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Homeplace
Course Connections | Outside Connections
Ownership
One of the early dilemmas presented to the reader in The
Dollmaker is Gertie’s
struggle to raise enough money to buy the “Tipton Place,” a farm that is
to become the new homeplace of the Nevels family. The family originally lives
on a farm that is part of a sharecropping system, meaning that a portion
of their crops have to go to the owner of the area in exchange for use of
the land. Although this system wa
s sometimes beneficial to both owner and
farmer, it was often abused, as seen in the case of the Nevels family, where
half of their crops are lost to the owner. This is revealed early on, when
Gertie says, speaking to Amos, “Oh, honey…no worken away an given half to
the other man fer you like’s been fer Reuben. Soon as your poor daddy gits
in th Army, we’ll git us a place a our own” (Arnow 41). For Gertie, ownership
of land translates to freedom from the sharecropping system, and independence
for her and her family. Therefore, from Gertie’s point of view, ownership
of the homeplace is crucial. When the family moves to Detroit, even though
the home they live in is “theirs,” they can be evicted by Mr. Daly at any
moment, and are still at the mercy of the steel company. This is one of the
reasons the move to Detroit is so crushing for Gertie; she is essentially
moving from one type of sharecropping system to another, never owning her
homeplace in either case.
Sanctuary
Once the family is forcibly moved from Kentucky to Detroit, the Tipton Place takes on the role of a far-off sanctuary from the hardships of city life. For example, when Reuben can no longer stand Detroit due to troubles in school and elsewhere, he flees back home, leaving a note for Clovis: “ ‘Back home I can make some money. I can trap and work for Granpa. I can’t stay here no more.’” (Arnow 362). The toil of living in the city is severe enough that the life the family had before takes on an idyllic light in the eyes of some of the family members. Another example of this is seen when Gertie becomes ill after Cassie’s death. Bed-ridden, her thoughts drift to the Tipton Place: “She realized the light was burning. She switched it off, and lay and watched the window, put all herself into the rain sheet, held herself there, and soon she could hear creek water, the creek below the Tipton Place. She sat straight up in a fury of disappointment---always and always they were taking it away” (Arnow 421). At one of the toughest times in Detroit for Gertie, she looks toward the homeplace for comfort, believing that everything would be alright if only she had bought the Tipton land. Clovis even looks toward the homeplace late in the novel, saying “ ‘Why, if I’d ha knowed you’d ha had all that money, I’d said buy a place and wait fer me.’” (Arnow 426). Clovis is originally the biggest proponent of moving to Detroit, and even he thinks about what might have been if the Tipton Place had been purchased. The homeplace becomes a magical sanctuary for the family; a possibility of escape from what their life had become.
Status Symbol
Stepping outside the Nevels family, an interesting case to examine is that
of the Anderson family. Later in the novel, when they look for a new house,
Homer Anderson chooses one on the basis that it was chosen by the wife of
one of the Flint company’s vice presidents, Mr. McKeckeran. For Homer, the
choice of the house is about strategic placement for his professional career.
Any idea of a “homeplace” is lost. He is more interested in pleasing Mr.
McKeckeran and getting a “good car” (Arnow 472) in order to further his career
path. However, his wife feels very differently about the situation
. Mrs.
Anderson is upset about the move because it means she will have to give up
her passion of painting. She must now instead concern herself with being
“the perfect courtier’s wife” (Arnow 473), knowing that the neighbors in
the new neighborhood will be keeping a watchful eye on the new addition to
their community. In this way, Mrs. Anderson knows she will not have a homeplace
in this new location. Rather than moving somewhere that brings comfort, she
is dragged along with her husband, forced to be part of his attempts to raise
his social status.
