At first, the poet is unable to understand the hardships his father has endured or his attachments to his Polish culture. ... The father witnesses his son gradually distancing from both him and his culture as he grows older. Whilst his father refuses to assimilate with Australian culture, his son conforms to Australian society and its culture, forgetting "(his) first Polish word". ... An Australian-born Turnbull, thrown into the seductive yet paradox-filled milieu of modern-day Paris, is soon transformed to fit Parisian expectations. Turnbull's initial determination not to assimilate int...

• Word Count: 1749
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The values of Mackay presents in Turning Point are those of the majority of Australians. ... One of the dominant themes of Turning Point is that Australians are now in the midst of a culture shift so radical that it amounts to the discovery of a new way of thinking about Australia. Through his thorough research, Mackay has uncovered the hopes, fears and beliefs of the rapidly changing Australian society. Turning Point discusses the changes Australian society has experienced in the last 30 or so years. Mackay deals with these changes and the response of average Australians through his researc...

• Word Count: 1591
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

A person's perspective is based upon their background, previous experiences and culture. ... In this poem the narrator speaks about his perspective of his father, and his lack of understanding of him and his polish culture. ... The narrators discontent with his old culture is shown by the phrase" I inherited unknowingly the curse that damned," showing that to him the Polish that he has picked up off his father is nothing but a curse to him. As his father tries to tech him this language the narrator states that he is drifting away from his father and his birth culture. ... The stereotypica...

• Word Count: 1417
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate