home

I know I already did an original post this week but I'm ready to move on and I found A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison very interesting and, much to my relief, very easy to read. One of the prominent themes in the first seven chapters of the book is the idea of home. The book begins with a description of Mary's family and birth. In the first chapter Mary frequently speaks of the grief she was soon to feel when she would be separated from her family. Mary's first idea of home is with her family before she was taken prisoner and her family killed. It was interesting how the Indians tried to make their prisoners into Indians by changing their physical appearance. Although at the time of her adoption into a new Indian family Mary's heart was still attached to her previous family, she soon finds her place in the Indian village and, consequently, her new home. "With them was my home; my family was there, and there I had many friends to whom I was warmly attached in consideration of the favors, affection and freindship with which they had uniformly treated me, from the time of my adoption" (83). Mary is later allowed to return to the white civilization, but she refuses this offer and even risks her life to stay in the place she calls home. Mary knew that if she were to return, she could have a much easier life in terms of work and hardship. Despite this, she chose to live among her family and friends. I believe the idea of home can vary from person to person and also on the time in one's life. At this point in her life, Mary chooses to stay with her family in the village with her family. Later, when the oncoming winter threatens the recently pillaged village, Mary decides to take her children and escape to save themselves. Mary is able to leave others behind for the protection of her own family. Now that she has become a mother with many children to take care of, her home has become with them.