Father

This rationale will discuss the issues around gender and whether or not as parents, teachers or practitioners we influence children into their gender identity or whether it is inherent within our genetic makeup. I will be evaluating the complexities of my role as a practitioner in supporting children’s social development and reflecting upon how I could improve and modify my practice. There are differing views when it comes to defining gender. Some use gender to focus on biological differences such as sex, physical differences or hormones (Guarian 2002: 20).

Others refer to ‘gender’ as the social constructions of masculinity and femininity (ATL 2004: 9 and Francis et al 2005: 73) meaning boys’ and girls’ behaviours and attitudes, which are not necessarily fixed by their biological make up. There is therefore a need to realise that ‘gender’ can be and often is regularly an interchangeable term that can be suited to both of these definitions. Kohlberg (1966) in (Harris and Butterworth 2002) suggests that there are three stages of gender identity beginning around the age of two to three years.

The first stage is Gender Identity, where children become aware of sex. A child will say ‘I am a boy’ for example but not necessarily know what being a boy means. The second stage is Gender Stability which happens around the ages of three and a half to four and a half years old. In this stage children will develop awareness and understanding of the durability of their own gender and of others, this is generally focused on the physical appearance and a child may think that a person who dresses in typically opposite gender clothing has also changed sex (Emmerich et al 1977 in Harris and Butterworth 2002).

The third of Kohlberg’s stages is Gender Consistency. This usually happens around the age of four and a half and upwards and this is when children begin to realise that regardless of their appearance people remain male or female. When looking at gender within education, there is a need to consider what effect it has on a child’s achievement. The DfES (2007: 1) states that there is a gender gap within English, Maths and Science from Foundation Stage through to Key Stage Three, where girls are outperforming boys.

The attention on gender and children’s achievement has been present both within the media and schools for many years. Recently this emphasis has been geared towards the underachievement of boys. Siraj-Blactchford (2001: 72) in (Sharp et al 2006) states: Recently we have heard a good deal in education debates about (working class) boys’ underachievement. The results from the school league- tables suggest some boys do underachieve in basic literacy. This is portrayed by the media as ‘failing’ and suggests that girls are outperforming boys in education.

It may not necessarily be that boys have a low achievement rate, rather it could be that they are simply not yet reaching their full potential (Warrington et al 2006: 39). I feel therefore the media has over inflated the idea that boys are underachieving. Instead of focusing on the failure, the emphasis on underachievement here should be looking at which boys (or girls) are not reaching their full potential. From my experience I have seen that teachers and practitioners also act in ways that maintain and maybe even extend the gender roles that are taught at home.

It seems they often emphasise gender distinction with labelling that promotes gender stereotyping. It seems that boys do get more attention than girls, whether it is good or bad, as teachers generally seem to think that because a girl is quiet they do not need their attention. Francis et al (2005: 92) reiterates the idea that boys’ underachievement is due to feminisation and female teachers however within my setting there are five male teachers and two male teaching assistants.

I feel that this has a good impact on some of the children. In today’s society there is not always a mother and father within the family environment. There is an increase of fathers being absent within the child’s life. Having so many male teachers within my setting has encouraged children to see that it is acceptable to participate in what children perceive as stereotypical activities and even enjoy them without being teased by their peers.

Stetsenko et al (2000) states that male and female brains differ from each other suggesting that boys generally excel in spatial tasks such as sport and girls are generally better academically. According to Blum et al, (1989: 16) boys’ brains have more cortical areas dedicated to the spatial mechanical functioning and they use on average only half the brain that females use for verbal – emotive functioning which essentially means that females are predominately seen as better talkers and listeners and males are doers.

Having worked for nearly ten years in childcare and education and being a parent myself I have also realised that boys and girls do behave in different ways Mothers and Fathers are responsible for the initial gender socialisation of their children. As suggested by Bowlby (1969) in (Johnston and Nahmad- Williams 2009) family is the first and most important influence on a child’s social development. Many of a child’s early family experiences shape their initial motivations, values and beliefs.

Bandura’s social learning theory (1963) suggests that boys learn how to behave from observing and imitating masculine behaviours especially from their fathers and girls learn from imitating their mothers. When children imitate same sex behaviours they are rewarded but imitating the opposite sex may result in threat or even punishment (Bandura 1963). This behaviour is mainly displayed by fathers when they come to pick up their sons and find them playing dress up or pushing a pram.

This is a barrier that is still on-going within my setting but only with the fathers. Mothers do not seem to have a problem with this type of behaviour. I explain that the boys are only expressing themselves and generally not acting in a stereotypical way but having fun with the situation whereas when a girl dresses up she tends to pretend to be a mother figure. What the fathers do not tend to see is that although the boy is playing with the pram he is using it in a way that would not usually be displayed by a female.

Even before a child is born and when parents know the sex of their child there is a tendency to buy and receive toys and clothes in either pink for a girl or blue for a boy. This is reinforced when the child is born and the hospital attaches either a blue or a pink wristband depending on the sex of the child. Research shows differences in the ways that boys and girls are treated by caregivers from the moment of birth. According to Archer and Lloyd (1982) baby boys are handled less gently by their caregivers being bounced and roughhoused, whereas baby girls are generally talked and sung to.

It is suggested by Gervai et al (1995) and Woods et al (2001) that fathers more than mothers encourage “gender-appropriate” behaviour, and they place more pressure to achieve on sons than on daughters. In the early years parents are more likely to undertake activities such as drawing, reading books and singing with girls than boys (Siraj-Blatchford and Sammons 2004). I feel that only having a son I cannot make a fully informed judgement on this statement however I do feel that within my setting I allow girls to engage in rough and tumble play as much as the boys do.

I feel that this is an important part of their social development. I also encourage all children to participate in more creative activities such as painting, cooking and making things. Through the growing process of a child, the toys that are given to them begin to define whether or not they are going to be typically and strongly masculine or feminine. Girls will generally play with dolls while boys choose cars and trucks (Kanazawa 2008) which suggests that maybe boys’ and girls’ toy preferences may have a biological origin.

Studies with Vervet monkeys in 2002 showed the same sex typical preference as humans yet there was no influence from humans and they had not seen the toys before. What was even more remarkable was that the monkeys knew how to play with the toys in the same way a child would. Kanazawa (2008) states: It is becoming less and less likely that “gender socialisation” is the reason why boys and girls prefer different toys, and more and more likely that there are some genetic, hormonal, and other biological reasons for the observed sex differences in toy preference.

