Dorothy Gale

On the Nature of Home & Belonging

Dorothy is carried from an ordinary life into a world of extraordinary things. Before her are wonders, magnificent cities, unusual companions, and possibilities that could scarcely exist in Kansas. Yet through it all, her greatest desire remains to return home.

It is curious that a person surrounded by wonders should long for a place where so little seems to happen.

Perhaps what makes a place valuable is not what it offers us, but what we have come to associate with it. Yet if this is true, can a place ever be called home without the people, memories, and feelings that give it meaning?

And what of those who leave home willingly, searching for something greater? Is their departure evidence that they do not belong, or must one sometimes leave a place to discover what it means to them?

A Thought for the Reader

Consider whether home is a place we belong to, a place we choose, or something we carry within ourselves.

If everything you loved about a place were taken away, would it remain your home?

You are invited to keep your thoughts in your personal notes. There is no need to submit an answer. We may return to these questions and explore our interpretations together during our first Chandeliers Society meeting.