THE PLACE I CALL HOME
1. Identify the main idea of the essay. (D)
The main idea of the essay is about the home that the main character has
found in a community where she had moved in and realized she belonged in that
place where she bought herself a yellow house. It is known that the yellow house
would mean there is happiness and positivity in her condition despite being new
there who knows no one and thinking they might not stay there again for long.
2. Identify the writer’s purpose of the selection. (I)
Reading the essay and after realizing the theme of the author, I must say that
the author wanted to share how is it like to be a child of a military man who lived their
lives transferring from one place to another because of their father’s new assignments.
In that case that the children can do nothing but to live their life according to the
situation. In the same manner that the author would also like to share how their life is
like in this kind of situation – so as to understand how hard it may be and how difficult
it must be to move from one place to another, to the extent of without keeping a deeper
relationship with supposed to be neighbors.
3. Choose an alternative title and explain why it is also appropriate for this
selection. (C)
If I would have an alternative title, I think it could be appropriate to have it titled
“Home Away From Home.” Considering that the character in the essay dreams to
have lived permanently in a place where she could live her life to the fullest, her “dream
home” had come as realized in the community where she is in, like she had considered
that nevertheless she isn’t from the same place, but she loves staying there and feels
like she is home – that in her heart, she is enlightened by the manner the
neighbourhood had embraced and welcomed her presence.
INFORMATIVE ESSAY
Memories linger like that of her childhood when she and her family had to move from
time to time since her father is a military. For so long, she had lived from one military base to
another, and that deprived her of starting and developing a more intimate friendship with the
neighbourhood since sooner or later the family will soon leave again. By that, she thought of
not having more intimate and personal relationships with others so she will not end up hurting
the most upon their leaving the place they are in.
However, as they moved to another place as it is inevitable because of the nature of
work of her father, she has to adapt herself with the new environment she and her family are
in. Unlike civilians, wherever we went, we knew we’d be leaving. Transferred…again…
(Cheryl Dukes: The Place I Call Home).
While she has kept in her heart a home she dreamt to live her life forever, she did
nothing but to live with her family. All the while, she had kept her heart her home, and
eventually as they transferred in to another place, she thought it will ever be the same again;
“Stepping into the humongous kitchen, I knew it was my house. I had a few misgivings moving
here. It’s in the whitest county in the state and New Englanders are not exactly known for their
warmth. My plan? Maintain a low profile,” (Cheryl Dukes: The Place I Call Home). But albeit
she was wrong with her notion.
Thereafter, she and her family moved in, and she realizes that she finally had a home.
Neighbors came and welcomed her, and little did she knew she was already befriending
everyone else that came her way. “They told me if I needed anything to just ask. I was
surprised by their easy acceptance of me and I had to adjust my preconceived notions.”
(Cheryl Dukes: The Place I Call Home). Through these lines, in turned out that she had been
interacting with the people in the neighbourhood, and finally in her lifetime, she had a place
she called her home – not only in her heart then, but with the people around her and with the
place she felt was welcomed, there truly was a home for her for the rest of her life.