The media also plays a role in gender socialisation and impacts on children’s play from an early age (Burke 2006). Parents of a girl would be more likely to put on programmes such as “My Little Pony” and ‘Dora the Explorer’, whereas parents of a boy might show their child ‘Bob the Builder’ or ‘Postman Pat’. When a child is sitting in front of the television, they often see commercials with ladies either cooking or shopping and men working, driving or lifting. I feel that this portrays a universal image of what society thinks is right for males and females to do.

Discussions with children have led me to believe that within their family environment it seems to be that mothers are now working longer hours than was the norm and fathers are spending more and more time taking care of their children and also carrying out tasks typically known as female roles by preparing food and going shopping. Through observation in my setting this seems to be the case. Sweden is unique in the value it places on gender equality (Berk 2006).

They state that both genders are equal in the workforce, childcare and the home environment and men and women have the same rights including paternity leave and pay. According to several indicators the Swedish family model is very successful (Berk 2006). I feel that the United Kingdom is working towards the same model but because of all the old traditions that man has continued over the decades in the U. K. I feel that as a society we are less likely to let go and that it is up to the individual to form their own gender identity.

Experience with children, wider reading and lectures in college have led me to develop the opinion that there are numerous influences on children regarding their gender identity and that there is a need for staff to be appropriately trained to enable them to meet the needs of both boys and girls. I feel that practitioners can be gender biased and may be likely to make general assumptions regarding gender issues. These assumptions would be stereotypes in themselves even though they are required to treat each child as an individual (Bignold 2006).

Having this knowledge has helped me to develop my setting by having exciting resources which engage and motivate both individuals and gender groups. I feel this can have a positive impact on what children choose to take part in and help children step away from what they have been told is right for boys and girls. The design and layout of my setting is very important. It creates an environment where children can decide what and who they wish to play with by offering complete freedom of choice as far as toys and activities are concerned.

This encourages a non-stereotypical environment in which boys and girls can interact comfortably and self-assuredly. It seems that nurseries, schools and the media are putting one gender against the other when it comes to academic levels. This has only highlighted an equality issue with regards to the differing achievement between genders. I feel that this emphasis needs to move away from comparing achievements according to gender but to focus on which children are underachieving in terms of both attainment and reaching their full potential.

I feel that in order for me as a practitioner to achieve gender equality within my setting I need to make myself and my colleagues aware of any preconceptions I or they may hold. It is also vital that I create an environment and ethos where gender is not an issue. Children regardless of their gender are to be viewed and treated as individuals and given equal opportunities and experiences. Where the opportunities to access all areas of the curriculum are the same and gender stereotypes are challenged and deconstructed, it will become possible to move away from comparing gender gaps and focus on individual achievements instead. .

The world is dynamic and has witnessed major changes over the past decades. Lifestyles have changed and so have priorities. The role of fathers has not been left behind too; in the past three decades fathers have changed greatly. This is an evolution that has been necessitated by the changes occurring in the various aspects of human lives and relations. Nothing would exemplify this change in roles than taking a critical look at the image and responsibilities of fathers in the 1970s. By then fathers were highly authoritative and much of their time was spent working.

They were expected to be the sole beneficiaries in the family. Fathers took care of the financial obligations such as school fees, bills, rent and others. Mothers were expected to play good housewives and take care of the children and the house. Respect and reverence characterized the father’s image; they were hard to understand and were looked upon by everyone in the house. This is a role that would slowly and gradually start changing on the 1980’s probably as feminism became institutionalized in almost all modern societies.

Women were no longer wiling to stay indoors watching the house and children. They were taking up more challenging tasks that priory were a preserve of the men. This newfound competition would force men to adapt and start spending more time with their children. Fathers started being more responsible and nurturing to their children, playing a visible role in their upbringing. Men at this time were no longer the sole breadwinners; women were chipping in and meeting some of the costs of running the family and thus spending more time away from home.

Men hence were forced to make concessions and play an active role with the children. Nothing has seen a rapid evolution during the past three decades than the father involvement in their children’s lives. A study conducted by Levine and Pleck amongst others operationalizes the above fact. The study revealed that over the last recent decades, fathers were able to spend more time than before with an increase of over 10 percent. It is also this period that saw fathers watching over their children at home when their mothers are out working. (Levine, James and Pittnsky T. , 1997).

The image of father across the 70’s and the 80 changed considerably, but it is the late 90s and the last years of this millennium that has almost accorded modern fathers completely new roles that would have been unimaginable thirty years ago. It is not in question that fathers are no longer the breadwinners and the authoritative figures of the past. Parents are supporting each other financially, emotionally and in other essential cores of raising the families.

Today’s fathers are looking for their children and changing their diapers. They are taking the children to school and helping them with homework at home. They are even raising the children single handedly in case of death, separation or divorce of a spouse and doing a commendable job out of it. There are those that are divorced and granted periodic visitations, a new role that many are still grappling with. Being a good father is no longer defined along economic lines only, it is a composite product of responsibility at home and being there fore the children.

Fathers are playing an important role and being more close to their children than before, their satisfaction according to surveys, emanates from spending more time with their families. Indeed the roles have changed. Men of today are supposed and expected by the society to take up more roles than before. They are no longer inhabited by the societal traditional norms that could see them present a macho figure. In today’s world, they are playing an active role bringing up the kids rather than sticking to the financial obligations alone.

The Parenting styles of mothers and fathers are very different. While being the two most important people in any child’s life the parents can have a varying influence on their offspring. The difference can be suggested as being gender based or merely temperamental. Whatever, the case that the differences exist cannot be argued. The parenting style has an influence in every sphere of a child’s life. From the peers relationships they have to the self confidence they establish. The socialization of the child is largely dependent on the individual parenting styles.

So what is so different between the father and the mother? Notably mothers are seen as more caring. This is the rule rather than the exception, though exceptions do exist. Mothers are more emotional and their interaction with the child is such that children usually take their discipline without much adversity. They are seen to be loving and open to communication. Fathers on the other hand are less openly affectionate, have more of an harshness to their tone are more firm in their discipline. Mothers are often more subjective in their judgments and thus more forgiving.

They protect their child more easily and are hard pressed to admit failure within a child’s attempt. Fathers usually balance this out by playing roughly, being more objective and pushing the child to do more. While the home situation in the current society is changing the traditional homes had the father as the primary caretaker. He came home after a long days work and wanted nothing more than peace and quiet. This meant that he was stricter with the children and most of the time spent was in discipline rather than interacting openly.

