Belonging Poetry and Sense free essay sample

Through studying belonging, one can recognise that acceptance and understanding of one’s cultural and racial differences can enhance the sense of belonging, although a lack of understanding prevents it. Peter Skryznecki’s poem â€Å"Feliks Skryznecki† and Tom McCarthy’s film â€Å"The Visitor† are two texts which explore these ideas. The composers of the text use techniques such as contrasting imagery to convey both these ideas. Through studying these two texts my understanding of the concept of belonging has widened, as I have come to recognise and understand of how and what shapes and enhances one’s sense of belonging. Tom McCarthy’s film ’The Visitor’ explores the issues relating to identity, belonging and racial and cultural differences. The film establishes how and enhanced sense of belonging can result from acceptance and understanding of differences. The film follows 3 characters Walter a forlorn widower and a couple of illegal immigrants Zainab and Tarek. Unusually for Walter’s character he forms a relationship with the two illegal immigrants, who one of which is threatened with deportation by U. S. immigration authorities. Through the film we watch ‘Walter,’ the films central character, gradually accepting differences enabling his character to form and shape an enriched sense of belonging. The viewer notices this when we see Walter, whose character usually holds back from new experiences and others, begins to enter the foreign world of Tarek and his girlfriend Zainab, who in nearly every way are different to him culturally, religiously and racially. The viewer then understands that his new friendship with them has enhanced his sense of belonging. McCarthy establishes this idea through the long-shot scene of Walter joining in with an African drumming group in the Washington Square Park with Tarek. A deepened sense of belonging can outcome from relationships based on differences is perceived in Tom McCarthy’s film â€Å"The Visitor†. As the viewer we notices Walter’s attempt to form a relationship with both Tarek and Zainab who although completely different to him culturally, racially and religiously accepts him, which has a significant impact on his sense of belonging. This is established by McCarthy when we see Walter who usually antisocial and isolated decides to accept Tarek’s invitation to watch his multicultural band performance at a local jazz bar. The shot of Tarek, Zainab and Mouna Tarek’s mother walking down the street in New York illustrates the concept that one’s sense of belonging is ultimately enriched by the formation of friendships founded on people’s differences. â€Å"Feliks Skryznecki† is a poem where the poet Skryznecki draws on his and his families own experiences and feelings of fragmentation between two cultures. Contrasting to ‘the visito’r the poem looks at how a lack of understanding and acceptance of differences from society can prevent a sense of belonging. Skryznecki begins the poem by establishing his sense of belonging within his family. Skrzynecki during the first stanza uses the possessive noun â€Å"My† along with the word ‘gentle’ to describe his father. This suggests his strong and close relationship with his father, showing he belongs within his family, although the poet contrasts this sense of belonging in stanza 5 when Skrzynecki describes Feliks experience with bureaucracy. The tone used to describe this situation is harsh and cruel as he uses words such as â€Å"damned† and â€Å"curse†. The poet uses very strong and animalistic imagery to convey the character of the â€Å"Department clerk†. The image of â€Å"dancing bear† and sound of â€Å"grunts† establish a monster-like image of an animal. The poet finishes the stanza with a rhetorical question asked by the clerk â€Å"Did your father ever attempt to learn English? † accusing to having never made the effort. Through these techniques, we can establish the clerk’s perception of Feliks. The clerk sees Feliks as a migrant, a foreigner who does not belong in this society, we can establish the clerk doesn’t understand the cultural and racial differences and chooses not to accept it. The poet by contrasting two ideas powerfully conveys how outside from the family they did not belong, that they were alienated amongst society. The poe fggvt conveys how as a result from society choosing not to accept their cultural differences, they are left feeling alienated and a sense of not belonging. Tom McCarthy’s film â€Å"The visitor’ and Peter Skryznecki’s poem â€Å"Feliks Skryznecki’ are two texts which explore contrasting ideas, associated with belonging. By studying both texts I have come to understand what enhances and what prevents one’s sense of belonging. McCarthys film ‘The Visitor† illustrates how a deepened and greater sense of belonging results from acceptance and understanding of differences; how formed relationships based on differences can enhance one’s sense of belonging. Peter Skryznecki, contrastingly, looks at the opposite idea to what is portrayed in ‘The visitor’, how ones sense of belonging is lost or is prevented when differences are not accepted. Skryznecki portrays this by using contrasting imagery, he illustrates the contrast of how he belongs in a community where he is accepted although feels a sense of alienation when outside of that community, as he no longer is accepted. ?