Knowing the Land
Moving back to Gertie, another important aspect of a homeplace is “knowing” the area, meaning having an intimate knowledge of the area’s geography, important locations, etc. When the Nevels family is in Kentucky, Gertie intimately “knows” the land, whether she is farming, or merely traveling around the surrounding areas: “Twice she stooped and scratched at the earth with her fingers. Each time she smiled, for the soil was black and loose still, almost as good as fresh new ground” (Arnow 52). Her knowledge of the land allows her to solve problems easier as well, such as when she sees a tree losing the dirt from its roots: “She threw in some fallen dead apple limbs and a few sand rocks, whispering as she walked away, ‘That’ll hold back a little dirt, an keep this hillside frum bleeden to death.’” (Arnow 52). This can be contrasted with the situation Gertie finds herself in when thrust into Detroit by forces out of her control. Gertie has difficulty adjusting to her environment, and her problem-solving skills are weakened by her lack of knowledge of her surroundings. One of the most telling passages comes up when Gertie is talking to a neighbor late in the novel: “Gertie shook her head, and tried to smile. ‘Law, I ain’t got no time tu go to a show. I wouldn’t know how to act in one of them big downtown places.’ Mrs. Miller only nodded, ‘I don’t neither…Honest to God, I ain’t never been downtown.’” (Arnow 560). At this point it strikes the reader that Gertie has never really left the immediate area of her house throughout the book. Thus, the important homeplace component of feeling comfortable in the surroundings of the area is lost. Without even experiencing anything outside the immediate area, the chance to “know” the land is lost as well.
Rural vs. Urban/Role Reversal
A final reason why Detroit is not a satisfactory homeplace compared to Kentucky is the drastic change in lifestyle that comes with shifting from a rural to an urban environment. Focusing once again on Gertie, in Kentucky, she is used to providing for her family through subsistence living, and taking an active role in the home. For example, Gertie says “ ‘I recken I’ll have to be th man in this settlement.’” (Arnow 102). Although this is said half-jokingly, it is true. With most of the men gone to fight in the war or work in factories up north, Gertie takes on the role of provider. She farms, buys things from the general store, and handles the family finances. She knows the intricacies of the rural lifestyle well enough that she welcomes these challenges. When she moves to the urban environment of Detroit, this role is replaced with the more typical housewife role. In the unfamiliar atmosphere of the city, Gertie loses her ability to help provide for her family, mainly because she does not know how. Only when she begins to understand the nature of this new environment (for example, when she begins to sell her dolls) does she play an active role similar to that of her past life in Kentucky. Until then, she completely loses her grip on the responsibilities she had in the past, and Detroit is less of a homeplace to her because of it.
Is Detroit a Homeplace for the Nevels family?
This is the ultimate question the reader is faced
with at the end of The Dollmaker. Although the evidence above seems to
say the opposite, the possibility of
Detroit becoming a homeplace is definitely there. Most of the factors above
that constitute a homeplace are developed over time. With the flourishing
of Gertie’s doll business, and her important final revelation, Arnow seems
to say that Gertie is beginning to understand Detroit in the way she understands
Kentucky. The conclusion of the novel may not give a satisfactory answer
to this question, but it does create hope that Detroit could become “home”
for the Nevels family over time.
River of Earth: Physical Attachment
In River of Earth, homeplace is most prevalent in Alpha’s life. In fact,
her story parallels Gertie’s in some ways. Both are pulled away from their
homes by the occupational pursuits of their husbands. Just as Gertie is forced
to move to Detroit because of Clovis’ job in the steel factory, Alpha’s family
moves when her husband, Brack, finds work at the coal mine. One of the most
upsetting things for Alpha is that she will have to leave the place where
her baby is buried: “ ‘I w
as reckoning we’d stay here another crap,’ Mother
said. ‘The mines is everly opening and closing…The baby is buried here.’”
(Still 175). She also mentions an egg tree she will miss as well. Alpha develops
a physical attachment to the land the homeplace is on. This is similar to
the concept of “knowing the land;” without staying in one place for long
enough, Alpha cannot develop this aspect of the homeplace. To her, the physical
features of the homeplace were important, and a move would take away what
she called “ ‘…the nighest heaven I’ve been on this earth.’” (Still 176).
