Student Question
What is the main idea and significant images in the poem "Home" by Karen Gershon?
Quick answer:
The main idea of Karen Gershon's poem "Home" is the lingering fear and mistrust stemming from her Holocaust experiences, despite being in a seemingly safe environment. The poem contrasts the serene imagery of children playing in suburbia with the trauma of betrayal and death during World War II. Significant images include a neighborhood, children playing, and the chilling realization that friendly neighbors might have been complicit in her family's potential betrayal to the Nazis.
The main idea of Karen Gershon's poem "Home" is the fear and uneasiness she feels at home, even though it is safe, because of her experiences in World War II. It is clear at the end of the poem that she is reliving and recounting the experiences she endured during the Holocaust. They had a lasting impact on her, so much so that she can't trust anyone around her.
The speaker depicts a home and neighborhood, imagines her children growing up, and reflects on how she used to play with her neighbors. This vision gives the idea of a residential suburbia, but it is full of mistrust and fear. Gershon says that she should feel comfortable—the quiet imagery of neighbors engaging with one another and watching their children play and grow up together should be encouraging, warm, and welcome—but it is not.
She juxtaposes the calm, soothing imagery of children...
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playing, with the fear of death and betrayal that she experienced during the war. She says that her parents must have felt at home until they realized that no one cared if they lived or died as she played with neighbors who may or may not have sold her out to the Nazis.
The imagery in this poem is not explicit—it describes actions, and our brains are left to fill in the surrounding details. However, it gives off the feeling, initially, of a quiet street with friendly neighbors. The ending mirrors the same picture but is much bleaker: a child playing with friends before being ripped away and sent to their death. This poem is evocative, bringing out the harsh emotions that one experiences during and forever after the Holocaust. Gershon feels perpetually betrayed and doubts everyone's sincerity and care because she felt a false version of it herself as a child, knowing later that, had they remained living in Germany, their very neighbors with whom she would play would have turned them over to the authorities to be killed cruelly.