Belonging (speech) Case

Surprising events in life do not contribute to an individual's journey to belong. Skrzynecki's poems and my two other related texts demonstrate that unexpected encounters in the persona's lives can change the path to belonging.

Lost in dreams about the own history and culture causes separation and alienation. This is an unexpected encounter hindering Skrzynecki to find a sense of belonging from the poem "Ancestors". The use of rhetorical question for example, "Who are these shadows? What secrets?" reinforces the idea that he is disconnected from his European heritage, hence symbolising anxiety. This unexpected encounter surprises him as he doesn't know much about his ancestors therefore realising his exclusion from his own family. The simile when he wakes up, "his tongue dry/as caked mud" represents his discomfort about the world that his ancestors represent indicating that even though the persona is coming close to discovering the truth, he is still left dismayed unable to belong. Therefore, unexpected circumstance such as detachment from a family's history can deter the path to belonging because it builds a lack of understanding about the family and confusion of the identity.

The poem, "10 Mary Street" expresses the strong connection of Skrzynecki's family with the house creating a sense of affiliation and later isolation due to unexpected destruction. The juxtaposition, "Around the factory/that was always burning down" shows contrast between the orderliness of the family's daily routine and the idea of the demolition of both the factory and their house. The unexpected destruction destroys their comfort and security as they are taken away from their daily routines which represented how they managed to belong. The technique of representation and symbolism for example, "Inheritors of a key/that'll open no house/when this one is pulled down" undermines their sense of belonging as Skrzynecki is "locked" out of the place where his family first lay down roots in Australia. The sudden demolishing of their house creates uncertainty for the future. The loss of their shared memories heightens the family's anxiety and their perception of isolation due to the unexpected encounter of losing the house.

Family is very important for everyone as it builds up a person's personality. My other related text, "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan illustrates how distance between families can result in isolation through the use of visual techniques. The use of shade or tone of the sky, for example, the sky is in black, white, sepia or grey. As an effect, it represents seasons which symbolises how long the father has been separated from his family due to his unexpected departure. This then resulted in the father's sense of remoteness as he lost his happiness and comfort due to separation. His uncertainty is demonstrated through