Belonging, both to people and place, is central to our needs and it is this need to feel connected that is timeless and is what ultimately creates a sense of security and individuality. It is through this that individuals gain acceptance within a community or culture and become empowered both personally and collaboratively. However, these positive notions of belonging inevitably carry consequences of non-belonging. In Peter Skrzynecki's poems “Feliks Skrzynecki” and “St Patrick's College”, Khaled Hosseini's novel “The Kite Runner” and Peter Weir's film “Dead Poets Society” the use of literary and cinematic techniques is used to address these notions of belonging and the resulting positive or negative consequences. In “Feliks Skrzynecki,” Skrzynecki examines how obstacles to migrants' assimilation can affect one's personal and cultural identity and even their fundamental sense of belonging. Skrzynecki's initial tone of admiration for his stoic and dignified father, Feliks, in the word “kind” transforms into one of melancholy as he reflects on Feliks' steadfast principles that govern his strong sense of self. This strength of character in adhering to his own standards is clearly shown through the modified language "he only kept up with the Joneses of his mind" and is essential to Feliks' ability to foster a sense of community and cultural belonging while overcoming prejudices against migrants when the rhetorical question “Did your father also try to learn English?” is asked. Feliks maintains these strong individual characteristics through the garden he has cultivated diligently “like an only child,” which symbolizes stability and continuity from “dawn to sleep.” This symbolic image of the garden... middle of paper... snow white and flooded after the death of his colleague Neil to highlight that, although belonging is transitory in nature, for which it is a continuous search, it is fundamental to nature human and discovering one's true identity. Ultimately, Skrzynecki's “St Patricks College” and “Dead Poet's Society” demonstrate that belonging is an innate and cyclical process that involves balancing conformity while recognizing the need to establish one's identity through one's individuality. In the lyrics, Peter Skrzynecki's poems “Feliks Skrzynecki” and “ St Patrick's College”, Khaled Hosseini's “Kite Runner” and Peter Weir's “Dead Poets Society”, it is clear that the ability to maintain individuality and achieve Acceptance within a group, community or culture is an integral part of the sense of belonging and without it can result in segregation and corresponding negative consequences.