Communication was usually stilted and the main caretaker was the mother. Mothers acted as the go between as the father and child struggled to gain an understanding of each other. The father was seen as the quiet and loving man, who was harsh, not very indulgent and delved out the discipline. There has been a lot of criticism about the role of fathers. They are not emotional enough, they give their child too little support and they are at times to blunt in their dealings. Regardless, of these criticisms the fact is statistics suggest that fathers are extremely important to the family.

There parenting style may be different but it helps balance out the style presented by the mother consider that a child in a fatherless home is 20 times more likely to end up in prison and 14 times more likely to commit rape and 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders. [Brandenburg, 2007] Fathers have a different physical interaction with their children. Being more physical in their play they ‘toughen’ up the kids and show them how to play rough without getting hurt. Mothers are not usually ready to take the risk with their child.

Fathers will come home and throw their child in the air while the mother usually admonishes him to be careful. Fathers are the first love of any girl. The father serves as the role model for the daughter and a strong positive relationship with the father helps the girl have a better emotional relationship in the future. They also serve to control their son’s behavior in a better manner. Physically men are stronger than women and at a certain stage kids begin to understand this. That is why the mother loses control while the father acts as the barrier.

All youth go through rebellion and a father is simply better equipped to physically curtail the child, not through physical abuse rather through sheer presence. [Fraenkel, 2006] Mothers are caring and provide the safety net. Children know that no matter what the mother will always be there for them. They are the soothers and the ones who help the child through emotional problems through their simple presence. That both parents are necessary cannot be argued but how important is it for both the parents to be present to make an effective family?

Mothers in the past stayed at home and fathers went to work. The constant interaction with the child for the mother made her feel closer to the child. The mother associated her life with the child’s the world usually revolved around the child. Maybe that is why the parenting style of the mother was the way it was. Since fathers were away from the child’s daily routine they could be more objective and thus be seen as the authority figure. Today the scene has changed. The systematic breakdown of the traditional form of the family has changed the dynamics.

Mothers are working outside the home, they are not able to give as much time to the child as they would have been if they were born two decades ago. The mother who was seen as the caretaker has switched roles. The mother is today a person who is stretched to have quality time with the child. Single parent families further aggravate the situation. From being tolerant and lenient mothers have changed into being at times as strict as the fathers. In the past the mothers saw the world in respect to the kids but now they see the kids in contrast to the world.

Where fathers were the blunt one’s preparing the kids for the real world, today mothers do the same. However, no matter how much things have changed, the differences remain. Mothers are still too soft for the good of the kids, at least in normal circumstances. Women are naturally more communicative and open about their emotions. They find it easy to tell their child they love him throughout the day. They feel no hesitation in giving hugs and kisses regardless of the child’s age. Fathers as men are more reluctant to be the same way.

Though the ‘sensitive’ man is the phrase of the decade the fact is fathers are less likely to tell their adolescent child they love them. Physically and emotionally they distance themselves from the child naturally when the child reaches adolescences. That is where the main communication gap emerges. Women still reach out, men never force the issue. Mothers and fathers are naturally and genetically different, they respond to their child as man and woman and the difference between the two sexes can largely determine the difference between mothers and fathers. [Peters, Peterson et al, 2000]

“Dreams From My Father-A Story of Race and Heritance”

Today I want to introduce you United States President Barack Obama’s first memoir, dreams from my father. It was first published in July 1995 as he was preparing to launch his political career and republished in August 2004. Author: Since my book is an autobiography I won’t tell you everything about the author, I just will give some personal facts about him. Barack Obama was born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama Senior and Ann Dunham. In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School.

While in law school he worked as a co-worker at the law firms of Sidley & Austin where he met his wife, Michelle, whom he married in 1992. Barack and Michelle Obama have two daughters: Malia Ann and Natasha, known as Sasha. On November 4 2008, Obama won the presidency of the United States. The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President took place on January 20, 2009. On October 8 of last year, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Characters

Paternal Family The Obamas are members of the Luo, Kenya’s third-largest ethnic group. Hussein Onyango Obama Barack Obama’s paternal grandfatherHabiba Akumu Obama Barack Obama’s paternal grandmother and the second wife of Hussein Onyango ObamaBarack Hussein Obama Senior He is the father of Barack Obama. Visited his son only for one single time. In his memoir, Barack calls him the Old Man. KeziaJane Her sister, Jane, is the ‘Auntie Jane’ mentioned at the very start of Dreams from My Father when she telephoned President Obama to inform him that his father had been killed in a car accident.Ruth Ndesandjo

Born Ruth Nidesand, in US, Barack Obama Sr. ‘s third wife Maternal Family •Ann Dunham Mother of Barack Obama. His mother is open minded, idealistic, naive in one sense, world-wise in another.Stanley Dunham is the grandfather of Barack Obama. Stanley and his wife Madelyn raised Obama in Honolulu, Hawaii. His grandparents love him unconditionally. He learns his grandfather’s strengths and weaknesses, but never really comes to see him as the father figure he’s seeking. •Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham Barack Obama’s maternal grandmother.Lolo Soetoro

Stepfather of Barack Obama, born in Indonesia, Obama speaks fondly of his step-father, and learns several life lessons from him, but unfortunately his mother’s relationship with his step-father doesn’t last.

Plot

1. Origins
2. Chicago
3. Kenya

Epilogue

Barack Obama, the current narrates a heart-rending story about his personal implications; tribulations in the American society, and his father’s roots. Ad 1. The story opens up in New York, where he hears that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has died in a car accident.

Two years later after Baby Obama was born, his father won a scholarship to continue with studies at Harvard University. And so, Obama Senior left Hawaii, went to Harvard, separated from his small family and, was divorced by Ann. He completed his studies and returned to Kenya to take up a senior job at the department of national planning. Baby Obama never saw him until much later. As a young boy, his mother marries a man from Indonesia and they go to live there. His mother sends him back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents so he can attend a prestigious Hawaiian school, as one of only three black students there.

Obama has one encounter with his father when he’s ten in Hawaii. Obama is a little adored, a little overwhelmed by his father’s visit. Nevertheless his father doesn’t stay very long and leaves Obama with more questions than answers. Ad 2. Propelled by a desire to understand both the forces that shaped him and his father’s legacy, the book then moves on to moves to Chicago where he works as a community organizer. It’s challenging work that is rarely rewarding, but Obama gives it his all. Then a relative from Kenya, his aunt Jane, calls to tell him his father has died, but Obama’s not quite sure how to feel about that or how to react.

