The Girl’s Attachment to Home

Foster

The girl’s feelings move between homes, revealing that belonging can expand without erasing earlier ties.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Leaving the Familiar Leaving the Familiar from "Foster". Leaving the Familiar A child carried away Dan drives the girl toward the coast, and she lies looking through the rear window at sky, trees, and birds.

Leaving the Familiar from "Foster". Leaving the Familiar A child carried away Dan drives the girl toward the coast, and she lies looking through the rear window at sky, trees, and birds.

Leaving the Familiar A child carried away Dan drives the girl toward the coast, and she lies looking through the rear window at sky, trees, and birds. The movement separates her from the routines she knows. An imagined destination She wonders what life with the Kinsellas will be like. Her departure begins with curiosity as well as fear, not with a settled wish to escape home.

A Home Without Hurry A Home Without Hurry from "Foster". A Home Without Hurry Room to breathe The girl observes that the Kinsellas’ house has space and time to think.

A Home Without Hurry from "Foster". A Home Without Hurry Room to breathe The girl observes that the Kinsellas’ house has space and time to think.

A Home Without Hurry Room to breathe The girl observes that the Kinsellas’ house has space and time to think. Meals and work proceed without the urgency she associates with her mother’s household. Attachment taking shape Comfort grows through repeated experience rather than a sudden decision. The girl begins to want the farm to be her home, even while knowing she cannot control the arrangement.

The Sea Beyond the Fields The Sea Beyond the Fields from "Foster". The Sea Beyond the Fields A shared landscape John leads the girl from the farm to the strand, where they play beside the waves and watch lights offshore.

The Sea Beyond the Fields from "Foster". The Sea Beyond the Fields A shared landscape John leads the girl from the farm to the strand, where they play beside the waves and watch lights offshore.

The Sea Beyond the Fields A shared landscape John leads the girl from the farm to the strand, where they play beside the waves and watch lights offshore. The sea enlarges the world she has known through fields and roads. Memory attached to place The night becomes bound to trust, fear, and the warmth of John’s hand. The landscape gives her a private memory that will accompany her home.

Returning to the Crowded Kitchen

Returning to the Crowded Kitchen Recognizing difference At Mary’s house, the girl sees damp lino, dirty footprints, and a crowded table. The familiar kitchen now looks different after a summer of order and space. Home not discarded The contrast does not make her family meaningless. It shows that she has acquired another standard of care and another place to miss.

Running Between Homes Running Between Homes from "Foster". Running Between Homes A choice in motion After the car leaves, the girl runs back to John Kinsella at the gate.

Running Between Homes from "Foster". Running Between Homes A choice in motion After the car leaves, the girl runs back to John Kinsella at the gate.

Running Between Homes A choice in motion After the car leaves, the girl runs back to John Kinsella at the gate. The decision is immediate and physical rather than carefully reasoned. Belonging enlarged She is held by John while Dan comes up the lane. The closing image keeps both relationships present and lets the girl’s attachment exceed the boundaries of the summer arrangement.

the opening drive from Clonegal

during the first week at the farm

the night after the wake

the Sunday evening she returns home

the final moments of the story