Exclusion is explored to a large extent throughout the poem ‘feliks skrzynecki’ Powerful influences displayed in the poem ‘feliks skrzynecki that caused Peter, the poet, to feel excluded from society much the same as his “gentle father” is that of culture and heritage. This is a world from which the son Peter, to a large extent feels excluded. There is a cultural divide of time, place and language cutting him off from the Polish companionships his father enjoys. Nostalgia is depicted through the quotes “talking they reminisced/About farms where paddocks flowered/With corn and wheat/Horses they bred and pigs they were skilled in slaughtering.” The poets son experiences his own form of alienation, not due to the migration process but being the son of those that have undertaken such upheavel in their lives. He looks on and listens rather than participates acknowledging his fathers connectedness with his Polish friends and with his garden but is unable to share. He envies the happiness/contentment and sense of belonging his father feels. The metaphor and imagery used in the quote “watched me pegging my tents/Further and further south of Hadrian’s Wall” exhibits clearly the sense of exclusion and alienation the son, Peter feels as his and his father’s worlds grow apart. The poet uses the image of a barrier to show that the powerful influence of cultural divide can’t be broken down or scaled, emphasising the exclusion experienced by the son, from his father.
Exclusion is explored to a great extent throughout THE HELP by Tate Taylor 2011. The powerful influences involved are also based on cultural identity and how a persons race or heritage impacts their sense of belonging to society etc. The film the help by tate taylor 2011 is a beautifully told story of courage and justice and being brave enough to ignore and turn away from social norms. Seven minutes into the film Aibileen discusses, in a non diegetic voice over, her frustration and goals towards the exclusion of the African American society. “I want to stop that moment from coming and it comes in every white childs life- when they start to think that coloured folks are not as good as whites.” A close up camera shot of Aibileens face is used to demonstrate the sheer importance and her raw emotion to the responder. This quote points out how kids are born with racial prejudices, which have been passed from from the older generation. Aibileen works tirelessly to keep Mae Mobley’s mind from being polluted. An example being the continuous repetition of “you is kind, you is smart, and you is loved.” Another example of cultural exclusion and stereotyping is obvious when Skeeter states “But I know I’ll have to rewrite everything over of course” A mid shot is used including Aibileen’s face in the right hand corner of the shot, Skeeter’s voice is clear and assertive demonstrating her confidence in her assumption. The responder is able to clearly identify Skeeter’s false stereotype, that black women are uneducated and illiterate. However she soon learns that Aibilens is a formidable and practiced writer, even though she was forced to leave school in junior high. These two quotes exhibit the extent of social and cultural exclusion not only Aibileen experiences but the entire African American population amongst the white American society.
How has the study of belonging and not belonging shaped your ideas about the texts you have studied
The study of belonging and not belonging has expanded my ideas and general knowledge towards the texts and how they encapsulate belonging and not belonging. I know understand that a sense of belonging does not just come from people and/or groups in society, however a sense of belonging can be achieved rather from places and cultural identity. “Feliks Skrzynecki” the poets “gentle father” Polish identity remains a key component of his identity, even though he has adapted effectively into his new environment. The visual imagery and simile seen in the quote “hands darkened/From cement, fingers with cracks/Like the sods he broke.” Helps shape the responders perceptions of Felik’s and the sense of enjoyment and belonging he achieves from working in his garden. Felik’s son talks of the reminisces, experiences and cultural ties shared with friends who can identify with the loss of homeland, language and traditions that shaped their early life. Nostalgia is evident in the quote “talking they reminisced…..
The quote demonstrates how due to cultural ties he feels largely excluded. Its as if there is a cultural divide of time place and language cutting him off from the Polish companionships his father enjoys. “Watched me pegging……
Conveys to the responder how the son cannot share his fathers world as their worlds grow further apart. The poet uss the image of a barrier between them that cannot be scaled or broken down. An image of tents implies transience while references to Hadrian’s Wall reinforces the idea of separation. So consequently the poet due to cultural and locational differences experiences a sense of not belonging.
The extent to which we belong to people and places depends on the context
I completely agree that the extent to which we belong to people and places etc depends on the context. As seen in ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ the son experiences a sense of alienation not due to the migration process itself but being the son of those who have taken such upheaval in their lives. The context in this poem is diaspora, the notion of displacement that results from separation from culture, family and home. The son looks on and listens rather than participates, acknowledging his fathers connections with his Polish friends and with his garden but is unable to share. The son talks of the reminisces, experiences and cultural ties shared with friends who can identify with the loss of homeland language and traditions that shaped their early life. Nostalgia is evident in the quote “talking they reminisced……
This is a world from which the son, to a large extent feels excluded. The context in this quote is diaspora.
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