Home vs House
Material and Spiritual Possessions John Berry, the homeless man from Yorba Linda was stabbed in the back thirty times. He did not have what people viewed as a house, but the bench near Carl’s Jr. was considered his home, a place of comfort and value close to the heart. “Homeless” an essay written by Anna Quindlen, focuses on the people who don’t have that sense of place, “a place of certainty, stability, predictability, and privacy” (Quindlen 528). “Homeless” is not about the people who are living on the streets, but the people who never had a house to call their home. The difference between the two is that a house is a possession that functions as a protective shelter, an area to do daily routines and is a monetary asset to the owner, while a home possesses sentimental value, memories and traditions. First, a house is an architectural structure that provides shelter and also used for financial gain for its inhabitants. A house has four walls and a roof to block wind, rain, heat, and other outside elements for the people inside. Therefore, the outside of the house is made of materials that are waterproof while the structure is sturdy to withstand high winds. A house contains air conditioning and blinds to block heat from the outside. This building doesn’t only protect from weather, but also from people. The doors and windows have locking mechanisms to keep unwanted intruders out. A house also can be equipped with a security system that has cameras, alarms, and motion sensing lights for the people who want to be extra safe. Each room in a house is built specially to serve a purpose. The kitchen is filled with appliances to cook and store food. The bathroom is built with a toilet, shower, and a mirror to help accomplish morning routines. The bedrooms have a closet, bed, and desk so that the person living there can have his own private area to change, sleep, and complete work. However, the main purpose for a house for many people is for the
Cited: Quindlen, Anna. “Homeless.” The Longwood Reader. 4th ed. Ed. Edward Dornan (Indent) Charles Dawe. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000. 527-529. Print.