Several weeks later, his Kenyan half-sister, Auma, makes contact with him. Auma gives him a sneak peek into his father’s life in Kenya. Obama is fascinated by the life Auma leads and wants to learn more about their father. Before he leaves community organizing to go to Harvard Law School, he makes arrangements to visit Auma in Kenya and TO TRACE THE ROOTS OF HIS FATHER. Ad 3. In Kenya, Obama discovers a family he didn’t even know. His father had at least four wives, and Obama has a slew of brothers and sisters who are living in their father’s shadow.

Obama and Auma visit with one their grandfather’s wives, “Granny. ” She tells Obama’s father story to him. The story: Because Onyango wanted his son to be provided as best as possible as for opening up a good future, his father received a scholarship in economics through a special program which offered Western educational opportunities to outstanding Kenyan students. Following Obama Sr. enrolled at the University of Hawaii where Obama Sr. married Ann Dunham, though she would not find out that her new husband was already married to a pregnant wife until much later.

Ann quit her studies to care for the baby, while Obama Sr. completed his degree, leaving shortly thereafter to study at Harvard University. While studying at Harvard, Obama Sr. met an American-born teacher named Ruth who he married after divorcing from Barack’s mother. After a while Obama Sr. published a paper entitled “Problems Facing Our Socialism” harshly criticizing the concept for national planning. This conflict with President Kenyatta destroyed his career. Following he was fired from his job, was blacklisted in Kenya, and began to drink.

He had a serious car accident, spent almost a year in the hospital, and by the time he visited his son in Hawaii, when Barack was ten years old. Obama Sr. ‘s life fell into drinking and poverty, from which he never recovered. Obama Sr. later lost both legs in another automobile collision, and subsequently lost his job. He died at the age of 46, in a third car crash in Nairobi. From then on, Obama realized that the man he thought to be a failure was in fact a hero in his village. His father was the first person to have gone to the US University from his village.

Then, Obama forgave his father and decided to change his life basing on his father’s dreams.

Themes

Racism Throughout the whole book the main character is faced with Racism. From early childhood he had to struggle with students that teased him when he was playing with one of the three black kids. Even in Kenya, when he and some of his family members are at a restaurant, the waitress who is black, ignores their orders and doesn’t serve them after she has seen European tourists who are white.

Search for community As a young adult, Obama set off in search of community and purpose, with the reat role models of the civil rights movement. The glory days of the civil rights movement were long gone when Obama gets an organizing job in a poor neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side plagued by crumbling public housing, disappearing manufacturing jobs, and rising crime. The group’s founder is a Jewish man who is not fully trusted by the community. At the same time Obama makes personal connections. He becomes close with the three middle-aged African-American women who are core to the organization, and develops a friendship with an eccentric, pot-smoking Catholic organizer.

He looks out for Kyle, the teenage son of a volunteer who is in danger of getting into trouble. One of the most moving bits in the book where Obama tells the group he is headed off to Harvard Law School, and promises his friends in the neighborhood that he’ll be back.

Search for family and identity Feeling out of place in high school, Obama gravitates toward the black kids and works to embrace an African-American culture that matches others’ expectations of his appearance, but is different from his upbringing and background. A trip to Kenya before law school is an opportunity for discovery.

Obama grew up with an idealized vision of his father, which both intimidated and inspired him. As he gets to know his African family, he finds out that his father’s life was more complex and less perfect than the idealized image. In Kenya, Barack Junior finds a family that is loving, close, and welcoming but surrounded by problems — feuds, alcoholism, and poverty. The stories that Obama hears on his trip make things more complicated, not simpler. The stories provide context for the personality flaws, passions, that which are more meaningful, more admirable, and more forgivable, than a shallow but false idealized image.

The Limits of “Organizing” After a series of infamous defeats, the persistence, skill and empathy of Obama’s group begins to pay off. They organize cleanup for the housing project, job training for the neighborhood, mentoring for school kids. But in the end, during a public forum where the neighborhood people demand basic maintenance for public housing projects, the bureaucrats explain that the Housing Authority budget allows a asbestos removal, or basic repairs, but not both. So as you can see, one small person can’t change everything without reaching some limits.

The Breadwinner: A STUDY GUIDE How to use the study guide: •Read the questions for each chapter BEFORE you read the novel. •Look for the answers as you read making sure to highlight the passages in the novel that assist you in answering the study guide questions. •Highlight in your text any quotations noted in the study guide. •Respond to the study guide questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES. You should write at least two-three thoughtful sentences for each question. Characters: -Parvane (11 years old, 6th grade) -Nooria (older sister) -Maryam (5 years – younger sister) -Mother -Father -Ali (2years – younger brother) Vocabulary Chapter 1 vocabulary Chador = a large piece of dark-colored cloth, typically worn by Muslim women, wrapped around the head and upper body to leave only the face exposed. Sentence: These women have to wear a chador. –Marveled = a wonderful or astonishing person or thing: the marvels of technology | Charlie, you’re a marvel! Sentence: That child is really marveled. -Labyrinth = Anatomy a complex structure in the inner ear that contains the organs of hearing and balance. It consists of bony cavities (the bony labyrinth) filled with fluid and lined with sensitive membranes (the membranous labyrinth). Sentence: Going through a labyrinth is very hard and onfusing. -Relented = abandon or mitigate a harsh intention or cruel treatment: she was going to refuse his request, but relented. (Esp. of bad weather) become less severe or intense: by evening the rain Sentence: Your parents relented you when you were very young. -Forbade = refuse to allow (something): environmental laws forbid alteration of the coast. See note at prohibit order (someone) not to do something: I was forbidden from leaving Russia | [trans. ] my doctor has forbidden me to eat sugar. Sentence: She forbade you to wear that. -Decreed = an official order issued by a legal authority.

Sentence: Mr. President issued a decreed that we are not to deal with any of those matters. -Scampered = (esp. of a small animal or child) run with quick light steps, esp. through fear or excitement Sentence: She scampered along the road. -Burqa = a long, loose garment covering the whole body, worn in public by many Muslim women. Sentence: The Taliban requests all women wearing a burqa. How has Parvanas life changed since the Taliban took control? She lost everything. First when the bombing began she couldn’t go to school anymore because all females were required to stay inside their house.

At first she actually liked it but then when she realized the consequences she started understanding. As the war continued more bombs came and one hit their home. It was a nice house with many rooms and her father had a good job and with that nice income. But this first bomb destroyed everything they had to move and but the worst her father lost his legs. As they kept moving their housing began to shrink every time they had a smaller house until now they only have 1 room in a half destroyed apartment. This doesn’t give anyone of her family any privacy so they have a tuff time with that.

