the poet’s exclusion. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Skryznecki establishes the filial bond between Feliks and himself in the opening of the poem. He uses a personal pronoun in â€Å"My gentle father† to show his love and respect for this father figure.Despite the close relationship between father and son, their outlooks on life remain very different. Feliks has experienced many hardships in his life but continues to be optimistic- â€Å"Five years of forced labour in Germany did not dull the softness of his blue eyes. † The poet creates an image of a strong, resilient man who is not bitter about his experiences and further enforces this idea by saying â€Å"I never once heard him complain of work, the weather or pain. † Feliks’ past allows him to be satisfied with very little, hence he does not strive to fit in.Instead he is a self sufficient man who is content in keeping pace â€Å"only with the Joneses of his own mind’s making. † Long vowel sounds in â€Å"loved his garden like an only child† slows the rhythm and is paired with sharp, short sounds in â€Å"Alert, brisk and silent† to develop Feliks’ independent image. The poet further employs hyperbole in â€Å"He swept its paths ten times around the world† to suggest Feliks’ devotion to this life that he has created for himself. On the other hand, the poet is comfortable in the society they live in, but ironically feels distanced from his father’s world.This is seen in his inability to comprehend Feliks’ simple life. â€Å"My father sits out the evening with his dog, smoking, watching stars and street lights come on, happy as I have never been. † The present continuous tense and gentle ‘w’ and ‘s’ sounds soften the tone and create a pleasant, nostalgic mood. As he comments on â€Å"that formal address I never got used to†, the poet notes the differences of Feliks’ world and the sense of detachment in their relationship this leads to. The poet’s regretful tone in the last stanza suggests his wish to belong in his father’s world. Like a dumb prophet, watched me pegging my tents further and further south of Hadrian’s Wall. † Skrzynecki’s reference to Hadrian’s Wall illustrates the barrier and distance between them that seems to be growing. Both Feliks Skrzynecki and the poet face an inner struggle between their present and past which in effect is a choice of whether or not to belong. Peter Skrzynecki’s Post card furthers the ideas from Feliks Skrzynecki in its exploration of the difficulties he encounters by attempting to reject his heritage and fit into his present community.The idea of conflict is introduced immediately by the postcard that â€Å"haunts me. † The use of such a strong verb accentuates his response to this postcard as it differs from the typical feelings of excitement and happiness associated with a postcard. Skrzynecki’s bland, generic description of â€Å"Red buses on a bridge†¦High-rise flats and something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  mirrors his unemotional response to the picture- a stark contrast to his parents who would be proud or speak of their beloved homeland. As in Feliks Skrzynecki, the poet once again emphasises his parents and himself as products of different cultures.The poem is a reflection of the confusion in his mind: he appears indifferent yet he cannot deny the connection he seems to share with the city. The poet personifies the city to demonstrate its importance to its people. Although it has been destroyed and massacred, it remains unchanged and lives on in the memories of the Polish migrants, having â€Å"survived in the minds of a dying generation half a world away. † This concept is also portrayed with Feliks and his friends in Feliks Skrzynecki.Peter Skrzynecki does not have these associations with the city and hence chooses to reject it, as seen when he directly addresses it â€Å"For the moment, I repeat, I never knew you, let me be. † The use of imperatives implies the hold that this city and his heritage have on him. Skrzynecki acknowledges the superficial emotions he feels â€Å"I can give you the recognition of eyesight and praise†, but conveys his insecurity by rhetorically questioning â€Å"What more do you want besides the gift of despair? † Evidently, Skrzynecki is disorientated and unsure of where he fits in.Although not explicitly expressed, the city takes on the persona of a temptress to hint at the unbreakabl e relationship between the poet and his heritage. This is presented by the confident assertion that â€Å"We will meet before you die. † Postcard explores the notion that sometimes it is not by choice that we fit in or stand apart, but rather our heritage that defines our identity. Randa Abdel-Fattah shows that the conflict between standing apart and fitting in also exists for women battling the constraints of gender and cultural discrimination.Her title Prejudice is alive and well in the legal profession is sarcastically informative, but also slightly annoyed in order to clearly display her stand in this case. The words ‘alive and well’ connote that not only does prejudice exist, it is flourishing and perhaps even increasing. Like Skrzynecki, the theme of cultural belonging is central to Abdel-Fattah’s argument. Muslim women who wear the hijab as a symbol of their cultural identity are marginalised in Western society- they want to fit in but also hope to be identified by their culture. â€Å"Intelligent, dynamic, capable lawyer one minute. Oppressed, passive dimwit the next. † Cynicism is used to convey the author’s disapproval and comments on the superficial nature of society in stereotyping. By opening with an anecdote concerning her friend, the author effectively structures her article to move from the specific to the general and simultaneously adds authenticity to support her opinion. As the article progresses, the tone becomes more sombre and reveals the severity of this issue. The author achieves this by using more sophisticated language. Randa Abdel-Fattah discusses how society can play a part in a person’s fight to balance conformity and distinction.Feliks Skrzynecki, Post card and Prejudice is alive and well in the legal profession all explore the concept of the basic human need to belong but also be noticed. Says Eric Fromm, â€Å"Man may be defined as the animal that can say ‘I’, that can be aware of himself as a separate entity. † This idea is apparent in the above texts as each subject strives to distinguish themselves from the norm, yet this struggle is often hindered by their longing for companionship. We are all torn between wanting to stand apart and wanting to fit in. In the end, it is how we choose to balance them that mould us as distinct people.