‘Gaita brilliantly captures the distressing immigrant experience of struggle and displacement in the rugged Australian landscape.’ Discuss the ways Raimond Gaita explores these experiences in Romulus, My Father and how they’re explored in ONE other related text of your own choosing.…
This is evident in Romulus’ seeking out those of a similar history to him, namely Mitru and Hora, whose varied experience is more similar, his than Australians. In simple characteristics, such as a common language, they form a bond. “Having arrived at the camp [Romulus] set out to find those like him”. However having to work amongst and with the people of this new social context requires Romulus to confront the differences of values between him and that of Australia. Romulus has to compromise his ideals to that of Australia in order for Australia to accept him. He builds towards the Australian dream of owning a house and time to provide for Raimond the best. However Romulus also examples tat it is indeed a compromise not an assimilation of values. He finds the Australians to be “lazy” and “incompetent”. In embracing his won values of respect, honours and hard work, Romulus influences the Australian community he lives in where they come to affectionately call him…
In the text Romulus my father, written by Raimond Gaita, the main character of Romulus's life is marked by suffering. Gaita who is the son of Romulus, includes plenty personal and descriptive accounts of his father Romulus. Many of these accounts involve examples of how Romulus life was marked by suffering. Such suffering occurred throughout Romulus life by having to move away from his homeland to Australia, being denied his love for education, having to work his hands to the bone in order to scrape by and the overall conditions that Romulus lived by to constantly support others. Only Romulus being the strong man of physical stamina and perseverance could have copped with these painful circumstances.…
The most significant factors that shaped identities in "Romulus, My Father" were cultural heritage and connections between individuals. The memoir paints a picture of a true community where every individual is totally accepted no matter their colour, creed mental stability or lack thereof is only possible where each individual is true to themselves, "especially as being truthful about one's identity" to each other, arising from social, cultural, political and historical contexts.…
One way the need for belonging is portrayed in Romulus, My Father is through the theme of isolation. The Gaitas each faced their own fears of being unable to belong, but none so as much as Christina who is shown to die of the loneliness of being unable to fit in. “He found her just staring into the fire” describes Raimond, illustrating how desperate his mother had been. As a result she is characterized as ‘appearing to be cheerful and vivacious’ but in truth is ‘deeply depressed.’ Christina is an allusion of the displaced socialite hungry for a sense of fulfilment and security, a superficial belonging. The fact that she is unable to attain this sense of belonging, no matter how superficial, she would prefer to ‘fall asleep and die” rather than feel alone. It was through her decisions to not stay loyal to her husband and not care for Raimond that her connection to them began to fade away. She feels geographically and culturally displaced, as a result she never settles into Frogmore. This demonstrates the need for belonging to live a fulfilling life. As she drifts from their family connection the…
belong there. Making judgement on a person because of where they’re from can leave the individual feeling disconnected from the land they are settling in. Raimond represents this idea throughout the novel by continually establishing the concept that Romulus never really adjusted to being in Australia. He does this through quotes such as "Even after 40 years my father could not become reconciled to it".…
Romulus, my father is a Memoir written by Raimond, Romulus’s son is about Romulus and his journey and life in Australia in the early 1950’s. This memoir explores the concept of belonging through many topics such as Romulus and his immigration experience from Yugoslavia to Australia. It explores the shared beliefs and values of Romulus and his son Raimond. It also explores the concept of belonging through the different family member perspective of the landscape and the connections within Romulus family.…
An individual’s ability to belong is based on their capacity to reconcile their values to a larger group identity; whereas a failure to connect, due to a disparity in values, results in isolation. Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus, My Father, highlights the centrality of values in connecting through the contrasting experiences of Raimond and Romulus where Romulus’ failure to belong is based on his refusal to acculturate. In contrast, Andrew Niccol’s dystopian film, Gattaca, shows that an individual’s refusal to accept that his values are irreconcilable to society ultimately results in the expansion of both the definitions of belonging and connections being forged. Both texts, despite differing contexts, are united in their depiction of connections being based on desire.…
* How Gaita’s choice of language, imagery and relation biography genre convey meaning about the concept of belong and shape your response.…
“to a European or English eye it seems desolate, and even after 40 years my father could not become reconciled to it”. Romulus’ reluctance even after 40 years to appreciate, the Australian Landscape symbolizes Romulus displacement and dislocation from the dominant Australian culture. Raimonds pessimistic emotive language reveals the sons frustration with the father.…
However this strong connection to this heritage acts as a barrier for Romulus and ultimately ostracises him, leading to his alienation within the Australian context. “Even after more than forty years my father could not become reconciled to it. He longed for the generous and soft European foliage, but the eucalyptus of Baringhup, scraggy except for the noble red gums on the river bank, seemed symbols of deprivation and barrenness.” This quote explores the contrasting environments, showing Romulus clinging to old ties with his native country and then experiencing isolation within the Australian context. The description of the European landscape as “generous” and “soft” highlights Romulus’s obvious preference for his home country, this experience juxtaposes with the contrast of the “scraggy” harshness of the Australian landscape, ultimately showing Romulus’s separation from the notion of belonging within the Australian context. It is evident through the comparison of these quotes that Romulus’s strong sense of belonging within his heritage results in barriers for him in belonging within Australian society.…
Romulus My Father gives an insight into a person's attitude towards life. Different attitudes and morals are displayed, but ultimately reveal that a person's attitude towards honesty, loyalty, courage, charity and capacity for hard work is the key to life.…
As Raimond recounts the story of his father’s life, he explores the strength of family ties. Despite the sometimes tumultuous nature of the Gaita family, there never ceases to be a strong sense of belonging between the individuals. Notions of belonging between Romulus and Raimond are conveyed through the passion of Gaita’s writing about his father and the emotive language of the text. Physical belonging is also prominent; the different feelings of belonging and alienation that father and son feel towards Australia. Romulus’ struggles to feel at home in Australia and remains always tied to his European identity. At first Raimond shares his father struggle but as he matures and becomes an adult he ultimately feels he belongs to the Australian landscape. Romulus my father depicts the struggle to belong is a significant part of our lives by portraying the alienation of migrants and on the contrary represents the idea of social belonging greatly through the connection and strength of family ties and the love that comes with them.…
From ‘I love a sunburnt country’, which introduces the following stanza on Australia, Mackellar begins evoking the idea of Australia not just being a lifeless piece of land but equivalent and sharing similar characteristics of a person. This idea is presented through personification by referring to the land as she or her: ‘I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, and’ -‘for flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold’. By applying this technique Mackellar is able to express how deep her relationship and passion for her land actually is.…
At the start of the play everything seem to be ok in a sense. Torvald and Nora both seem happy with a Torvald new job and Nora close to being free from debt to Krogstad. However, as the story progresses the more turn it take the darker it gets for the two until by New Year’s Day they are already divorcing as a married couple. Though it seems like a dark ending to the play there is light in the darkness for some characters. For Krogstad and Christine it would be the exact opposite of what happen too Nora and Torvald. The two decide to get married after Christine tries to convince she still loves him from her previous relationship with him. She states, “Two on the same piece of wreckage would stand a better chance than each on their own.” that they can each give a purpose in life to each by supporting one another. Forming new bond that was previously broken is form a rebirth for the two in which they start new lives together.…