The Real Home

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the theme and construction of home in "Running in the Family", an autobiography by Michael Ondaatje. The paper explains how, although Ondaatje's home is both in Canada and Sri Lanka, his autobiography revolves primarily around his life in Sri Lanka. The paper highlights Ondaatje's stronger connection to his Sri Lankan upbringing and home, although it is in sharp contrast to his Canadian lifestyle today.

Outline:
Introduction
Running in the Family and "Home"
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"To Ondaatje, his home, Sri Lanka, seems a foreign thing, at least at the outset of the book. Living in Canada and thinking about a return to his home country, Ondaatje observes that the word "Asia" has none of the "clipped sound(s)" (22) of words such as Europe, America and Canada. As a Canadian citizen, Ondaatje must necessarily look at his home country through the tinted veil of a Westerner's glance at a strange, Eastern country. However, whilst Canada has become Ondaatje's adoptive home, his origins are still in Sri Lanka, Asia. From the very beginning, Ondaatje makes his construction of his birth home known. He expresses the irony he feels towards his home country by his feelings towards how the word "sounds" - for example, "the name (Asia) was a gasp from a dying mouth. An ancient word that had to be whispered, would never be used as a battle cry" (22). In other words, to Ondaatje, Asia has none of the modern grandeur of Western countries and Europe; it is an old place, irrelevant in today's time. Even the sound of the word is weird - "the vowels took over, slept on the map with the S" (22)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ondaatje, Michael. Running in the Family. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1982.

More papers on The Real Home:

• Analytical Essay # 133958 : "Construction of "Home"
• Research Paper # 100642 : "Protecting Home Buyers"
• Term Paper # 134525 : "Home Buying"

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