Storming Heaven: Mobile Homeplace
The effects of the loss of the homeplace are abound in Storming Heaven. The four characters who tell their stories in the book all lose their home in some regard, and are struggling to regain it. For example, Rondal lacks a home place throughout the novel. His quest to carry out the will of the union forces him to leave any place that he sets down roots in after some time. He has to leave after witnessing Johnson's death at the hands of the Baldwin-Felts guards, travels to Colorado, returns, and leaves again when it is apparent that the pressure from the company guards is too great. His "homeplace" is with the union, and this choice forces him to give up a physical homeplace, until the conclusion of the novel.
For Carrie, her homeplace (which is literally called "the Homeplace" in the novel) is a place of retreat when times get tough (the sanctuary concept). Early on in the novel she looks on it with nostalgia, like an "old photograph, brown and sweet looking" (Giardina 30). Later in the novel, Carrie goes through a very difficult emotional period. She is simultaneously struggling with her love for Rondal and her anger at her brother Miles for seemingly siding with the enemy, the coal company. She goes back to the homeplace to become "preoccupied with the simple matters of living and dying" (Giardina 128). She stays there for a while, but leaves once again when Albion comes to visit her, realizing that for her home is with Albion, and helping the miners in their battle. The idea of homeplace contains more than just a physical place. A home place can really be anything that gives you security and a sense of purpose. For Rondal, the homeplace of the UMWA gave him a sense of purpose and community in life. For Carrie, Albion became her "homeplace," because fighting along side him gave her security and direction. In fact, once she realizes that the homeplace is not necessarily a physical place, she progresses with her life. This is displayed in this passage when Carrie leaves with Albion:
"I wanted you to go with me. As my wife."
" What about the Homeplace? Aint that my land? Ben and Florrie need me."
" Talk to God about it. Stay in the barn ifn you need to."
...
I gathered my skirt about me, rose up and walked to the cabin. Albion sat
on the porch.
"
[Rondal] makes me feel alive," I said. "But I'm at home with you.
I want to go with you." (Giardina 148-149)
Carrie cuts her ties with Rondal and the homeplace for now, because she knows that going with Albion is necessary for her to feel at home given the circumstances.
Cold Mountain: Sanctuary Revisited/Knowing the Land
Focusing on Inman, the homeplace takes on the “idyllic sanctuary” role it did for the Nevels family. After the horrific experience of fighting in the Civil War, Inman concentrates his efforts on trying to get back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountatins. He is a man without a place in society now that he is a war deserter, but he thinks that returning home will allow him to solve this problem. When Inman finally returns to his homeland, the extent to which he “knows the land” is shown:
He had achieved a vista of what for him was homeland. As he studied on it, he recognized the line of every far ridge and valley to be more than remembered. They seemed long ago scribed indelible on his corneas with a sharp instrument…Not a mountain or watercourse lacked denomination. Not bird or bush anonymous. His place (Frazier 355).
With familiar surroundings, Inman’s comfort and spirits return. Although the ultimate irony is that Inman’s return to the homeplace ultimately kills him, Cold Mountain is the sanctuary Inman has looked for throughout his journey. By returning to a place he knows, Inman can escape the troubles that the war has created.
On the other hand, Ada goes through a different process regarding the homeplace. In the beginning of the novel, the reader finds her trapped in a boxwood plant hiding from a rooster, not able to think of any reason to leave the plant except that “she did not particularly wish to die within the boxwood” (Frazier 32). Left alone on her farm after her father died, she realizes she does not know enough about the land to survive. Luckily, help comes in the form of Ruby, who teaches her the intricacies of subsistence living. By the end of the novel, not only can Ada survive in the mountains, but the house in Blue Ridge has become her homeplace. By “knowing the land,” she solidifies her role in the home.
