Karen travels to Africa to escape the expectations of Danish society, but what she really wants is a place where she can plant her flag. It's not Denmark, that's for sure, at least for now. Out of Africa spends a lot of time focusing on her need for a home: not only a physical place like the plantation, but people like Denys and Farah, whom she can count on (well, okay, Farah).
That's a paradox that runs throughout the film: familiar comforts vs. strange, challenging adventures. Karen wants an unconventional life but still longs for conventional things like a comfortable home and marriage to a decent man. Africa sure begins to feel like home, and if Denys had lived, who knows if she would've ever left?
Questions about The Home
- What does the home mean to Karen? To Denys?
- Is the home a state of mind as much as a physical place? How so?
- What is it about Denmark that prevents Karen from thinking about it as a home? Is Africa different?
Chew on This
Home for Karen is a state of mind and can be wherever the she decides it is.
For Denys, the idea of a permanent home freaks him out.