Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places.
In your response, refer to your prescribed text and at least one other related text of your own choosing.
“Home is where the heart is” was quoted by Pliny the Elder and is now used to signify a personal connection to a place and the personal sense of belonging received when at this place. Perceptions are influenced by connections to places and sometimes made by connections and disconnections to places. Looking at Peter Skrzynecki’s poem”10 Mary Street” and “St Patrick’s Day” that are part of the “Immigrant Chronicles” and contrasting them you look upon how the perception of belonging and not belonging is inextricably linked and is …show more content…

“Overshadowed by clouds”. Skrzynecki walks around Strathfield with a sense of disconnection and a sense of not belonging with him feeling “like a foreign tourist”. This simile creates irony as Skrzynecki is from a foreign background and may be the reason why he feels isolated and a sense of not belonging. Peter Skrzynecki refers to the school motto “Before I let my light shine” and is applied only to his life and future away from the school which creates a sense of potential. However, it will only be achieved away from St Patrick’s. This represents his difficulties at St Patrick’s College and can represent his non belonging in the school. “St Patrick’s Day” is a text that represents perceptions of not belonging can be influenced and often are influenced by connections to places.
Peter Skrzynecki’s “Immigrant Chronicles” provide evidence of not belonging and belonging through different perceptions and represent how connections to places can and often influence these perceptions. “10 Mary Street” and “St Patrick’s Day” represent how connections to places influence perceptions of belonging and not belonging. The language used by Skrzynecki also plays a huge role in determining whether the perception explores belonging of not belonging. “Unsung Ordinary Men” provides sufficient evidence to support how a suitable environment can be perceived as belonging and not belonging. It represents the struggle and the sense of