This is an easy one, since the story is titled Home. The story presents two possible meanings for home – the physical house and family in general.
The story opens with details that give's light to the actual house: the porch, plants, and gate. We’re told “What was wanted was this always, this always to last.”
Maud Martha also emphasizes the importance of the house when she says of her father - (papa), “He lives for this house!”. Even if this is an exaggeration, it implies that her father takes pride in being a home owner. It also implies that without the house, Papa would be figuratively dead, making it impossible for them to have a home in the sense of family togetherness.
Papa (Dad) also put the house above his personal pride when he went to get an extension on the payments. He seems to view owning a house as an important, if not vital, part of providing a home for his family.
In contrast, home can also be wherever the family is. Helen’s contention that Papa loves the family above all and only cares about the house incidentally, because of them, supports the idea that even if the house is lost, they will be able to make a new home anywhere.
Likewise, Maud Martha’s declaration that her father lives for the house shows how much she cares for his feelings. On the surface, it emphasizes the importance of the house, but underneath it demonstrates to show the tender feeling between the members of the household, suggesting that they would recover from losing the house.
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