Also her father now since he can read and write works on the marked and reads letters for money. Also they sell their family belongings. Parvana actually gets a chance to go outside because she has to help her dad walk since he also sold his fake legs. When the Taliban see her, her father always finds a good excuse so nothing really happens. CHAPTER ONE (p. 7-18) 1. Why does Parvana have to hide her face and voice when she goes to the marketplace with her father? What will happen if she doesn’t? The Taliban who at that stage rule the country don’t allow any female to be outside their house except if they wear a burqa and have a male guardian.

They are only allowed to show their hair and face to close relatives. Parvana can only come outside on the marked because her father needs help to walk and since he doesn’t has any other child strong enough it as to be Parvana. She can show her face because she is still a child and no women. She is not supposed to talk because she isn’t supposed to be out of the house so she should act as if she wasn’t there. Mostly the Taliban are fine with it that Parvana helps her father and there is no other option. But if a older women would do the same and not be totally covered she would be punished badly. . How old is Parvana? How is age significant for a girl living in a society governed by the Taliban? Parvana is 11. This is important because it shows she is still a child. The Talban aren’t as strict about the rules with being covered up and staying inside with a child. Also her father can have much better excuses for her than for his wife or older daughter. 3. How does Parvana initially feel about not being able to go to school? What does Nooria understand about this situation that Parvana does not? At first Parvana didn’t get the whole situation so she actually enjoyed it.

At that point Nooria actually did get the situation and hated Parvana for being so stupid. She knew the Taliban wouldn’t let them go to school for a very long time and they would probably not e educated. As Parvana began to understand the whole situation she started feeling like Nooria did. 4. How does Parvana’s father currently make a living for the family? Why has he chosen this as his occupation? He reads and writes letters for people. Almost no one went to college and many couldn’t even read. He actually could and also in many different languages. He also sold the family belongings on the marked for some extra money.

Actually this family is lucky for having someone with such rare talent so people don’t really have a choice except for paying her father to read their letters to them. 5. Describe the living conditions Parvana and her family currently exist in. Compare them to the family’s previous living situation. Their house is very small and food is rare. They have to go get the water from outside their house. Also almost all of their belongings are sold. It is a one-room apartment in a half bombed down house. There is no privacy for any of them. Also it gets even worse since only two of them can go outside.

It is usually for the rest just cleaning. Before they had good income and a huge house. All of them were able to go outside and have fun. They had flowing water and much food. 6. What is the Taliban? Describe the restrictions they place on the people of Kabul. The Taliban are a group of religious extremists. They ruled Afghanistan from Kabul. From their law no women could go outside except with their husband or their permission. Also they started war so bombs destroyed much. A grown up women had to cover her whole body in public and could only show her body to close relatives. CHAPTER TWO (p. 19-33) 1.

Explain the mixed emotions Parvana feels about carrying water for her family. She knows that she is the only one who can do the job but also sometimes she is so tired that Parvana would give a lot for not doing it. Adding to that she is really angry about it that her sister always comments what she does. Usually only her anger and responsibility for her family give her the power to finish the task. 2. Explain who Hossain is. Got killed. 3. “’How can we be brave? ’ Nooria asked. ‘We can’t even go outside. ’ ‘There are many types of battles,’ Father said quietly. ’” (29) Explain what Father means in the above quotes.

How does he want his daughters to be brave? A battle doesn’t have to be with weapons. The thing that hurts most aren’t physical pains its metal one. Fighting with words or just surviving under such Bad live circumstances is being brave. Also to fight the temptation to just go outside and probably gets killed through that is a huge battle. 4. “As the soldiers pried her loose, she heard her father say, ‘Take care of the others, my Malali. ’ Then he was gone. ” (31) Who is Malali? Why does Parvana’s father call her that and ask her to care for the others? Malali is a brave girl from a story.

The Afghans were about to lose a big battle but then she came and led the army to win. It always was Parvanas favorite story and her father knew she would do everything to be like Malali so she would take care of the family. She would try being as strong and brave as the girl in the story her father knew. 5. “Father’s books! …Some were English books about history and literature. They were kept hidden because the Taliban burned books they didn’t like. ” (32) What does this quote explain about the Taliban and the difficult position Parvana’s father would have been in once they took power in Afghanistan?

The Taliban only respected their own couture and with that also their language. If someone was educated somewhere else they said their mind was twisted and they now are bad people. The English books were evidence that her father was educated in England and the Taliban wouldn’t like that at all. Also after Parvanas father was taken away these books were basically the only things that remained them of him. 6. Why do you believe the Taliban took Parvana’s father away? They think his mind was twisted through the education in a different country. They though he is someone bad. Also their religion was if they kill someone bad they would be good.

Another thing is they say if someone goes away to be educated he is saying his home country is bad. CHAPTER THREE (p. 34-43) 1. List the ways the Taliban restricts the movement, dress and behavior of women and girls as noted in the novel thus far. Women have to wear burqas when they go outside and they have to have a male guardian or permission from their husband. As child the rules weren’t so strict for Parvana and since she is the only option the Taliban allowed it. If women showed any part of their body in public she would be punished. Only close relatives were allowed to see her. Can’t go to work, school.

Can’t make eye contact with man. No public transportation. 2. Why was the act of Parvana and her mother traveling to the prison to find Father such a difficult one? Because women on their own can’t ride the bus. Also due the long Burqa Parvanas mother had to wear they couldn’t walk fast. The way to the prison was long and the roads destroyed. Had photographs but they were illegal? 3. How do Parvana and her mother attempt to get her father out of prison and what is the result? They were keeping telling the guards that he didn’t do anything and they should let him go free. Also that they want him back.

But then they got beaten up. 4. “Helping Mother down the broken stairs was a little like helping Father, as the billowing burqa made it hard for her to see where she was going. ” (39) What does this passage imply about the impact of a burqa on the movement and daily activity of a woman? Why would the Taliban desire such an impact? It shows that through the dress code of the Taliban women weren’t able to really walk also the bombing destroyed many roads and buildings which made it even harder. CHAPTER FOUR (p. 44-53) 1. “’If we had left Afghanistan when we had the chance, I could be doing my work! ’ ‘We are Afghans.

This is our home. If all the educated people leave, who will rebuild the country? ’” (45) Parvana says this is an argument her parents frequently have. Explain her mother’s side of the argument and her father’s side of the argument. Why is their’s such a difficult position to be in? Her mother said they had a chance to leave the country but they didn’t. Since both mother and father in Parvanas Family are educated they are part of the higher standard group of people. Her fathers argument is that Afghanistan will need smart people to rebuild the country after the Taliban were gone. Mother wants to do their job.

