Meizi Li
Professor Oliver
ENG102
14 September 2008
A Response to Lisel Mueller
In Lisel Mueller’s curriculum vitae divided as 20 sentences to describe her
whole life journey so far. At very end of her story, in 18th sentence, it said that “I tried
to go home again” from where people can see that the place where she lives in does
not mean as a home for her. If the place where you live in recently is not your home,
then your home is where can give you security and you can feel happy.
In this poem, the writer’s home is where her grandparents and parents live
with her, she feel be fully protected and feel love too which means that is the home for
her. It says that in 18th sentence, “I stood at the door to my childhood, but it was
closed to the public” right after she tells she could not go back home which means her
home is in her childhood or her home is exactly her childhood. This poem relates with
my situation a lot. My home is in my childhood too.
I am international student who come from China. I lived with my parents
before I went to middle school, we were very happy to live together. After I went to
middle school, my parents went to Korea to work, until now, they live at Korea.
Before I come to the USA, I lived alone in our old house where I used to live with my
family. Sometime, in the USA, I miss my home, but never think about where is my
home exactly? The place where I was lived alone without parents in China, or the
place where my parents live in Korea but I have never been? Finally, after read this
poem, I realize for me, my home is where I lived with my parents happily together in
China before they went to Korea to work. I can go back that house again, but it is only
the house, not my home any more, that is why in 18th paragraph, the writer states “my
home was closed to the public”. Both the writer’s home and mine, are the places
where we lived with our family members together, no matter it has many struggles or
we feel happy there.