Homecoming

Throughout the narrative, the Tillerman children grapple with their understanding and definition of home and family. Their journey challenges traditional notions of belonging and kinship. Ultimately, the children learn to define home and family as a fluid concept depending less on a specific location and more on the bonds of love and connection.

As they travel from place to place, the Tillermans understand that home is not something to be found but rather a concept to be created. Multiple examples illustrate how not to define home and family. For instance, while Eunice’s house offers shelter, clothing, and food, it comes with conditions and a constant threat of removal for not meeting Eunice’s expectations. Eunice and Father Joseph criticize Liza for not marrying the children’s father or for providing the children with religious education, highlighting traditional definitions of home and family. Moreover, although Abigail remained married and raised all her children in the farmhouse, she failed to protect them from her abusive husband, eventually losing all of her relationships with her sons and daughters. Abigail discusses her familial regrets about watching her family fall apart with Dicey, who realizes, “They didn’t have to have a place, they just had to have themselves” (369). Though the Tillerman children lack food, shelter, and clean clothing, they provide a sanctuary for each other where they can feel loved, cherished, and accepted, no matter their physical location.

Additionally, the Tillermans use forgiveness and reconciliation to define home and family. James and Dicey frequently contradict each other, and Sammy often disobeys Dicey’s commands. Without fail, the children speak honestly about their frustrations before apologizing, forgiving, and moving forward with a better understanding of each other. Moreover, self-forgiveness emerges as critical and necessary to family structures. Dicey convinces Abigail to embrace the mistakes of her past by learning from them. She expresses confidence that Abigail won’t repeat past offenses while sheltering her grandchildren. The Tillerman children invite Abigail to be a part of their well-defined family, giving her the name “Gran” as a symbol of their acceptance.

Through various conflicts and confrontations with the societal structures meant to protect them, the Tillerman children encounter the limitations of institutional systems like law enforcement, the foster care system, and religious organizations. One of the central aspects of this theme is the portrayal of women and children as vulnerable individuals often marginalized within patriarchal systems.

Dicey’s experience highlights specific vulnerabilities unique to women and girls that are often exploited by authority figures and institutional systems. Early in the narrative, Dicey hides her identity as a girl, telling James, “It’s safer to be a boy than a girl […] People leave boys alone more” (57). When Dicey eventually puts her trust in authority figures like Eunice and Father Joseph, they ignore her advocacy to keep the Tillerman children together while discrediting her assessment of Maybeth’s academic skills. Simultaneously, they expect her to shoulder all domestic responsibilities and childcare duties while James is entitled to pursue his education. Dicey’s experiences highlight the unequal expectations placed on women to sacrifice all personal ambition while shouldering the burden of raising and caring for the next generation. This divide is further reinforced by Eunice’s choice to forfeit her goal of becoming a nun to care for the Tillerman children; unlike nuns, Catholic priests are free to adopt children should they desire to do so, whereas Eunice is forced to choose one path over the other.

In several instances, authority figures perpetuate stigma and shame about social services. The disapproval of financial welfare programs impacts families needing help, so much so that they refuse to accept assistance out of pride. Throughout the novel, this stigma is primarily felt by women struggling to support their children, like Abigail and Liza, which only adds to the burden many already face in shouldering childcare and housework responsibilities. While explaining why she cannot afford to shelter and protect the Tillerman children, Abigail asserts, “I never took charity” (366). Dicey replies, “Momma wouldn’t, either. That’s why she was taking us to Aunt Cilla’s house” (366). However, after a store clerk reminds Abigail that she is entitled to make use of the government benefits that her taxes help fund, Abigail ultimately decides to accept government support in order to raise her grandchildren. The shift in Abigail's perspective highlights a critical turning point in the novel, illustrating how overcoming societal stigma allows families to seek and receive the help they need for survival and stability.