Different Homes Are Not Truly So Different Gerasimos Konidaris 12th Grade

Throughout A Small Place, written by Jamaica Kincaid and Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse, the concept of the home plays a central role to them both. This concept is explored by each text quite extensively, and it is very significant in them. The home is depicted as two separate things in its respective texts. In A Small Place, it is Antigua, the home of the book’s author. The home is not specifically for people only though, there are places that represent homes for abstract ideas as well. In Siddhartha however, the home is reflective of the protagonist, and it changes as he does. The home is used as a transitional point for the protagonist to evolve from. The concept of the home is also used to reveal major themes in each book.

In A Small Place, Antigua, the home of all Antiguans, is depicted as a ruin in order to reveal the everlasting detrimental effects on individuals due to the selfishness of others. It is also important to note that despite Kincaid residing in New York, she still considers Antigua to be her true home. In Antigua, a significant landmark is the library that was the home to thousands of books and a large amount of knowledge. However, “in The Earthquake… the library building was damaged. This was in 1974…...