Trilobites/Salvation of Me: Escape
In Breece D’J Pancake’s stories Trilobites and Salvation of Me, homeplace
plays a somewhat different role than in the books examined thus far. In both,
the protagonist is trying to escape from a homeplace that seems constricting,
or without merit. For example, in Trilobites, Colly’s story begins much like
Ada’s in Cold Mountain. After his father dies from a war injury, Colly can
no longer run the family farm. This, combined with the departure of his girlfriend,
Ginny, and his mother’s insistence on selling the house saps the homeplace
of value to Colly. In fact, when he meets with Ginny at the end of the story,
he pleads with her to “ ‘Let me go with you’” (Pancake 35). Colly’s loss
of most of the things that make his homeplace important to him cause him
to want to escape. The narrator of Salvation of Me also wants to escape his
home, but for a different reason. He wants to work for a radio station, and
as a result focuses his efforts on getting out of Rock Camp, West Virginia
and heading to Chicago. His homeplace has not changed drastically, like Colly’s,
but rather has become suddenly constricting in relation to his plans. Although
he perhaps gains a new acceptance of his home by the end of the story, much
of it is spent trying to get out. Both of these stories contrast with many
of the characters in the other novels, who want to stay in one homeplace
rather than concentrate efforts on escaping.
Knowing the Land II
The idea of knowing the land mentioned in the course connections is a well-documented Appalachian phenomenon. For example, Jack Weller touches upon the importance of the land itself for an Appalachian: “The mountains of Appalachia provided the ideal setting for [the Appalachian] kind of life, and into them these passionate lovers of freedom moved” (Weller 11). This implies that the nature of the land itself is as important as other more common aspects of home, such as the people it is shared with, etc. Another example of this is seen in this essay written by a graduate student at Radford University:
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the culture of the Appalachian people realizes the importance of place in the lives of these unique and honorable people. This powerful connection encompasses not only an attachment to the oneiric house… but also an eternal belonging to the mountains of Appalachia. In other words, when an Appalachian travels the mental journey “home,” he not only returns to his birth “house,” but also to the broader surroundings of his home environment (Meller).
Therefore, homeplace is not merely about the home itself; the surrounding area is also important. This is a phenomenon that can be extrapolated to other walks of life besides that of the Applachian. Knowing one’s surroundings is an important component of a homeplace whether it is knowing the rivers of your holler, or knowing which subway stop goes to the museum. In both cases, a knowledge of place can make a place seem more like “home.”
Arnow’s Homeplace
Harriette Arnow hails from Burnside, Kentucky. The town’s claim to fame is that it is the only town on Lake Cumberland. It is a town of only 695 people, with such attractions as General Burnside Island State Park (the only 18 hole golf course in the world completely surrounded by fresh water), and the Annual Catfish Festival (Burnside). You can follow this link for more info on the Catfish festival. One gets the feeling from browsing the town website that it is a very close-knit community, one that would allow Arnow to develop a strong sense of place. The small size of the town would cause one to become very connected to the physical home place.
Home is Where the Heart Is
Another universal homeplace concept is that it is not necessarily a “physical”
place. Although some of the characters in the texts (i.e. Alpha) cannot seem
to get past their physical connection to the land, many people can adapt
to a new environment after time. The example given earlier was of Cassie,
who finds her homeplace with Albion rather than at the Aunt Jane Place. Even
Gertie, who shows intense attachment to the Tipton Place, shows signs of
beginning to adapt to Detroit. On a larger scale, people find other ways
to recognize someplace as home besides actual physical landmarks. Other things,
such as the people the person is with (like family) can take the place of
physical attachment. A job can also become a home, like in the case of Rondal
and the UMWA. If one can learn to understand homeplace in this manner, moving
from one physical place to ano
ther can be less difficult.
Conclusions
When looking at all of the course texts as a whole, it is evident that a
solid idea of homeplace is crucial for someone to feel like they really “belong”
somewhere. Depending on the person, this idea can consist of the physical
place itself, the people at the place, or just any place where the person
feels safe. The constant is that in all cases, the development of a homeplace
takes time. When the homeplace is fully developed, any person, Appalachian
or not, feels complete.
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-Chris Infanti
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