Aspects of Belonging Explored in Angela's Ashes, and Skrzynecki's 'Immigrant Chronicle'

It was very sad to read about his experiences at this school because he had a love for reading. Although he was encouraged by a few teachers (Mr. and Mrs. Hannon and Mr. Timoney), after his time at this school in Limerick, he was deeply discouraged from receiving any further education. The headmasters of Leamy’s National School believed in using physical discipline to encourage their desired behaviors. “They hit you with the sticks on the shoulders, the back, the legs, and, especially, the hands” (80). It seemed as if there was nothing Frank could do to avoid being hit. Everything a student did required discipline. “They hit you if you’re late, if you have a leaky nib on your pen, if you laugh, if you talk, and if you don’t know things” (80). Leamy’s aimed to build strong and tough men and women. They would beat you and expect no excuses or tears. “You deserve it. Don’t be a baby.” (81). This school serves as an influential antagonist in Angela’s Ashes because the amount of discouragement he obtained from staff members at this school was an overwhelming and immense obstacle Frank had to overcome. He didn’t let this atrocious school experience stop him from accomplishing his goal of coming to

As a part of an immigrant family, there is no doubt that, as the oldest, I had to help my parents with English translation. Even though I have been in this role for years, it was not until recently that I realized the significance of my responsibilities.

An individual’s relationship with others and the places which surround them can have an effect on the individual’s sense of self-worth and their feelings of belonging. This notion is conveyed through the use of language techniques in both the set of poems “Feliks Skrzynecki”, “St Patrick’s College” and “Migrant Hostel” from Peter Skrzynecki’s anthology Immigrant Chronicles (1975) and the novel The Story of Tom Brennan (2005) composed by J.C. Burke.

In the novel, ‘To kill A Mockingbird’ the theme of put yourself in someone’s shoes appears many times. This is important to the book because it shows us that never judge someone without knowing the entire story. The characters put themselves in someone’s else shoes in different ways. Jem begins to understand Mrs. Dubose, Dolphus Raymond not being a drunk, Tom Robinson feeling sorry for Mayella, and Scout seeing Boo’s point of view from his porch.

An example of the insecurity that is demonstrated in the story is mentioned when the narrator's teachers were of "no help, they looked [his] way and talked about how foolish [he] looked in [his] new jacket" (paragraph 7). The narrator feels insecure because of his assumptions that his teachers are making fun of him when in fact, they are not noticing him at all. Further more, he continues to say, "At lunchtime I stayed with the ugly boys leaned against the chain link fence… our mouths" (paragraph 9). This statement proves the narrator is having bad luck because of the jacket and is destroying his reputation at school. A third reason why the jacket symbolizes insecurity is because the fact that his classmates see him with the jacket, he feels that they "…say out loud "man that's ugly", I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter"

“People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early childhood, but nothing can compare with the Irish version”(11).

When an individual’s sense of identity is corrupted through prejudicial attitudes they are left exposed and vulnerable allowing a sense of isolation and displacement in society. An individual’s ability to promote change within is largely influenced by the hardships they experience in their struggle to conform and the connectedness of identity that stems from acceptance. Tara June Winch’s novel Swallow the air, adapts the core concept that the perceptions and ideas of belonging are shaped within personal, cultural, historical and social contexts defining who we are resulting in a true understanding and

In fact, the author never says, what the gossipers are talking about. For all we know the gossipers could be talking about something totally different. But, the boy still worries about what the people are saying. The gossipers say “Man, that’s ugly, I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter that I knew was meant for me.” Even if the gossipers were talking about him he should have been confidential. If he realized he was unique he would have never had to hang out with the thugs. He needed to stand up for himself. Sotto also says, “ got a D on a math quiz. During the morning recess Frankie T., the playground terrorist, pushed me to the ground and told me to stay there until recess was over. My best friend, Steve Negrete, at an apple while looking at me, and the girls turned away to whisper on the monkey bars.” The boy continues to pay attention to these people. He again needs to stick up for himself because everyone is unique. The plot exposes the way people act when someone looks

Conversation then shifts to the escaped convict known as the “misfit”. Further conversation details how the misfit would frequent their establishment. While Red tells his wife to be quiet about the matter grandmother comments about Europe’s contribution to problems referring to the way they (Europeans) act. Eventually the family finishes their lunch and continues on the way toward an abrupt end. Red appears to be interested in simple mingling with their guest perhaps because of the family’s choice to dine in their establishment. Their presence while welcomed simply is a transaction, nothing more or less.