If there are no other educated people who wants to kick out the taliban 2. Why is Parvana the only member of the family who can go out and purchase food while her father is in prison? Her sister is to old to just safely go outside without a man and Ali is too young. But she is still a girl so she can go outside and buy food. 3. “Now I’ve got her, Parvana thought. I can make her as miserable as she makes me. But she was surprised to find that this thought gave her no pleasure. Maybe she was too tired and too hungry. Instead of turning her back, she took the money from her sister’s hand (53).

This quotation points to the ongoing conflict between the sisters. Explain why Parvana initially thinks she will be able to make Nooria miserable. Because if Parvana would not go, and get the food, her sister would certainly have to, and without her father being there she was scared. Discuss why you believe that thought does not give Parvana any pleasure. Because Nooria always was mean to Parvana and Parvana had never had a real chance to give that back. CHAPTER FIVE (p. 54-62) 7. Parvana begins to change once her father has been put in prison. Characterize the change that begins to occur in Parvana.

What does she do that shows this change and explain why she is changing. She actually was responsible enough to go on the marked and get the food also she got water for her family. She could have tortured Nooria but she didn’t instead she just did her work. 8. Who is Mrs. Weera and why is her visit to Parvana’s family so important? She worked with Parvanas mother together and needs a piece of writing. She is one of the old friends of the family and now she builds them up again. Gym teacher Parvanas Teacher. CHAPTER SIX (p. 63-73) 1. “They were going to turn her into a boy” (63).

Explain the plan Mrs. Weera and the family come up with. Why must Parvana make the final decision if the plan was to work. They wanted to turn her into a boy so she could earn money and go on the marked freely. To cut her hair of and make her look like a boy isn’t to hard and the rest could also force her to do it but the acting on the marked and the talking was her job and if she doesn’t want to do it there would be no way to force her. 2. When Parvana goes out in the street dressed as a boy she feels different. Explain the difference in her feelings and why this is so.

She feels free and another thing as a girl she always tried to hide now if she just acts normal she has the best Hiding ever its just another boy running around the streets. 3. The important characters in The Breadwinner are…(list five and a brief description of each) a. Parvana – very strong heart, doesn,t like older sister b. Parvana as boy = does everything to help family actually works together with her sister c. Nooria = grumpy but takes responsibility for family d. Mother = after father was taken away depressions e. Father = always believed in Parvana CHAPTER SEVEN (p. 74-82) 1.

Parvana reads a letter for a Talib. What is surprising about his reaction to the letter? Why? Before she thought Taliban weren’t human they had no feelings and were cold blooded. But then she realized that they actually are human and only do what they belief in and that some are forced to do so. CHAPTER EIGHT (p. 83-94) 1. Why does Mrs. Weera move in with Parvana and her family? She and Parvanas Mother want to make their own magazine and also she wants to bring the family back on track. 2. What excellent idea does Parvana have regarding her freedom as a boy and how she can help her mother and sister?

Why might Nooria object to the idea? She as male guardian could take them outside and there would be no risk. Taking them out after a year and a half of a small closed room improves their mood by a lot. 3. What does Parvana discover about the blacked-out window? Make a prediction about what might happen later in the novel in relation to the window. There is a woman who lets stuff come to her to tell some kind of message. Maybe at the end she will help them or she will betray them. CHAPTER NINE (p. 95-103) 1. Describe the conditions of Shauzia’s life (family, work, home).

Why might it be helpful to Parvana to know about the difficulties of another girl her age? She has even les money and their living conditions are really bad. 2. In this chapter, plans for the magazine and a school for girls begin to develop. What are the plans and why are such conversations so important for Parvana, Mother, Mrs. Weera and Nooria? This would give girls a chance to actually learn again and do something different from just staying at home. Also it is finally something to do for Nooria and her Mother. The magazine lets other people around the world know whats going on in Afghanistan.

CHAPTER TEN (p. 104-113) 1. What do the girls decide to do to make more money? Why do you think Parvana has trouble morally with the idea of this money-making scheme? They decided to dig up bones on a grave yard and sell them to the “bone Bocker”. Higher money income. Because she asks her self the question if their families would be mad and if the dead person themselves would. 2. When Parvana has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the day, she is very scared. Explain why. What would you have done in her place? She is firstly scared that someone finds out she is no boy and also because of landmines.

She heard many stories about them and that she could blow up any second. I wouldn’t go dig up bones in the first place. CHAPTER ELEVEN (p. 114-122) 1. Why does Parvana cry when she returns from the graveyard? Is she being immature? She cries because all these pictures of skulls on a grave stone and bones come back into her mind. No she isn’t because it is hard enough even being able to ruin other peoples graves. 2. Why does Parvana want to continue digging up bones? Because she makes more money that way, so she and her friend have some left over’s for their money making idea. . What gift drops on Parvana’s head in this chapter? It was a red wooden bead. 4. Why does Parvana feel that arguing with Nooria just doesn’t make sense any more? Because they all have to help each other and stick together to get through this hard situation, and also because she thinks she or Nooria have changed. 5. Parvana can’t stand to eat her nan at lunch and gives it to a beggar instead. What does this action reveal about Parvana? What does she recognize about food in their society? It shows that digging up the bones actually effects her and makes her feel bad.

Also that there isn’t much food in society. 6. The girls decide to go sell their goods at a soccer match. When they get to the stadium, they see something very different from a soccer match going on. What do they witness? That the Taliban cut of hands of thief. As a brutal way of punishment. CHAPTER TWELVE (p. 123-134) 1. Mother’s reaction to the events at the soccer stadium is “What century are we living in? ” (123). What does she mean when she says this? She means that no one profits from this and that almost no one likes or is even ok with the situation.

She means that many years ago this was done and she feels like they life in a society of that time. 2. “No one said anything to Parvana when the bread ran out, but she got up and went to work that day anyway. Some things just had to be done” (124). What does this passage reveal about Parvana, especially in comparison to her behavior at the beginning of the novel? She changed a lot she now is very responsible and knows what she has to do she won’t even complain about it anymore, because it feels just right. 3. Shauzia tells Parvana she has a plan to leave.

Parvana wonders how she can leave her family. What do both girls struggle with at the prospect of fleeing Afghanistan? Why does Shauzia feel like a bad person? That they have to leave their family behind also they have to decide fast because their body is changing and the can’t keep up the cover. Also her family will not survive if she leaves since she is their breadwinner. 4. Parvana’s sense of what is “normal” has changed. Explain this change. She starts to stick with the situation and also to accept it at the beginning she wasn’t open to any changes and still thought about the past.

