AOS – Belonging Essay
‘St. Patricks College’, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and Starry Night – Vincent Van Gough

Belonging is an abstract perception that evolves and changes depending on an individual’s context and situation. The tension between belonging to society and self is at the heart of the complexity of the concept. Peter Skrzynecki’s poems St. Patricks College and Migrant Hostel from the immigrant chronicles and Van Gogh’s Starry Night are different mediums that juxtapose the duality of belonging and portray the diverse links individuals have to universal perceptions of connection.
Belonging is a complex and multifaceted concept. The need to connect with social frameworks as well as one’s own cultural identity is the reason for the tension and dichotomy of belonging. Migrant Host explores the tension and sense of alienation for both society and self that can result from the migrant experience. A lack of interaction between individuals and places limits an individual’s experience of belonging, this is explored through ‘comings and goings’ and ‘arrivals and departures’ reinforcing the idea of these momentary connections. Through the use of many poetic techniques, the concept of acceptance is shown; a simile “like a homing pigeon” is used to highlight the urgency and desire to gain a sense of connection with the current environment. The simile ‘like a homing pigeon/ circling to get its bearings’ reinforces the idea of a complex sense of separation in the hostel. The disconnection from the outside society is conveyed through the use of imagery of a “barrier” to the “highway” represents the seclusion. A dichotomous nature of belonging is represented through the imagery representing the experience of individuals trying to establish a bond.
A sense of belonging is closely linked to a sense of individuality and the self-actualization of an individual is impacted by their