He believes that every one of the people” oughta be ridin’ broomsticks”, and his Aunt Rachel already does (183). He sees that everyone in the town treat each other badly, so the only thing he can really do is laugh at

Maybe that’s what I was born to put on the page, he thought.” This proves the importance of relaying the thoughts and experiences of their lines. Secondly, another main point of the article is that Frank was embarrassed about his poverty stricken, abandon filled life. McCourt said, “’When you have nothing—no TV, no radio, no music—you have only the language. So you use it. We were street kids—we saw the absurdity and laughed at it. And we were fools; we were always dreaming. Bacon and eggs—we dreamed of that’” (Kornbluth, 200). He doesn’t want to have to discuss his past life events, because he thought that it may cause his students to lose respect for him. But, as it turns out, this didn’t happen. The students had come from quite similar situations in their lives and could relate to McCourt’s experiences.

When his father takes him to be an altar boy, he is turned away due to the poverty of his family. This is disturbing to young Frank, and begins thoughts of discontent in his mind. Also, when he goes to look into enrolling in secondary school with his mother at his side, the Christian Brother there slams the door in his face due to his street appearance. Regardless of his high intelligence, he is denied a higher education by the Church based on his economic status. The night before his 16th birthday Frank drinks his first pint and strikes his mother; on attempting to confess to a Jesuit priest, the door is again closed to him: “He says, Go away. You’re drunk. Child like you drunk as a lord ringing for a priest at this hour. Go away or I’ll call the guards…. You’re drunk and you’re not in a proper spirit of repentance (340).” Frank is panicked about the condition of his eternal soul but is forced to remain in a state of sin because of the lack of compassion by this priest. The transformation is complete: Frank is no longer the innocent little child who runs to the Church to unburden his soul, but instead he is a cynical adolescent who has lost his faith in God.

In the novel Angela's Ashes, (1996) by Frank McCourt, a life of poverty is the only life this family knows. It is a memoir about a young boy born in New York City. Frank, born ten months prior to his brother Malachy, was raised in a small apartment with his parents, Angela and Malachy McCourt.

Angela’s Ashes is an autobiographical memoir written by Irish-American author Frank McCourt. McCourt is the oldest of five brothers and one sister. He along with four of his sibling were born in America in Brooklyn, New York and lived there until he was four and then moved back to Ireland because they had a hard time surviving in America. His family and moved back to Ireland in the midst of the Great Depression finding it hard for his father to get a job because of his alcoholism and his Northern manner. Throughout McCourt’s childhood he was caught in the middle of all the hardships his parents endured. Although, his family endured much struggle, that did not stop them from fulfilling his religious duties, such as First Communion. It also did not stop him and his brother, Malachy from going to school to learn more about their religion. In his early teens, he realized that his father had abandoned his mother and his siblings when he said he would go look for a job. At the age of 14, Frank stopped going to school and got odd jobs to help support his mother and siblings. He remembers his childhood as the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. He himself decided to move back to America when he was 18 to get away from the poverty in Ireland.

Frank Arnold is a good man. Frank is a generous man because he gives five hundred dollars to the servants in Mobile, Alabama, when he leaves for Sagrado and he did not show off. On the other hand, his wife just gives them ten dollars and she tells everybody about it. He also give a raise to the Montoyas when they ask for it, because he knows that it was fair. Second, Frank is a caring man. He is always looking for people's wellness. Also, he always tells Josh to help and respect his(Josh) mother. Third, He is witty man. In this quotation the speaker is Frank, speaking to Josh, about his(Frank) training in the navy. “Assumes that I am a stranger to salt water, and is re-teaching me all the fundamentals. (I was happy to learn this afternoon