Perhaps this is our strange and haunting paradox here in America -- that we are fixed and certain only when we are in movement. At any rate, that is how it seemed to young George Webber, who was never so assured of his purpose as when he was going somewhere on a train. And he never had the sense of home so much as when he felt that he was going there. It was only when he got there that his homelessness began.
In Thomas Wolfe's "You Can't Go Home Again," the protagonist, George Webber, experiences a profound sense of purpose and belonging while traveling by train. He finds that moving toward a destination provides him with a sense of certainty and identity, suggesting that sometimes, being in transit can feel more like home than actually arriving at a place. This movement serves as a metaphor for the human experience, where progress and change often bring clarity and confidence.
However, once George arrives at his destination, he confronts feelings of homelessness and disconnection. This paradox highlights the complexities of finding true belonging in life, implying that the journey itself may hold more significance than the final outcome. In seeking stability and identity, it's often the act of searching and moving forward that creates a sense of home, rather than the actual place one reaches.