Because her life of sitting at the marked and trying to be invisible and then pretending to be a boy and taking over the family responsibilities. 5. Explain how Nooria and Mrs. Weera starting the school for girls is a form of resistance against the Taliban. They only have very few girls and sometimes she goes to the students sometimes the students come. They wanted to give the girls education which the Taliban stoped. CHAPTER THIRTEEN (p. 135-143) 1. Why does Nooria decide to marry a man she hardly knows? What will the benefits of the union be? She can finally start her own life and she thinks she chance educated there.

She thinks that the Taliban have less power there. 2. Parvana refuses to go to Mazar for the wedding yet she sulks when her mother decides not to take Parvana with her. Explain why Parvana might feel such mixed emotions. Because its her sisters wedding and the whole family should be there also the trip is dangerous. She wants to stay for her friend and also in case her father comes back. She has to work for the money. 3. As Nooria leaves, Parvana teases her. A change in their relationship is evident. Explain how things used to be and how they are now as the two sisters anticipate being separated.

Why do you believe this change has come about? At the beginning Parvana and Nooria hated each other and every kind of teasing started a fight. Now since the situation got so bad they started working together and actually acting like sisters. CHAPTER FOURTEEN (p. 144-154) 1. What kind and courageous act does Parvana carry out in this chapter? She brings a home she doesn’t even know. This was risky because this women didn’t wear a burqa and not even a chador. She would be in much trouble if the Taliban found them. 2. Describe what the Kabul of the past was like.

In the past Kabul was the hotspot of Asia. There used to be lights through the whole night and the nightlive was amazing. 3. Why does Parvana think of herself as “Malali leading the troops through enemy territory? ” (148). Because she helps that women and this task was very risky. Also because she was pretending to be a boy even though she is a girl. 4. What terrible news does Parvana receive once Homa has rested, eaten and is able to speak? Why would she not have heard about this before? That the Taliban took over Mazar and killed many people, since her family was there she thinks they are dead.

She didn’t hear of that before because there are no news through telivision or radio. 5. How does Parvana respond to this news? Why do you think she deals with the situation this way? First she does the same thing as her mother but then she gets back up and continues fighting. All this for the case if her father comes back. CHAPTER FIFTEEN (p. 155-166) 1. Parvana begins to feel better in this chapter. What is the source of her new sense of purpose and hope? Her father has come home so she actually has a thing to fight for. She hoped since her father came back the rest of the faily may also come home. . Shauzia wants desperately to leave Afghanistan. What is Parvana’s reaction to this desire? What is Mrs. Weera’s response to Parvana’s request that Shauzia go with her to Pakistan? Parvana wants to help her friend but Miss Weera doesn’t want to take her to Pakistan because she thinks its not right. 3. Why does Parvana plant flowers in the spot where she usually sells in the marketplace? As a gift to the women behind the dark window, and as a goodbye. To show the window women she isn’t coming back. 4. The flowers draw the attention of many people. What might the flowers be a symbol of in the novel?

Because it is something butifull and a sign of peace. Which both is really rare in this situation. Because they believed the flower isn’t going to grow and Parvana is foolish to even try. 5. The future is uncertain for Shauzia and Parvana but the make a plan to see each other in twenty years. What is the plan and what does Parvana wonder about as she departs from Kabul? They plan is that they meet each other on the first day of spring on the top of the ifel tower in Paris. Parvana wonders about what her country is going to be like in that time and if both of them survive the time.

Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places in Romulus, My Father. An individual’s capacity to belong is primarily dependent on their personal experience, and varies in difficulty depending on the dynamics of each individual’s personality and temperament. The landscape in which an individual resides has a definitive impact upon an individual’s sense of belonging. Furthermore, the specific place, in relation to where the individual literally resides, too influences ones sense of belonging.

In Raimond Gaita’s biographical memoir Romulus, My Father, the notion of belonging is strongly influenced by place. Both belonging and not belonging are explored through the characters sense of place, Romulus and Christine respectively. Romulus is able to successfully transition from Yugoslavia to Australia as he effectively endeavours to integrate his native culture – through Slivovitz, Yugoslavian friends and his native trade – into his newfound home. In contrast, Christine is unable to find any means of connection to the place or landscape and as a result becomes alienated.

Raimond connects to place in his own unique way, using the landscape of rural Australia as a metaphor for belonging and subsequently finding a ‘place to call home’. Ultimately, Romulus, My Father explores the powerful influence that place holds over an individual’s sense of belonging. Throughout Raimond Gaita’s Romulus, My Father, Romulus Gaita’s sense of belonging is heavily influenced through a connection to place and landscape. Born in Yugoslavia, Romulus emigrated on an assisted passage in 1950 at the age of 28, with his young wife Christine and their four-year-old son Raimond soon after the end of World War II.

While the transition between countries can often hold harsh and ominous repercussions on an individual’s sense of self, Romulus seems to successfully establish himself within the Australian community. Foremost, Romulus does so though an integration of his native culture. Immediately upon arriving at Baringhup in order to work, Romulus specifically seeks out his fellow Romanians and ultimately finds them in Hora and Mitru. Furthermore, his frequent drinking of Slivovitz, a Romanian brandy, coupled with his commitment to the trade he perfected in Romania highlights his commitment to his native country.

This patriotism is ultimately accepted by the individuals Romulus associates with, and as a result strengthens his sense of belonging. The landscape of the Australian outback also has an impact on Romulus’ sense of belonging. Raimond often reflects on how Romulus feels isolated from the world, as a result of being away from the winterly forests of Europe. The effect is a slight diminution of Romulus’ sense of belonging as he at times longs to return to Yugoslavia.

The peppercorn tree, situated in Frogmore, symbolises Romulus’ tether between his desire to return to Yugoslavia and his current location of Australia as it represents his native country, albeit located in his newfound home. Christine, Romulus’ wife, in contrast to Romulus himself, has her sense of belonging wrought through a disconnection towards place and landscape. It is evident at the beginning of the memoir that Christine feels a lack of belonging through living in Germany and as a result is the driving force behind the Gaita’s move to Australia.

This act shows Christine’s inability to stay and commit to one place. Even upon arriving in Australia, Christine displays an inability to connect with the place she resides, and furthermore the landscape she is presented with. Despite only leaving Europe recently, Christine too seems to feel isolated by the Australian outback. The rural Australian landscape of Frogmore ultimately becomes too much for Christine, who subtly still longs for the winterly forests of Europe.

