The subtle irony of the poet searching for happiness akin to that of his father's, despite the contrast between the hardships the father has experienced and the fortuitous life the poet has lead, emphasizes the poet's shift in perspective. With the transformation of growing admiration for his father, the persona also recognizes his own unhappiness and lack of direction in life, forcing him to readdress his own ambitions and define his priorities. .
The poet's changing perspective of his son is also presented in "Felix Skrzynecki". 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". The poet uses the Hadrian Wall metaphor to further assert the generation gap between father and son, emphasizing the son's growing distance from his roots. The significance of the poet's "tents" demonstrates the multiple differences now evident between father and son - those of culture, social lives, relationships and mentality. .
"Felix Skrzynecki" is a poem filled with admiration, regret, detachment and compassion. It presents both the positive and negative aspects of changing perspectives, demonstrating that both require individuals to re-evaluate and re-define priorities in their lives. Through the portrayal of the effects of migration on the perspectives of the individual and their family, "Felix Skrzynecki" highlights the inconveniences one must endure in order to cope with changes in perspective.
Similarly, Sarah Turnbull's poignant novel "Almost French" also relates to the responder the difficulties individual's face as they find their perspectives change. An Australian-born Turnbull, thrown into the seductive yet paradox-filled milieu of modern-day Paris, is soon transformed to fit Parisian expectations.
