Ironically, being alienated as a migrant can be the catalyst for an individual to overcome the sense of exile by a sense of belonging to the land and to the people. This idea is demonstrated in selected poems of Peter Skrzynecki’s “Immigrant Chronicles” and Shaun Tan’s “Arrival”.

Peter Skrzynecki and is family were forced into exile from their home country Poland to immigrate to Australia which was now their new home. Peter and his father Feliks adapted to the change in contrasting ways, which is exhibited throughout the poems of “Immigrant Chronicles”.

Being alienated means to be feeling like everyone around you is not like you, that you are completely different to them which creates the sense of not belonging, although, it is seen that being alienated is the catalyst to overcome the sense of exile to gain a sense of belonging. This representation is displayed in altered ways within the selected poems of “Immigrant Chronicles”.

Within the poem “Feliks Skrzynecki”, the representation of being alienated as a migrant can be the catalyst for an individual to overcome the sense of exile by a sense of belonging is displayed in two different ways. In the poem, the similar sense of exile is experienced by both Peter and Feliks as they are both immigrants to Australia, but the sense of belonging that overcomes the sense of exile within the two men is quite contrasting.

Feliks is directly alienated in his new country where the department clerk says, “Did your father ever attempt to learn English?” which represents the language barrier that alienates Feliks from his new country. The sense of belonging that overcomes the sense of exile for Feliks is found within his garden, “Loved his garden like an only child, spent years walking its perimeter”. The hyperbole creates a sense of belonging in this setting, as he chooses to stay within its boundaries. Feliks chooses to stay within its boundaries as he feels that the sense of belonging he feel within its perimeter overcomes the sense of exile