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ssherman's picture

the idea of home

I think Martin and Mohanty's article and thoughts about home, really connect to Persepolis for me.  They bring up the idea that home is supposed to be "where one live within familiar, safe, protected boundaries."  This reminded me of when Marjane went back "home" to Iran after being in Europe.  She had felt comfortable at home in Iran before she had left, though she felt somewhat constrained as to what she could do.  Then in Europe she had to make a new home for herself, in this place where she could do what she wanted, but at the same time, she was so alone and basically didn't belong.  Then when she gets back to Iran, everything is so different, and she feels weird, like she doesn't belong.  So does she have a home at that point?  She doesn't seem to have a home at all.  And she goes on to create a place and life for herself in Iran, but it still doesn't seem to be home.

I have always viewed "home" as exactly what Martin and Mohanty describe it as, "the place where one lives within familiar, safe, protected boundaries."  I also believe that you can have more than one home.  Personally, I call my camp, Bryn Mawr, and the places where I live with my parents to be home.  I was just thinking that when my mom moved to a new house, I still started calling it my home right away, but the house that I lived in up until that point will always be my home because of what it means to me.  Sometimes home can be tied more to the people who are constant in some places than just the places themselves.

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