Alienation is a key theme in Peter Skryznecki’s Migrant Hostel and Tim Winton’s Neighbours. The authors use techniques to engage the reader and to teach the responder about alienation and how it affects people.

Skryznecki uses symbolism to convey that migrants were alienated from Australian society. Skryznecki says "barrier at the main gate" to emphasize how the migrants were excluded from the outside world. The "barrier" is both literal and symbolic. It is symbolic of the barrier to belonging in Australia, and the alienation of migrants.

Skryznecki uses similes to reiterate his point that migrants were alienated. He say "like a homing pigeon" to compare migrants to birds. He does this to show that the migrants don't belong the are constantly moving to survive like birds do. He further develops this idea through a second simile "like birds of passage". He is explaining that nothing was certain, and there was no security or place of belonging. The migrants feel alienated and want to belong but the Migrant hostel won't let them, they are being forced into alienation. Skryznecki uses similes to convey his thematic concern of alienation.

Perceptions and ideas of belonging, and of not belonging, vary. There is no definite truth to where someone belongs. A person can belong somewhere different to where they are assumed to belong. and can not be forced on someone. People belong to different groups than others. Perceptions of belonging are shaped by personal, cultural and social context. Peter Skrzynecki and Tim Winton explores this idea, in his poem Feliks Skrzynecki, and his short story Neighbours. Both composers have there own perception of belonging and personal context, and this is reflected in there texts through a variety of techniques and language.
I didn’t know how to word this. Peter Skrzynecki uses a possessive pronoun in his poem Feliks Skrzynecki to show ownership and how he belongs to his father. The strong filial relationship is evident in the first line, when Peter writes "My gentle father". This immediately shows that Peter thinks his Father is a descent man, and sets up a positive tone for the entire stanza. Peter through his eyes believes he belongs with his father, because he is "my" father. This is Peter's perception of belonging and Peter uses a possessive pronoun to explain his view.