92 pages • 3 hours read
Katherine ApplegateHome of the Brave
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
Gol
Lou’s cow, Gol, is symbolic of the life blood of Kek’s people. Cattle are a critical part of Sudanese culture and livelihood, and Kek is mystified as to why Americans don’t value their cows more than they seem to. Gol also serves as a home away from home for Kek; she is a bridge between past and present, and she is a welcome reminder of the life he left behind.
Lou’s Farm
Working at Lou’s farm represents a safe place for Kek (and eventually Ganwar) to work that is the closest they will come to their former life. The farm is a place where they are not judged and where they can labor in peace. Above all, the farm is symbolic of a means by which both boys can come to terms with their past and accept their new lives in America.
The Blue and Yellow Fabric
Kek carries around with him a piece of his mother’s dress, made of blue and yellow fabric. Before he was separated from her, he tore off a piece of her dress. Now it symbolizes Kek’s inextinguishable hope that he will someday be reunited with his mother. Kek keeps the piece of fabric in his pocket and often runs his fingers over it when he thinks of his mother, and needs to remind himself that not all hope of her survival has been lost. At the end of the book, Kek’s mother arrives wearing a scarf made from the same fabric.
The Candy Heart
Proud to have earned enough money from work to buy his aunt new dishes, Kek is even more proud to have change left over with which to purchase a chocolate candy heart for his friend, Hannah. He says it is his duty as her friend to offer this gift to her, and it symbolizes much more than a simple gift: it is representative of the friendship that Kek has relied on to help him adjust to life in Minnesota. Further, it makes Kek proud to be able to give something to someone; this might be viewed as counter to status quo American society, where one is honored by receiving something, instead.
Ganwar’s Missing Hand
Kek’s older cousin lost his hand in the attack on their family’s camp. The missing limb is a source of anguish for Ganwar, and its absence can be seen as symbol for his anxiety and frustration, and likely PTSD. It is a reminder of the loss of his family, the loss of his home. Until Kek’s arrival, Ganwar nurses his wound and largely refuses to engage with his new culture. With the help of Kek and Lou, Ganwar learns to see beyond what he has lost and instead look at the missing hand as a sign of bravery. Further, Ganwar learns that he can still do farm work with only one hand, which seems to reignite his belief in himself.
The Impending Strip Mall and the Petting Zoo
It’s worth noting that the “solutions” in this novel can be seen as not really solutions at all; Lou still needs to sell off her farm and move to Los Angeles, a place she is entirely unfamiliar with, in order to live with her sister—a living situation far from idea for someone who has lived an independent life based on work ethic. Further, the arrival of yet another strip mall, that blight of late American consumer capitalism, will still replace the farm. While an aged cow such as Gol may be happy enough in her new environment, Gol is still being housed, just like all the other animals at the zoo, in an ersatz setting, one they are trapped in, and one they arrive to due to human encroachment.
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By Katherine Applegate