Whether it is a result of her unaccepted values in the eyes of the local community, her largely misunderstood mental illness or a strong disconnection to place and landscape, Christine is constantly on the move, which further highlighting her temporary nature. Time after time, Christine feels alienated by the landscape she surrounds herself with and ultimately feels the need to escape the alienation for good, resulting in her suicide. The dead red gum tree becomes a metaphor for her desolation, oppression and inability to become accustomed to the land.

The tree, like Christine, is of complete contrast to its landscape; drawing parallels to Christine’s alienation. “The scraggy gum delineated against a dark blue backdrop of a sky. ” Raimond is able to fashion his own sense of belonging through place in a way this is distinctively different from Romulus and Christine. The distinctive difference between Raimond and his parents is that Raimond is able to grow up in Australia. This ultimately has a major impact upon the way place shapes his sense of belonging. Raimond embraces his Australian environment, most notably through his school.

Raimond, once again unlike his parents, is able to fully embrace the Australian culture without any significant ties to the European culture. It is in this way that Raimond is able to fully feel at home within the landscape of the rural Australian outback. Raimond relishes the rural landscape, which is further explored during his epiphany. Ultimately, an individual’s capacity to belong is primarily dependent on their personal experience. However, the difficulties in belonging are derived from the dynamics of an individual’s personality as their subjective perceptions of themselves and their surrounds influence their capacity to belong.

Raimond Gaita’s memoir, Romulus, My Father depicts the varying difficulties in belonging through the parallel portrayal of Christine and Raimond; asserting that Christine’ temporary nature prevented her from achieving a sense of belonging. Raimond’s sense of belonging is shaped through coming to terms with his bucolic setting, in contrast to the innate connection to the land of his father. Thus, belonging is seen as a subjective notion whereby the hazards and difficulties of achieving belonging are varied dependent on the dynamics of the individual’s personality and temperament.

People’s perceptions of belonging vary according to the way they see themselves and their world. Individuals feelings of alienation and belonging is perceived by the way they see themselves and their world. As individuals become accepted within their new world, their surrounding forge acceptance, thus alienation becomes less apparent. Individuals foundation of belonging from alienation through the way they see themselves within their world is conveyed within “The Blind Side”, and “Felicks Skrzynecki” by Peter Skrzynecki.

Within these two texts individuals similarly generate a sense of belonging in despite of cultural differences thus overcoming their struggles to gain a perception of acceptance within their world. Whereas “10 Mary Street” by Peter Skrzynecki portrays his perception of himself as belonging to his world and within his home. Individuals perceptions of one’s self worth within their world effects their sense of belonging. The Blind Side” is a powerful projection of cultural injustice and the misperceptions of cultural identity that shape an individuals sense of belonging, Michael does not belong within his community. The long shot of Michael sitting in the stands alone projects Michaels isolation from the remainder of his population. This broad shot generates an image which makes Michael seem miniscule within his world and thus his perception of his self worth is conveyed with negative impressions, Michael has no sense of belonging as he sits abounded, alone in a shot which over shadows him. I look and I see white everywhere. White walls, white floors and a lot of white people. ” As Michael is being brought into Leanne’s family through this dialogue it is conveyed that it is a difficult transition, Michael see’s his race as a barrier between the acceptance of his new world, which highlights the void between the rich white population and the less fortunate culture which Michael was born into- Michael doesn’t perceive himself to belong.

Through plot development alienation becomes less apparent and Michael is adopted within new culture that he becomes apart of, Michael belongs to his new world. Leigh Anne asked Michael “You’re gonna take care of me right? ”, and Michael responds “I got your back” this conversation highlights the strong bond that has formed between these two individuals, and thus in juxtaposition to the first shot Michael is no longer alone. Leigh Anne is reliant on Michael who has changed her life in a positive way thus Michael’s self worth has increased.

As Michael is accepted within Leigh Annes family a strong bond is formed within his world. Through his increased self worth Michael feels a sense of belonging brought in spite of his alienation. Through the alienation of cultural barriers individuals sought for other means of belonging. “Feliks Skrzynecki” explores the hardships of cultural barriers and how these can create alienation in the failure to belong within his world, similar to Michaels alienation within his world. “Did your father ever attempt to learn English? , this cruel accusation depicts Australia’s unforgiving nature for foreigners failure to adapt to a certain culture. The incapability of Peter’s “gentle father” to change himself to belong to his new world leads to a sense of alienation and an exploration for other means of belonging. Peter writes his father “Loved his garden like an only child”, and “He swept its path ten times around the world”, projecting a strong connection that his father has a place that he belongs and is accepted.

The symbol that the garden is his child conveys the strong connection that the man and garden have with each other; a child is dependent on its parent to survive and thus this becomes a metaphor for Feliks and the garden- the garden needs Feliks to stay healthy and thus a strong sense of belonging to each other. Feliks continuous sweeping of the path creates a sense of routine which demonstrates a sense of belonging as well as routine the use of a hyperbole emphasizes the amount of time spent in his garden reinforcing the strong sense of belonging experienced by his father.

From alienation further means of belonging are sought for as seen through the importance placed on his fathers cultural connective friends to reminisce upon the past, Felicks belongs to the past and places significant importance upon his homeland; where they all feel a greater sense of belonging, “Talking, they reminisced about farms where paddocks flowered with corn and wheat, horses they bred”. Another connection which generates his fathers sense of belonging is the changing from a farm to a garden where he has always tended to nature and thus this is a place familiarity; a place he feels he belongs.

Thus Peter’s “gentle father” is alienated within the Australian culture but has sought for other means of belonging within himself and his cultural identity, forging happiness and acceptance. Therefore Felicks perception of his own happiness and surrounding have generated a sense of belonging for himself within his garden. Belonging is achieved through an individuals security and belonging to a place as seen within Peter Skryznecki, “10 Mary Street”. The employment of a personal voice emphasises a sense of authenticity which allows for the theme of belonging to magnified.

Skrzynecki’s use of first person allows the reader to forge a relationship with the persona thus the composers themes are conveyed with an extension of a sentimental bond. Peter’s individual perception that he belongs to his home as well as his parents despite being a migrant disallows for alienation and displays a perception of personal security within his home. “For nineteen years we departed each morning” like in “Feliks Skryznecki” a sense of routine provides an impression of a sense of belonging thus bonding the migrants to their new world.

Peter presents himself to belong within his world through the perception that he is apart of his home and has been for nineteen years. “We lived together… With photographs and letters”, “We became citizens of the soil that was feeding us” Peter uses this metaphor and evaluative comment to acknowledged his heritage but also the link to his new home both providing him with a sense of belonging. Through the individuals perception of security to his home for years a sense of belonging is achieved within his world through his family and home.